Bonito is very fishy and sometimes you can say it smells so strong that it seems stale. I would say it is sometimes true. Sometimes I would think eating bonito fish is like eating duck meat. A weird comparison, I know, but that’s what I feel. That is why bonito fish is marinated in a vingeary sauce before serving at times or it will be paired with some ginger to remove its fishy smell.

Another fun fact is bonito fish is used in many flavor enhancing sauces, and the most common one is the soba sauce. That is what my vegetarian roommate told me when I tried to cook him some soba and serve it with soba sauce.

Pacific and Atlantic bonito meat has a firm texture and a darkish color and it is not very fat as compared to the fatty tuna. It is quite a cheap fish and Japanese people will often use bonito(non-sushi grade) for grilling and other uses.