Are Bonita Good To Eat?

Sometimes some fish are underestimated when choosing to eat them. Like the question above asked, are bonito good to eat? 

Having doubts like this is nothing unusual. But remove all your doubts as we declare that bonito fish is good to eat without a doubt like any other sea fish like sea robin.  

The fish taste is similar to tuna; besides, it will be an exquisite delicacy with the proper seasoning and spices. 

To learn about the little bonito and the recipes you can try with it, stay with us till the end of this article. 

Facts About Are Bonita Good To Eat Or Not?

Before knowing how you can turn the little Bonita into a delicious food item for you to devour, we present some facts about bonito, the fighting fish.

Family

The Bonita fish belongs to the Scombridae family, in which fishes like mackerel and tuna are also included. 

Habitant

Finding the living habitat of Bonita is very easy as they like to live in areas surrounded by saltwater. 

So it is a fact that you can discover bonito all over the oceans and seas of the world without much hassle. 

Bonita/Bonito

Some may call the baby fish bonito or Bonita, which might be confusing, but rest assured, both are the name of the same fish. “Bonita” is the feminine version of the “bonito,” making it the male version. 

As for the plural version, add an “s,” and you will get it.

Description

In the family in which the bonito belongs, all the species have a sharp dorsal fin, a tail built for their excellent speed, and a smooth and slick body.

In the second dorsal fin, you can see a string of finlets extending, and unlike other fishes, they don’t have scales. 

Look wise, they are pretty identical, but bonito is a mixture of mackerel and tuna fish in size.

Related: Are Spanish Mackerel Good to Eat?

For example, the Atlantic bonito can grow up to 30 inches and weigh 11 to 13 pounds. 

Different Kinds of Bonitos

You may get confused between tuna and bonito fish. There are no specific classifications of the bonito fish as they are one of their kind. 

Therefore the fishing industry categorizes the fish by their age and region.

• Old Bonito’s meat is very dark and firm and contains an average amount of fat.

• Young Bonitos are small in size, and their meat is light and pinkish, but they have significantly less amount of fat when compared to the oldies.

• And lastly, they can be differentiated by the region they are found in, like Pacific Bonito, the Eastern Pacific Bonito, and the Atlantic Bonito.

Social Butterfly

Who knew our little bonitos are social butterflies due to which they are known to travel in large schools. 

And mostly, they are found close to the shores of the seas and oceans. 

Taste of Bonitas

In the beginning, we mentioned that the taste of bonita’s fish is similar to the taste of tuna. But there is some difference between them. The meat of the fish is not firm and dense as the tuna fish; besides, the flavor is oily and fattier.

It does not mean that the fish cannot be tasty to it. The right kind of spices and the correct choice of fish can bring out the deliciousness of the fish. 

It is recommended to choose younger bonitos to cook as they are lighter in color and taste better.

In the Balkans and Turkey, the young bonito fish is served with sliced red onion as mezze snacks with drinks during social gatherings and parties. 

But there is a general rule for getting a better taste and flavor: to bleed the fish immediately after catching it and put in the ice as it tends to get spoiled pretty quickly.

Relevant: What does Crawfish Taste Like?

Ways Of Catching Bonitas

Now that it is clear that you can eat bonitas without any problem. Are you thinking or planning to catch those fish? 

Well, we will suggest to you some ways by which you can catch them.

Trolling

If you are thinking of catching loads of bonitas altogether, this is the best option. You need to drag a long net across the ocean floor. 

This way, you will be able to collect multiple schools of bonitas together without any hassle.

Line Fishing

You need to use a line to lay it in the water and wait for the fish to be caught. You can use a line around 4 to 8 pounds for better results. 

This way of catching fish would need patience and time; if you are up for it, you can try this.

Fishing Rod

The fishing rod is the simplest and most basic way of catching bonitas. However, this way requires lots of practice and expertise. 

Make sure that your rod is sturdy and robust but still flexible. When you are battling with your prey, it should flex far enough.

Easy Recipe for Bonita

We thought of presenting you with an easy recipe that you can use without much hassle. 

Grilled Bonita Steaks

To starting, we thought of doing something simple yet delicious. This recipe will highlight bonito’s flavors and work as an example that bonito fish can also be tasty.

The things you will need for the dish are:

• Bonita steaks
• Sea Salt
• Black Pepper
• Extra Virgin Oil
• One tablespoon of Smoked Paprika 
• One tablespoon of Garlic Powder
• Juice of one lemon

To begin the process first, you need to add pepper, salt, paprika, garlic, lemon juice, and a small amount of olive oil to the steak, then gently rub them together.

Then put the mixed bonito steaks in a baking pan and cover them with plastic or aluminum wrap to refrigerate them overnight.

After that, scorch the bonito steaks on a medium grill for 2-3 minutes per side or unless it is adequately cooked. Lastly, serve them by adding a little olive oil over them.

Marmitako: Recipe Featuring The Bonito Fish

If you love Spanish flavors, then you will love this dish. The dish is a thick warm stew in which, instead of using tuna, they are inculpating Bonito and best for the spring season.

Things you will need for the dish are:

• 1 pound Bonito Fillet
• Two dried ancho chiles or dried choricero pepper
• Coarse salt
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2-pound russet potato 
• One clove of minced garlic
• Chopped one yellow onion
• One tablespoon of sweet paprika or pimento
• ½ green bell pepper seeded 

To start, you need to rehydrate the dry chiles, so in a heat-proof bowl, cover the dried chiles with boiling water for 30 minutes.  

Once it’s boiled, dump the water and cut open the chiles, sweep off all the flesh, and discard the stems, skins, and seeds with a knife. And keep the pieces aside for a moment.

Cut the Bonito into pieces and add some coarse salt to it.

Peel off the russet potato and make a small cut in each potato to open it, but don’t cut it in half; put it aside once done. 

Heat the olive oil in the medium range and add all the vegetables and chile flesh to a stockpot. Sauté those for at least five minutes in medium-range heat or until the bell pepper and onion become soft and translucent. 

With all this, also add pimento and potatoes to mix well. Then season all this with coarse salt and add water to cover all the ingredients by 2 inches. 

Decrease the heat to medium to heat after boiling, and now cook them for 30 minutes.

 You can add the bonito pieces and let it simmer for 5 minutes until you see the fish become non-transparent.Lastly, take out the bowl and let it stand for 30 minutes before serving. 

Tips For Cooking Bonito

Above, we have mentioned two easy and delicious dishes for you to try. But we are also suggesting some tips that can come in handy.

Grill

If you are grilling the fish, you must clean the Bonito well and remove all its skin, including the gut. Cut them into slices and season them with oregano, salt, and garlic. Then marinate it for an hour and cook it for another hour before serving it.

Frying

There is no unique way of frying Bonito fish; it is fried the same way as any other fish, but you must remember to get rid of the fish’s skin and gut before you do the seasoning.

Parting Words

Hopefully, all your doubts regarding are bonita is good to eat or not are evident as we have explained in the article that it is perfect for eating and has a similar taste to tuna. 

The taste of the fish varies depending on the type you are choosing. Other than that, the fish will be more delicious with the right spice and seasoning.

You can also try out the recipe we have suggested for a starter. Lastly, if you plan to catch the fish, follow the ways we have mentioned and choose which suits you the best.