With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, I know some of you are planning a homemade sushi dinner. Whether this is your first time or you’re a seasoned pro, making sushi at home can be simple, fun, and rewarding. I’ve written before on how to make sushi rolls and Adrianna recently did a post on temaki, but the question I get asked the most is some version of “how do I know if the fish at my store is safe to eat raw?”. The term “sushi-grade” is often tossed around to imply some level of freshness, but in the US, there’s no regulation around the use of the phrase, so it can be used to describe anything. That said, most stores aren’t in the business of getting their customers sick, so they usually reserve the label for their freshest fish. Unfortunately, just because it’s fresh doesn’t mean it’s safe to eat raw. Some fish, such as salmon, contain parasites that will make you sick unless they’ve been destroyed. Another potential problem is cross-contamination.

This happens when “sushi-grade” fish gets cut on the same cutting board or using the same knife or handled with the same gloves as non-sushi-grade fish. If your fishmonger is storing unwrapped sushi-grade fish in the same refrigerated case as non-sushi-grade fish, this should be a big red flag. For fish that contain parasites, the FDA provides guidance under their Parasite Destruction Guarantee. This states in part that fish intended to be consumed raw must be “frozen and stored at a temperature of -20°C (-4°F) or below for a minimum of 168 hours (7 days)”. Cross contamination is a bigger issue. Because most stores don’t sell a high enough volume of fish intended to be eaten raw, they don’t maintain a separate space for handling their “sushi-grade” fish. What’s worse, because tuna is such a large fish, most stores don’t deal with whole tuna, they buy them pre-filleted, which means you have to take into consideration not only the stores handling of the fish, but their supplier’s handling of the fish as well.

Ultimately, what it comes down to is how much you trust your fishmonger to understand the best practices for handling fish meant to be consumed raw, and how much they trust their suppliers to hold the same standards. Here are a few things to remember when buying fish to ensure you have a safe and delicious sushi-dinner: Observe and see for yourself whether they’re cutting their sushi-grade fish on the same cutting board as their other fish, without changing gloves or disinfecting their knife and board first. Ask whether they fillet the fish you’re looking to buy themselves, or if they’re getting them pre-filleted. If you are buying salmon, ask if they can produce logs that show the times and temperatures that the fish was frozen. If you can’t find a local place you can trust with raw fish, why not try filling your sushi with vegetables, cooked fish, or even meat. California Rolls and Caterpillar Rolls may not be traditional, but that doesn’t make them any less delicious!

For Marc, food is a life long journey of exploration, discovery and experimentation and he shares his escapades through his blog in the hopes that he inspires others to find their own culinary adventures. Marc’s been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today, and has made multiple appearances on NPR and the Food Network.You can buy Sushi Popper Packs right here and we'll ship them to you. You'll be popping in no time! 4 Spicy Krab rolls. Inside out rolls (rice on outside).sushi cat play online free 7 pieces of sushi in each Sushi Popper Roll.how to make sushi rice pink Total of 84 pieces of sushi in this 12-pack.sushi online sg

*Box is for illustrative purposes only. Spicy Krab Rolls (12-Pack) Imitation Crab with Mango. Spicy Shrimp Rolls (12-Pack) Shrimp in a chilli aioli. Imitation crab and avocado. *Box is for illustrative purposes only.Sushi Just Got a Whole Lot Cooler. Finally, sushi delivered no matter where you are. Our premium sushi tastes just like your favorite local sushi bar. Voted “best sushi” by “Chef’s Best”, we’ve provided our sushi to major universities and hospitals across the globe, and now we’re excited to offer our sushi to everyone. sushi rice to make risottoPerfect as a quick snack, a healthy lunch or at your next gathering, get Banzai Sushi delivered straight to your door!buy frozen sushi I received my first order on Friday and I love the sushi! coast sushi order online

You guys have a customer for life with me.- Emily C. I have been spreading the word about your website to sushi lovers. We are an hour and a half away from any sushi places and this definitely helps out my sushi cravings.- Nicole K. All I can say is “Wow”! You guys blew us away…far better sushi than we can get locally!- Christine P.A traditional California roll made with fresh avocado and imitation crab. Spicy Crab RollImitation Crab and carrot wrapped in rice. We add our secret spice to give it some zing.buy frozen sushi Salmon and Cream Cheese RollHot-smoked wild Alaskan salmon and cream cheese. High in protein, high in enjoyment.The question of what is sushi grade fish comes up a lot and no one seems to accurately answer that question. After some research I am now able to provide information as to the guidelines and regulations that are followed in the seafood industry in terms of serving raw seafood.

As for micro standards for sushi or sashimi grade seafood, I have spoken with many in the seafood industry who supply ‘sushi grade’ fish for sushi and sashimi served at restaurants and they all give me the same answer… they do not know of any regulations from either the FDA or any other agencies regarding ‘sushi grade’ seafood, which is why suppliers have set up their own micro and chemical parameters for their products. A personal search of FDA documents turns up the same results, no clear standards as to what makes fish ‘sushi grade’ or ‘sashimi grade’ and no definition of the term. The only concern any inspectors have is referred to as the parasite destruction guarantee, which is accomplished by ‘freezing and storing seafood at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours’

which is sufficient to kill parasites. The FDA’s Food Code recommends these freezing conditions to retailers who provide fish intended for raw consumption (for further information, please visit the FDA website). Some exceptions to that rule are bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and farmed salmon. I know that is a mouthful, but it’s the facts.  Other than a few specific organisms of concern for some seafood, sashimi standards are set as any other ready-to-eat item, e.g. sushi. This means that, aside from the FDA recommendations and local Health Department requirements, there are no laws or recommendations for "sushi/sashimi grade" fish. It is no more than a marketing term. As for those on the serving side, their main concern seems to be with the seafood vendors.  Many of them will declare that the products they provide are "sushi/sashimi" grade but with no standards to back up those claims.  In the U.S. parasite destruction is required for those species where that hazard is identified but you’ll find that most chefs will claim that they use "fresh" salmon and other products.

This may be because they do not know, perhaps it is delivered thawed by the local supplier (who may or may not have frozen it according to the requirements), or they may even use fresh, never frozen, salmon.  The term "fresh" for sushi fish has been linked to higher quality in the minds of many consumers and therefore the restaurants use this as a selling point even though the product may have been previously frozen (usually aboard the fishing vessel) and serving certain species without proper freezing is against regulations. Sushi rice is another critical part of sushi preparation, for many reasons.  Many sushi restaurants use acidification as a control but the final sushi products must be cooled to below 40F before put onto display in a self-service case (in the case of supermarkets, et. al.).  However, sushi restaurants do not cool the items before serving to customers since such a short time lapses between preparation and consumption.  Once the rice is acidified, time is not used as a control and therefore it can be stored at room temperature where the quality is best and it is also easiest with which to work.