Get clear information about quality fish for sushi

I recently wrote another article that outlined some of the different options a home sushi chef had for purchasing raw fish, and whether or not these sources actually provided fish that is safe for raw consumption. Because there is so much widely spread misinformation on the subject, I felt it was important to cover it more thoroughly, to address all the questions associated with it and answer them to the fullest.

sushi grade fish

The term “sushi grade” is not an FDA regulated title, which means any you can use it, accurately or not, without supervision or impact. False advertising aside, purveyors of what is considered sushi-grade fish often set their own micro and chemical parameters to determine the quality of their products, and of course traditional Japanese culture has an elaborate set of guidelines to distinguish which fish has an acceptable taste. advisable for use in sushi (catch location, fat content, age, etc.)

So how does “sushi grade” compare to all the other fish money can buy? Well, when it comes to fish of any kind, you have a couple of standard options.

New

Fresh is often visualized in the consumer’s mind as “not previously frozen” because we seem to associate freezing with a reduction in quality (which is actually not the case). It is also a common misnomer as many restaurants and supermarkets advertise “fresh”. fish” that in the news has been frozen at some point. You will only get truly “fresh” fish if you live in a coastal region and can either catch it yourself or buy it directly from the fisherman, or eat at a restaurant that does.

Frozen

Almost all fish that is caught or farmed commercially is frozen at some point during its processing, usually during the shipping process. This is also true for sushi-grade fish, which can be caught in one location, flash frozen, and shipped to Japan for processing, then returned and shipped back to the United States for sale. Still, any good sushi chef will “flash freeze” their fish at a very low temperature for a set period of time to ensure it is safe for raw consumption. Therefore, sushi-grade fish has several different distinguishing characteristics, but “freshness” is not among them. All sushi-grade fish is frozen at some point, because it’s not safe to eat raw otherwise.

Dangers Associated With Eating Raw Fish

And why exactly is fresh (ie not previously frozen) fish dangerous to eat raw? From what I have gathered through my research, there are two types of dangers associated with eating raw fish:

• Parasites – examples are tapeworms and flukes; these are organisms found living inside the fish at the time of its capture. The probability of the presence of parasites in a fish is largely determined by the type of fish and whether it is wild or farmed.
• Bacteria: introduced after the fish is caught, through contamination, and probably attributed to poor handling practices.

Parasites that live in fish can be killed by both cooking and freezing. The FDA has a guideline for serving raw seafood called a “parasite kill guarantee” which is done by freezing the fish for 7 days at -4 degrees F or below. However, if a fish becomes contaminated with bacteria, the only way to kill it is to cook it, as freezing it will only temporarily slow its growth.

Is fish from the grocery store safe for sushi?

Based on the information on parasites and bacteria, we can draw the following conclusion: Since the vast majority of fish found in supermarkets has been previously frozen, we can reasonably assume that it is parasite-free and therefore safe to eat. raw. If you want a little more security, simply freeze it yourself for at least seven days before using. This can be done without detracting from the texture of a fatty fish like salmon (be sure to let it thaw for 24 hours in the refrigerator), though lean fish is essentially ruined by refreezing.

As far as bacteria goes, this has less to do with whether or not the fish is “sushi grade” and more to do with how the fish is processed; however, one caveat to that statement is that fish specifically processed for raw consumption May have stricter processing standards to ensure cleanliness. Generally speaking, a reputable market will usually make use of a reputable supplier, who has set standards to ensure there is no contamination in their products. Even if the fish is intended to be eaten cooked, not all techniques (such as ceviche) are guaranteed to kill harmful bacteria if they are present, so companies cannot afford to process fish without considering health and safety. safety.

In one word

A good summary of the information presented here is as follows: Sushi-grade fish maintains the flavor quality standards associated with traditional sushi, perhaps with a little extra care to ensure hygienic processing and packaging. Typical retail fish can be effectively removed of parasites by freezing and is packaged with “normal” sanitation consideration. For this reason, it is probably slightly more likely to be exposed to contamination than sushi-grade fish, however any fish can realistically be contaminatedAnd there is always an inherent risk to be aware of when consuming raw seafood.

Don’t forget that people still die every year from E. coli that is present in cows. as a result of the techniques used in mass commercial farming, and yet the meat industry thrives. He knows the risks associated with his actions, and if he doesn’t feel comfortable with them, he can always order the tempura.