Sashimi is a Japanese dish made of thinly sliced raw food, usually fish and seafood, but sometimes other meats.
What is Sashimi?
Елена Талин
4 min
How to Eat Sashimi?
Sashimi is served on a platter or plate, sometimes on a bed of shiso leaves or grated daikon radish, and can be seasoned with ingredients such as soy sauce, ginger, wasabi, and citrus. It is usually accompanied by a dipping sauce of soy sauce or ponzu, which is a citrus-flavored soy sauce.
Sashimi vs Sushi
Although it is often assumed that sashimi is a type of sushi, they are considered two different things. The key difference is that rice is the main ingredient of sushi, not the topping.
The etymology of the word "sushi" comes from words that mean "sour food" or "vinegared food," which refers not to the fish but to the rice. Traditional sushi rice is prepared with rice vinegar, as well as salt and sugar.
However, sushi and sashimi have similarities. Both are small bites and both are seasoned with ingredients like soy sauce, ginger, and wasabi. Both pair well with beer or sake.
Sashimi is often confused with sushi, although the two are different things. Sushi is made with seasoned, vinegared rice that is shaped into mounds and garnished with raw or cooked seafood, or wrapped in sheets of seaweed called nori, around fillings of raw or cooked seafood, vegetables, and other ingredients.
The key is that sushi is always made with rice, while sashimi is always just the raw product by itself.
Depending on the ingredient, sashimi can be cut into various shapes, including flat slices, thin strips, rectangles, cubes, or diagonal slices. A sharp knife and impeccable cutting skills are essential for preparing sashimi, so that the slices are smooth, uniform, and visually appealing.
In Japan, besides fish and seafood, sashimi can also be made from thinly sliced raw meats such as beef, pork, chicken, and horse meat — although fish and seafood are the most common.
And while most sashimi is served raw, some products are briefly cooked, whether steamed, fried, or boiled, for flavor and texture, but also to avoid food poisoning.
Sashimi can be served on its own, with beer, as a snack or as part of a light meal, or as an appetizer.
Similar recipes
