Afaik there's very little fresh fish going around, period. It's all frozen on the boat.
I tried to convince him otherwise, but never got anywhere.
https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-prepare-raw-fish-at-home-...
source: https://elpais.com/sociedad/2006/12/20/actualidad/1166569202...
It is packed in ice and kept very cold, but not frozen.
Supermarkets are more likely to stock frozen/previously frozen. Lots of commodity seafood is frozen when caught.
Source: Spent a season offshore fishing for swordfish/tuna. Worked in the warehouses that unloaded and shipped the same. Drove the truck that delivered the fish.
At least for white fish.
(Sure, it's not an issue if you cook it thoroughly before consumption, but still)
It depends where you are.
If you are in a Western country, then yes, "sashimi grade fish" equals "frozen".
If you are in Japan, then no.
Its all to do with the understanding of fish and its handling.
In the West its all commoditised, quantity over quality.
In Japan, they have a deeply rooted fish culture, a focus on quality and are obsessive over food hygiene.
So in Japan your sushi won't be pre-frozen, but it will have been meticulously inspected and prepared.
Fun fact, salmon sushi/sashimi is a Western thing. The Japanese don't eat it because the parasite risk in Salmon is so much higher than any other fish.
Personally, having visited Japan a number of times, I will not eat sushi or sashimi outside of Japan any more.
1. All Tuna is frozen immediately after being caught on the boat - go to tsukiji (well now toyosu) at the tuna market. They are frozen and they taste better because of it.
2. There is no sushi / sashimi grade in Japan. High quality fish that you can eat safely is just the default
3. It's true that traditional sushi did not include salmon because of the parasites. If you go to a traditional sushi restaurant (3 star Michelin etc) you won't find salmon nigiri. Other than that salmon sushi is everywhere at sushi restaurants in Japan and tons of Japanese eat salmon nigiri and sushi.
2. That was kind of the point I was making. ;-)
3. I guess we must frequent different places, because the only places I've seen Salmon is Narita airport and at combinis. I don't go to 3 star Michelin, but I do admit I go to more traditional sushi restaurants when I want sushi in Japan. That said, even when I have had sushi at isakaya and small local restaurants, sashimi omakase rarely contains Salmon.
Many fishes in supermarket are sold as "for heat cooking" except for sashimi. It's costly to make all salmon raw eatable.
Agree for others.
This reads like some old school weeb shit
"Everything" is a bit of an exaggeration.
I'm sure like at all fish markets, there is frozen fish available, either because it was imported or because that's the way it was pre-processed on the local boat.
But to say "everything is flash frozen". That's pushing it. You fall flat at shellfish at a start. ;-)
Most of us cannot travel to Japan every time we want to eat sushi, so that's simply not practical.
FFS !
Did I ever say I travelled, or that anyone should travel to Japan every time ?
No.
Incase you had not seen, Japanese cuisine goes beyond sushi and sashimi.
The quality of sushi and sahimi in the West is simply so poor compared to Japan I won't waste my money. That is what I am saying.
I simply said I do not eat sushi and sashimi. I can fill my Japanese desires with other culinary aspects and save myself for as and when I might visit Japan.
Well, yes, some of us have visited Japan and tried their cuisine, both in their own country and in Japanese restaurants in other countries.
There are also authentic Japanese sushi bars outside Japan, run by Japanese chefs, and making superb sushi.
I really don't understand what you're trying to say here.
All the conveyor belt sushi chains I’ve eaten at definitely had salmon nigiri on the menu. In fact, they had a wider variety of salmon than what is commonly found in the US. It is most definitely a thing Japanese people eat because otherwise there wouldn’t be five menu items dedicated to just salmon at every major conveyorbelt sushi chain.
American cheese is gross full stop. ;-)
As is American chocolate.
You've been eating the wrong American chocolate. Hershey's isn't the end all and be all. There are plenty of good chocolate makers and even more good chocolatiers in the US, you just need to explore a bit. L.A. Burdick in New Hampshire, for example, makes really great chocolates, and has a nice wide range of single source bars made with beans from plantations all over the world.
The same people: “So I know it’s Halloween over there and um… can you send us some Reese’s cups?”
> American cheese is gross full stop. ;-)
Cheese on fish is gross full stop.
> As is American chocolate.
Particularly on fish, I'd guess.
Snark aside, it's about what you grew up with. Fascinating video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J44svaQc5WY
I have a really nice camera with some excellent lenses, but my recent photos that I'm most proud of and enjoy the most were taken with my Galaxy Note 8, a several-year-old smartphone.
Of course the kind of fresh fish you're talking about is far superior to the Costco bag of sockeye salmon I have in the freezer. But sometimes, it's getting near dinner time, and I don't have time to go shopping and just want some fish. Under those circumstances, the frozen fish hits the spot, and it is much better than the "supermarket fresh".
But what do I know? If I'm near a McDonald's and craving a fish sandwich and there isn't a better option nearby, I just might stop in and get a Filet-O-Fish. It's nothing spectacular, but it is line-caught wild Alaskan pollock.
Just be sure to order it without cheese. Because number one, American cheese on fish is gross. And number two, it means they have to make you a fresh sandwich and not give you a premade one.
(Disclosure: I work for McDonald's, at least until the end of this month.)