Tuna: From Cans to Otoro, the Conquest of Humanity’s Table

How did the silver empire of the sea, tuna, come to have two faces: an ordinary canned food and a luxury delicacy?

• Discover the deep bond between tuna and humanity starting from the Neolithic era.
• Examine the invention story of canned tuna born from war and technology.
• Compare the success myths of Dongwon and Sajo, two giants who shaped Korea’s tuna history.
• Review the current status and challenges of full-cycle tuna aquaculture technology for a sustainable future.

One Can of Tuna and One Slice of Otoro: The Two Faces of a Fish

How is tuna remembered by us? Many probably think of the yellow cans of ‘Dongwon Tuna’ or ‘Sajo Tuna’ that reliably occupy a corner of the pantry. It is a humble ingredient deeply embedded in our daily lives, eaten mixed with rice when hungry or added to spicy kimchi stew to enhance flavor.

But tuna has another face. On New Year’s Day, before dawn breaks, the bustling Toyosu Fish Market in Tokyo is filled with excitement. Amid flashes from countless reporters, a giant bluefin tuna is auctioned. After the auctioneer’s loud calls, the winning bid is announced: a staggering 207 million yen, nearly 2 billion Korean won, an unimaginable sum. This is tuna as a luxury delicacy, with single pieces fetching hundreds of thousands of won, the pinnacle of gourmet dining.

How can one fish have such extreme dual identities? From cheap canned food to multi-billion won sashimi, how did tuna come to dominate both ends of humanity’s dining spectrum? The journey to answer this question is more than a fish’s history; it is a mirror reflecting the development of human civilization, technological innovation, and changing desires. Let’s begin the grand epic of the silver empire of the sea, tuna.

Chapter 1: The Emperor of the Sea on Humanity’s Table: From Ancient Rome to Neolithic Korea

The relationship between tuna and humanity is far deeper and longer than we think. Putting this massive, powerful sea predator on the table was more than securing food; it was a measure of a society’s technological and organizational capabilities.

Ancient Rome could be called the ‘Empire of Tuna.’ Roman fishermen hunted tuna in the Mediterranean, and hundreds of coastal processing plants salted and shipped tuna across the empire. Especially, ‘Garum’, a fermented fish sauce made from tuna entrails, was an indispensable seasoning on Roman tables. Garum jars were found in the Pompeii ruins buried by volcanic ash, showing how deeply tuna was embedded in Roman food culture and economy.

Surprisingly, the history of taming this great sea predator goes back much further than Rome. Looking to Korea, archaeologists at the Dongsam-dong shell midden site on the coast of Yeongdo, Busan, discovered tuna bones among Neolithic artifacts. This indicates our ancestors already had the navigation and fishing skills to hunt tuna in rough seas.

Chapter 2: An Invention Born of War and Innovation: The Birth of Canned Tuna

Today, we can enjoy tuna anytime and anywhere thanks ironically to an invention born amid the fires of war. The story begins with Napoleon Bonaparte in early 19th century France. Desperate to supply fresh food to soldiers for extended periods, he offered a large prize for a food preservation method.

At this time, Nicolas Appert, a Parisian confectioner, discovered that sealing food in glass jars and heating them in boiling water prevented spoilage, inventing the ‘canning’ technique. Without knowledge of bacteria, he empirically grasped sterilization and sealing principles.

In 1903, a sardine canning factory in California faced a crisis. Instead of sardines, they canned albacore tuna caught in their nets, and the cooked tuna meat tasted mild and tender like chicken. This gave birth to the brilliant marketing phrase “Chicken of the Sea,” and canned tuna sales soared.

During World War I, canned tuna became a cheap, nutritious protein source for soldiers in trenches, with massive military supply contracts. After the war, canned tuna became a soul food for Americans—a true food culture revolution.

Chapter 3: Captains Who Ruled the Open Sea: Dongwon and Sajo, the Dawn of the K-Tuna Myth

The wave of canned tuna that began in the US crossed the Pacific and landed in Korea, where two remarkable figures wrote a unique myth: Dongwon’s Kim Jae-cheol and Sajo’s Joo Jin-woo, two giants who built their kingdoms on the sea in different ways.

3.1. The Great Voyage of ‘Captain Kim,’ Dongwon’s Kim Jae-cheol

Dongwon’s history is the sea story of one man, ‘Captain Kim’ Kim Jae-cheol. A famed deep-sea fishing captain, he founded Dongwon Industries in 1969 at age 35. The famous story goes that he started the business by borrowing two ships from Japan solely on his credit as ‘Captain Kim,’ without collateral.

His turning point came during an executive program at Harvard Business School. He learned the theory that tuna becomes popular in countries with per capita income over $2,000. At the time, Korea was just crossing that threshold. He decided to produce canned tuna for domestic consumption instead of exporting all of it. Thus, in 1982, Korea’s first solid meat canned tuna, ‘Dongwon Tuna,’ was launched.

After initial slow sales, all employees engaged in tasting events. They actively promoted recipes like ’tuna kimchi stew,’ successfully embedding canned tuna into Korean dining tables. This was a success story born from the determination of a captain-turned-CEO who found answers on the ground. I personally cannot forget the taste of tuna kimchi stew my mother made in childhood, a dish that started from one leader’s insight.

3.2. From Political Science Student to Deep-Sea Fishing Tycoon, Sajo’s Joo Jin-woo

If Dongwon’s Kim Jae-cheol was a ‘field commander,’ Sajo’s Joo Jin-woo was a ‘strategist.’ Studying political science in the US and dreaming of presidency, he inherited the company at age 29 after his father’s sudden death in 1979.

Though unfamiliar with the sea, he managed the crisis with excellent business acumen. He pursued growth through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), acquiring major food companies like Sajo Haepyo, Sajo Daelim, and Oyang Fisheries, transforming Sajo Group into a comprehensive food conglomerate.

Chapter 4: Belly Fat Once Ignored by Cats Becomes the Pinnacle of Gourmet: The Premiumization of Tuna Sashimi

While canned tuna conquered the public’s table, in Japan, the fatty belly of tuna, ‘Toro (トロ),’ faced a very different fate. Though now synonymous with premium cuts, just 100 years ago in Edo-period Japan, Toro was called ‘Nekomatagi (猫またぎ),’ meaning ’even cats wouldn’t touch it’ due to its high fat content, spoilage, and fishy smell.

How did this unwanted belly fat become the king of gourmet? The answer lies not in changing tastes but in technological advancement. After World War II, rapid development of freezing technology and nationwide cold chain distribution transformed everything. Tuna caught on deep-sea vessels was flash-frozen at -60°C, preserving the fat that once caused spoilage, turning it into a flavor enhancer. What was once a flaw became a melt-in-your-mouth softness and rich flavor, the ultimate advantage.

Japan’s remarkable economic boom fueled this trend. With newfound wealth, people sought more expensive and delicious foods, and the beautifully marbled Toro became a symbol of wealth and gourmet culture. This is why the New Year’s first tuna auction at Tokyo’s Toyosu Market regularly sees record-breaking bids reaching billions of won.

Chapter 5: Taming the ‘Porsche of the Sea’: Advances in Tuna Aquaculture Technology

Global demand for tuna exploded, causing severe resource depletion due to overfishing. Humanity must now shift from ‘hunter’ to ‘farmer.’

The first to tackle this seemingly impossible challenge was Japan’s Kinki University. In 1970, its Fisheries Research Institute began research on full-cycle bluefin tuna aquaculture. Full-cycle aquaculture means artificially hatching fry, raising them to adults that spawn again, creating a complete cycle independent of wild stocks.

After many failures, in 2002, after 32 years, the first artificially hatched generation successfully spawned, achieving the world’s first full-cycle bluefin tuna aquaculture. This was a miraculous success with a survival rate of only 0.0006%.

Korea has also entered the race, achieving its first commercial shipment in 2018, but large-scale production remains a challenge. The Neolithic tuna hunt has now entered a new stage of ‘marine livestock farming,’ raising sea predators like cattle.

Comparison / Alternatives

Dongwon vs Sajo: Two Growth Models of the K-Tuna Myth

The histories of Dongwon and Sajo illustrate two typical growth models of Korea’s economic development. Chairman Kim Jae-cheol symbolizes the first-generation entrepreneur spirit who created something from nothing through field experience and innovation, while Chairman Joo Jin-woo represents the second-generation leader who expanded the business through modern management techniques like M&A after inheriting a family business in crisis.

Conclusion

From Neolithic prey to Roman industrial resource, from Napoleon’s military rations to modern side dishes, and finally to a subject of advanced biotechnology, tuna’s journey parallels human civilization’s progress.

• Key Point 1: Technology Creates Value Canning popularized tuna, and rapid freezing transformed discarded belly fat into a top gourmet delicacy. Technology has reshaped tuna’s destiny.
• Key Point 2: Leadership Creates Markets The differing strategies of Dongwon’s Kim Jae-cheol and Sajo’s Joo Jin-woo elevated Korea’s tuna industry to world-class levels, demonstrating how leadership vision can reshape industries.
• Key Point 3: Questions of Sustainability Amid explosive demand and overfishing, full-cycle aquaculture technology offers new hope and challenges. Tuna’s future tests our wisdom to coexist with nature.

Doesn’t the can of tuna on your table look different now? This small can contains humanity’s great history, technology, and contemplation for the future.