Food - News
Here's How Mahi Mahi Got Its Name
By SAVANNA SWAIN-WILSON
Due to its mild flavor and sustainability, mahi mahi is a prized fish for many seafood lovers. Known by many names — “dorado” in Latin America, “shiira” in Japan, “lampuga” in Italy, and “dolphin fish” in English — here’s why most people in the U.S. call it by the Hawaiian name of mahi mahi.
“Mahi” is the Hawaiian word for strong — associated with this fish due to its strength, and its ability to swim at speeds up to 40 miles-per-hour and travel up to 1,864 miles in a single month. The repetition of “mahi mahi,” however, is simply to convey the fact that this fish is “extra strong.”
While “dolphin fish” is the most commonly used English term around the world, U.S. restaurants adopted the name “mahi mahi” in the 1980s to assure patrons they weren’t eating dolphins. The fish only earned the "dolphin" nickname for its tendency to leap in front of boats like actual dolphins.