Bonito: Every Thing You Need To Know

by Abbas Jahangir · February 19, 2022

It is a predatory fish species that loves warm and warm seas, can be found both on the coasts and in the open, wanders in flocks and is among the benefactors of fishermen.

The bonito fish , which has a bluish back and silvery color towards the abdomen , can reach up to 1 meter in length.

Bonito fish are called by different names according to their size.

Bonito Types According to the Data of the Meat and Dairy Institution:

1-20 cm acorn venoses,
20-30 cm gypsy acorn,
Acorns between 31-40 cm ,
Chestnut acorns between 40-50 cm ,
Toric between 51-60 cm ,
61-65 cm pointed,
Six fingers between 65-70 cm ,
Bonito species larger than 70 cm are named as dungeon.

Two species of bonito are known, the Maltese Bonito (Naucrates ductor) and the Toric Acorn (Sarda sarda).

The Maltese bonito is known as a pilot fish, accompanying sharks, and has an average length of 40 cm. The main issue to be considered here is that they breed in the autumn-winter seasons, so there are sources that have no nutritional value in the spring-summer months.
Toric acorns, on the other hand, lay eggs in May-July, contain high protein and vitamin D.

The acorn has 7 blackish bands, four of which are dark and three of which are light, extending from head to tail and regularly located.

While bonito fish can be found in the Black Sea in spring, it is possible to come across it in the Marmara after autumn, and later in the Aegean and even the Mediterranean.

What is Bonito Calorie and Nutritional Value?

Bonito is the richest fish in terms of protein and vitamin D, and is also an abundant source of vitamin A, folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, iron and Omega 3 fatty acids. For individuals who care about a healthy diet, it has an important place in their daily nutrition with both high protein content and calorie amount.

A bonito fish weighing 100 grams uncooked has a value of 216 kcal. 63% of its calories consist of fat and 37% of protein .

Bonito dish has different calorie values according to cooking methods. In addition, the calorie values of the meals may increase depending on the fat content and the nutrients they contain.

On average:

bonito dishes in the oven 303 kcal,
grilled bonito 410 kcal,
Steamed bonito can be said to be 395 kcal .

What are the Benefits of Bonito?

It helps to strengthen the hair due to the high amount of phosphorus, sulfur and vitamins it contains. It is known that those who consume bonito at certain and regular intervals reduce their hair loss.
Due to its frequent consumption, tooth structures become smoother and gingival bleeding is reduced.
Thanks to omega 3 fatty acids, it regulates cholesterol, reduces the risk of heart attack, and makes positive contributions to weight management as a result of regular consumption.
Thanks to its cell regenerative properties, it allows open wounds to heal in a short time, rejuvenates and repairs the skin.
Thanks to vitamin A and other ingredients, it makes positive contributions to eye disorders and is good for eyes and visual function.
It helps the proper development of the musculoskeletal system and has a significant effect on increasing the height of children in developmental age.
Thanks to its high protein and vitamin content, individuals who consume it regularly feel more vigorous and their body resistance increases.

How to Hunt Bonito?

Since bonito fish circulate in flocks, it is a source of great joy for fishermen when they are caught both with fishing line and especially with bonito net . It is among the most hunted fish species in Marmara and Black Sea.
It has been reported that the number of fishermen has decreased due to the wrong time and large numbers of fishing and legal regulations have been introduced.
The legal catch size is 25 cm and above. The reason for this is that the acorns reach maturity and spawn at least once. A mature female acorn lays eggs in numbers from 400,000 to several million in waters with a temperature of 18-20°C.
Before the legal regulations, they start the hunting season in August and it is seen that more acorn venoses and gypsy acorns dominate the herd during these months.
After the legal regulations, the hunting time starts in September and as of September, acorns and acorns dominate the herd.
Therefore , the acorn season is literally the winter season.
Bonitos are smaller than themselves, anchovies etc. they feed on fish. Despite this , anchovy as acorn bait is not preferred much in fishing because it falls apart while fishing.
Therefore, bonito hook, bonito rapala and bonito spoon are most commonly used in bonito fishing, and the most effective method is the horse-pull method.
Since the bonito is a very fast fish, bonito fishing requires more attention and precision.
In the capari method, white bonito capari is the most preferred. There are varieties made of seagull feather, goose feather and ready-made nylon for capari.
In this method, the bonito fishing line is thrown away from the shore and winding is done with hard movements.
As soon as it is felt that the fish has come to the fishing line, it is pulled quickly without any waiting so that it does not move quickly and escape or turn and cause the fishing tip to become entangled.
In the Rapala method, the ones with silver and bluish-yellow back colors should be preferred.
100-125 grams of buoyancy lead is attached to the clip, and a long and good quality 0.25 fishing line is added to the rapa.
In this method, it is felt as if a real fish is moving by making hard and round movements from time to time and it is tried to attract the attention of the fish.

How to Clean Bonito Fish?

Thanks to its scaleless structure and soft meat, bonito is much easier to clean and it is much more comfortable to slice than other fish.
After the bonito fish is thoroughly washed, it is placed on the cutting board on its back and a horizontal incision is made over the excretory organ.
Then, optionally, the fins are separated and the head area is cut, the internal organs are removed and washed inside and out with plenty of water in order to remove blood clots and organ residues.
Depending on the characteristics of the food, it is sliced into fillets or wedges.
In the wedge cut, the ring is cut into a ring and is generally not removed.
In fillet cutting, the fish is laid on its side on the cutting board and cut horizontally over the bones from length to length, and the other side of the fish is treated in the same way.
Thanks to the fillet cut, it is free from fish bones. Optionally, the neck meat can be separated in order to evaluate the head of the bonito fish.
Cleaned acorns can be stored in the refrigerator in the form of thick slices. You can keep it whole if you wish. It will be the best storage rule to keep it in the freezer for 3 months and on the refrigerator shelf for 1 night.