Fiji Products
Fresh Fish Products
The longline fishing method, careful handling and a managed cold chain ensures that the fish we catch are delivered to the customer in pristine condition. Every fish is graded on landing and carefully packed for airfreight. We regularly monitor the entire cold chain to ensure fish temps are maintained within optional ranges. All fresh fish are available for airfreight whole, head on/off (optional) and gutted. Tuna is priced on size (10 kg and up), and on quality (fat content). All Tuna’s – Albacore, Bigeye and Yellowfin are available fresh in vacuum packed plastic bags, if loined.
A high quality fresh product is ensured by Solander vessels through short sea trips and the RSW refrigeration systems. Solander airfreights twice weekly fresh tuna’s and other Pacific Ocean species to the USA, Japan, New Zealand and Australia year-round to ensure consistent supply of produce to our customers. In New Zealand, Solander provides a local distribution service for end customers. New Zealand customers can refer to www.solander.co.nz or for calling within New Zealand our free calling number is 0800 555 548 or + 64 3 545 9650.
Distributing fresh product directly to the restaurant customer helps Solander to continue to provide innovation to aspects of fresh fish handling.
All Solander vessels use RSW (refrigerated salt water). Fish are pre-chilled and then placed in holding tanks where the core temperature is maintained at -1 degree Celsius for the entire voyage. The RSW system maintains chilled fish as close to its natural environment as possible. It provides a fast and stable chilling process ensuring the freshest possible chilled product. All products are processed under the US HACCP program.
Fresh Bigeye Tuna
Latin: Thunnus obesus
Bigeye is a favourite fish of many chefs with its fantastic flavour, texture, and lots of flesh with no bone. It is considered a premium flesh for sashimi. Bigeye forms the centrepiece for any dish. It also cooks brilliantly and is easy to prepare.
Bigeye is caught in deeper, cooler water, has a higher fat content and longer shelf life than other tunas. The flesh of Bigeye Tuna is deep red.
Preparation: Most chefs prefer to use Big eye for Sashimi, Sushi or carpaccio dishes. If you have to cook it, searing it in a hot pan works well, but be very careful not to over cook it. The high fat content is ideal for grilling, roasting and pan searing.
Availability: Caught and available all year round.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 5 days of receiving product.
Fresh Yellowfin Tuna
Latin: Thunnus albacares
Yellowfin is also an excellent fish for sashimi and other raw fish dishes. Its flesh is typically not as deep red and tends to be firmer than that of bigeye.
Flesh colour varies from pink in smaller fish to deeper red in larger fish.
Preparation: Yellowfin tuna is used in raw fish dishes especially sashimi. This fish grills very well and is used in cajun cuisine as ‘blackened fish’. Yellowfin has a firm texture and subtle flavour.
Availability: Caught and available all year round.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 5 days of receiving product.
Fresh Swordfish
Also known as Broadbill
Latin: Xiphias gladius
Swordfish is a fantastic fish to eat, and should melt in your mouth. Swordfish has high oil content and is rich in flavour with a texture similar to premium cuts of beef. It has a pale white to pinkish firm flesh. Swordfish has a very mild taste and tender flesh when cooked.
Preparation: Ideal for grilling, pan-frying and roasting. Its use in raw dishes is increasing. Swordfish Carpaccio is also a popular dish.
Availability: Caught and available all year round. Weekly supply occasionally subject to catch.
Shelf life: Swordfish keeps well and will maintain its condition for up to 7 days from receiving product.
Fresh Mahimahi
Also known as Dolphin Fish (not to be confused with the mammal)
Latin: Coryphaena hippurus
Mahimahi is a delicious fish with a delicate moist slightly sweet flavour. When it is first caught its colours are brilliant blue and silver specked with yellow. Mahimahi has a thin skin with firm, light pinkish flesh.
Preparation: It should be cooked until it just starts to flake. Care should be taken not to overcook Mahimahi. It is suitable for most cooking methods. Lightly pan-frying works well (cook as per other NZ white fish).
Availability: Caught and available all year round.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 3 days from receiving product.
Fresh Wahoo
Also known as Ono
Latin: Acanthocybium solandri
Wahoo flesh is whiter, flakier and has a more delicate texture than other similar surface species. The word Ono means “good to eat” in Hawaiian.
Preparation: Wahoo is a very versatile fish and works well with most recipes. It has a low fat content making it especially suitable for poaching.
Availability: Caught and available all year round.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 3 days from receiving product.
Fresh Moonfish
Also known as Opah
Latin: Lampris guttatus
Moonfish is a stunningly coloured fish. It has a silvery-grey upper body and fades to rose red and dotted white spots towards the belly. The name moonfish is perhaps derived from its large round profile.
Moonfish flesh has different colours. The flesh from the fish’s cheeks is dark red. Near the backbone is an orangish flesh and towards the belly the colour changes to pink. When cooked all the flesh turns to a white colour.
Preparation: The moonfish’s flesh is rich and fatty, with a variety of uses. Moonfish is used for sashimi, for grilling, and for smoking.
Availability: Caught and available all year round.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 5 days from receiving product.
Fresh Blue Marlin
Latin: Makaira nigricans
Blue Marlin has a high fat content and can also be used in sashimi and other raw fish dishes. Blue Marlin has a white firm flesh with a mild flavour. The high fat content gives the fish a naturally laquered appearance.
Preparation: Sashimi, steaking as fish of the day, ideal for grilling and other cooking methods.
Availability: Caught all year round. Weekly supply occasionally subject to catch.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 5 days of receiving product.
Fresh Striped Marlin
Latin: Tetrapturus audax
The flesh colour of Striped Marlin varies from fish to fish. Marlin with an orange-red flesh makes impressive cuts for sashimi. Other pink to lightcoloured flesh marlin can be used for fish of the day. The most sort after of all marlin species because of its tender flesh.
Preparation: Striped Marlin can be used for sashimi and other raw fish dishes. It takes well to char-grilling, roasting and pan-searing. The flesh of all marlin species is ideal for smoking.
Availability: Caught throughout the year, weekly supply occasionally subject to catch.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 5 days of receiving product.
Fresh Albacore Tuna
Latin: Thunnus alalunga
Albacore has a pink to white flesh and is used in cooking and raw fish dishes. Larger fish have a pinker flesh coloration and greater fat content. Solander Albacore are generally larger fish averaging around 18kg per fish. Albacore flesh is softer than other Tuna.
Preparation: Albacore is often smoked. It also grills well. Other uses, sashimi, poaching, marinated steaks etc. Care must be taken to avoid over cooking.
Availability: Caught and available all year round.
Shelf life: Best consumed within 5 days of receiving product.
Frozen Tuna Supplies
In addition to our fresh supplies we process frozen product also. Albacore is the principle specie and usually supplied whole round to Thailand and Europe.
Please contact sales@solander.com.fj for further information.
