Basic HTML Version
III. Of Special Interest For Preparation/Quality Control
Shelf Life And Quality Control:
Fresh mahimahi
has a shelf life of 10 days if properly cared for
(see Table 3). The fish caught by trolling (or
incidentally by the pole-and-line aku boats) are
only one or two days old and, hence, are
typically fresher than the mahimahi caught by
longline boats on extended trips.
The first external evidence of deterioration in a
whole mahimahi is softening and fading of
bright skin colors. In a dressed fish, discoloration of the flesh exposed around the collar bone would
indicate a loss of quality. Mahimahi retains better quality if it is not filleted until shortly before use.
Imported mahimahi fillets of low quality may have high levels of histamines. Naturally-occurring
spoilage bacteria probably act on the plentiful amount of histamine in mahimahi to produce biologi-
cally active histamines. When ingested in sufficient quantities, histamines give rise to an allergic-type
reaction. Histamine problems can be avoided by properly chilling pelagic species from the time of
capture to processing and consumption.
Product Forms And Yields:
Local fishermen
market their mahimahi as fresh, whole fish.
Most are purchased by up-scale restaurants in
Hawaii and on the mainland. Some restau-
rants buy fillets from intermediary suppliers,
but others prefer to receive the fish whole or grilled and gutted to retain good quality.
Mahimahi over 15 pounds in body weight is the preferred market size. The average yield of fillet from
whole fish ranges from 40-45% (see Table 5). A better yield can be recovered from large fish and
from females than from small fish or males (which have bigger heads).
IV. Of Special Interest To Consumers/Food Service Personnel
Color, Taste, Texture:
Mahimahi is thin-skinned with firm, light pink flesh. It has a delicate flavor that
is almost sweet. There is less strong-tasting “blood meat” in mahimahi than in tuna and billfish.
Preparations:
Mahimahi is ideal for a variety of preparations. However, care should be taken not to
overcook mahimahi. It should be cooked until it flakes and no longer.
V. Historical Note
No fish is better known in the up-scale restaurant market than Hawaii’s fresh mahimahi, which has
become synonymous with tourism. Among visitors, mahimahi has assumed the position of the
State’s best known fish.