Atlantic bonito, known in Bulgaria as palamud, is at its best from September to the end of November, when it swims past the Bulgarian coast on its way to the Bosphorus carrying the most fat of the year, and the safest way to cook it is also the simplest: fillets or a whole fish on a hot grill or griddle, with olive oil, salt and lemon, for 3-4 minutes a side. Horse mackerel, or safrid, is its smaller and more affordable cousin, good through the summer and autumn, while tuna has been practically absent from the Black Sea since the mid 1980s.
Below we take the three fish in turn: when each is in season, how they differ, how to cook them at home, how to make lightly salted bonito without taking risks, and which of them you will find on the menu aboard our galleon. The figures come from named sources and from our own menu as of September 2026.
When is bonito season in the Black Sea?
Bonito season in the Black Sea is autumn, from September to the end of November, peaking in October. That is when the fish migrates south along the Bulgarian coast toward the Bosphorus and the Sea of Marmara, and it builds up fat for the journey, which makes the flesh juicy and full of flavour.
Why autumn bonito is richer
Autumn bonito is richer because the fish feeds heavily before it migrates. A study of Black Sea bonito published in the International Journal of Food Science and Technology in 2014 measured total fat in the muscle at between 4% in August and 13.5% in December, more than a threefold difference between summer and winter. The same fat carries the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, which is why bonito counts among the most nourishing fish in Bulgarian waters.
What size of bonito may legally be caught
Bonito shorter than 28 cm may not legally be caught in Bulgaria. The Bulgarian Law on Fisheries and Aquaculture sets 28 cm as the minimum size for bonito and 12 cm for horse mackerel, and anything smaller has to go back into the water. At the market this makes a useful check: a bonito shorter than about a hand and a half should not be on the stall at all. For the Black Sea species month by month, see our article on Black Sea fish species.
What is the difference between bonito, horse mackerel and tuna?
Bonito, horse mackerel and tuna are three separate fish that people often confuse, because all three have dark, dense flesh. Bonito (Sarda sarda) is a medium-sized fish from the mackerel family, horse mackerel is a small schooling fish, and tuna is a large ocean predator that today is hardly ever seen in the Black Sea.
| Fish | Size | Black Sea season | Flesh | Best cooked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonito (palamud) | usually 30-50 cm, legal minimum 28 cm | September to November | dark, oily, dense | grill, griddle, oven, lightly salted |
| Horse mackerel (safrid) | small, legal minimum 12 cm | summer and autumn | pale to grey, tender | fried, grilled, whole |
| Tuna | over 1 m | practically gone since 1985 | deep red, firm | steak, raw (imported) |
The practical kitchen rule is that bonito comes closest to tuna in texture but is more delicate and dries out faster. Horse mackerel is more forgiving and turns out well even in a frying pan.
Is there tuna in the Black Sea?
There has been practically no tuna in the Black Sea since 1985. According to figures published by the Sea Around Us research project in 2020, Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) stopped entering the Black Sea in the mid 1980s after overfishing in the Sea of Marmara, where the catch then fell from 929 tonnes in 2001 to 33 tonnes in 2007.
The tuna you see in shops or restaurants along the Bulgarian coast is imported, most often frozen or tinned. So if you are after a local fish with a similar character, the answer is bonito. Bonito is the Black Sea's own dark, meaty fish, and it is in its best season right now, in autumn.
How do you cook bonito without drying it out?
Bonito should be cooked fast, over strong dry heat and briefly, because its dense flesh dries out if it lingers. A whole bonito on the grill needs about 5-6 minutes a side, and a fillet on the griddle 3-4 minutes, skin side first.
A simple grilled bonito recipe
- Clean the fish, rinse it and pat it thoroughly dry with paper towel. Dry skin does not stick to the grill.
- Make 2-3 shallow cuts along each side so it cooks evenly.
- Brush with olive oil, season with coarse salt and tuck a sprig of rosemary or thyme into the cavity.
- Grill over a well heated grill, turn once, and do not move the fish until the skin lifts away by itself.
- Serve straight away with lemon, red onion and a salad. Fresh bonito does not need a sauce.
Oven baked bonito
Oven baked bonito takes about 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees for a whole fish, on a bed of onion, tomato and a splash of white wine that keeps the flesh moist. The oven is the safer choice for larger fish and for bonito bought late in the season, when it is at its richest and stands up to longer cooking.
How do you make lightly salted bonito safely?
Lightly salted bonito is only safe when made from fish that was frozen for long enough before curing. European Union Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 requires fish that is to be eaten raw, or only salted or marinated, to be frozen to minus 20 degrees at the core for at least 24 hours, or to minus 35 degrees for at least 15 hours, so that parasites such as anisakis are killed.
Curing at home, step by step
Lightly salted bonito at home starts with a boneless fillet, frozen according to the rule above and thawed in the fridge. Cover the fillet in coarse salt, with a little sugar and black pepper if you like, and leave it for 3-6 hours depending on thickness. Then rinse it, pat it dry, slice it thinly and cover it with olive oil. An ordinary home freezer often does not reach minus 20 degrees, so check it with a thermometer before relying on it.
On the Mr. Baba menu, lightly salted bonito is a cold starter: 50 g with pickled red onion and sumac for 5.49 €, next to the marinated fish at 4.99 €. You can see everything on our menu.
How do you cook horse mackerel?
Horse mackerel is usually cooked whole and fried, because it is small and its fine bones become barely noticeable once it is crisp. Clean the fish, salt it, dust it in flour and fry it in hot oil for 2-3 minutes a side until the skin turns golden.
Larger autumn horse mackerel also takes well to the grill, especially when it is freshly caught. Freshness is everything here: horse mackerel loses flavour faster than bonito, so clear eyes, red gills and a firm body are a must. The signs are set out in our article on how to tell if fish is fresh. On our menu, horse mackerel comes as a 250 g portion for 9.99 €.
From our kitchen
Aboard the galleon by Varna's Sea Station, autumn is bonito season, and it shows in the kitchen. Head chef Lyubomir Stefanov, who has been cooking for 32 years and has been with Mr. Baba from the very beginning, puts it this way: "I don't change the fish. I just clear its way to the table." With bonito, that means rosemary, a hot griddle and nothing more. The bonito fillet with rosemary is on our menu at 12.99 € for 220 g.
The Black Sea gives us bonito, turbot and horse mackerel, and September and October on the seafront promenade are the finest time for them: the sea is still warm, the terrace stays open until October, and the fish is at its best. Guests who come in asking for tuna usually leave having eaten bonito, and they do not regret it. If you prefer a whole fish, ask your waiter about the catch of the day: in autumn it is often bonito.
Frequently asked questions
When is bonito season?
Bonito season on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast runs from September to the end of November, peaking in October, when the fish migrates south toward the Bosphorus and carries the most fat.
Is bonito a kind of tuna?
No. Bonito (Sarda sarda) belongs to the same family as mackerel and tuna, but it is a separate and much smaller species. In texture it is the Black Sea fish that comes closest to tuna.
How long does bonito take to cook?
A whole bonito on the grill takes about 5-6 minutes a side, a fillet on the griddle 3-4 minutes, and a whole fish in the oven about 20-25 minutes at 200 degrees.
Is lightly salted bonito safe to eat?
Lightly salted bonito is safe when the fish was frozen before curing to minus 20 degrees for at least 24 hours, or to minus 35 degrees for at least 15 hours, as Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 requires. That kills the parasites that salt alone does not.
Conclusion
Bonito is the Black Sea's autumn fish, horse mackerel is its everyday classic, and tuna for now remains a memory from the last century. If you want to taste bonito in its best season, cooked simply on the griddle, come aboard the galleon. Book a table on deck while the terrace is still open, and ask what the sea brought in this morning.