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.1. If labeled as something in the line of "For raw consumption," or "Sashimi Salmon," then Yes.​order sushi online columbus ohio(Salmon Sashimi from Nijiya Market, San Mateo, CA)​game magic sushi for android(Salmon Sashimi from Marukai Market, San Diego, CA)game magic sushi for androidEven in Japan, some fish are packed and labeled as "For cooking" and "For Raw Consumption" at supermarkets.​how to sushi recipes for beginners

（Tuna Block labeled as "For Sashimi" in Japanese, from Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan)I have seen the similar labeling at the following markets in California:Nijiya MarketMitsuwaMarukaiWhole Foods Market (San Francisco)It's (highly) likely that the salmon for raw consumption at these markets are previously frozen to treat paracites. (FDA recommendation is freezing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at an ambient temperature of -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours)2. If you ask the fishmonger, and he/she says it's suitable for raw consumption, then Yes.If previously frozen and the freshness is right, then OK for raw consumption. If the fishmonger is not 100% sure, then I would walk away.3. If there is no label to suggest raw consumption nor no one to ask, then No.There are too many elements to consider, and it reauires actual experience of looking at a fish to be able to determine if a particular fish is suitable for raw consumption.Some of the examples are: When was the fish caught?

How long did it take the fish to be iced after it was caught? How was the fish kept after it left the boat and how was it transported, etc.Many fishmongers and sushi chefs have an ability called "Me-Kiki" - to tell the freshness of a fish by looking at it, and it takes years of looking and sometimes tasting the fish.So, my recommendation is to venture into purchasing salmon at the supermarket for raw consumption only if you have gained enough experience and definitely not when you only have kmowledge from reading books or articles on internet.Simple answer: You cannot do it. As in, turn a sow's ear into a silk purse.Long answer: DON'T DO IT. The risk of exposure to anisakis (a parasitic nematode) is not worth saving several, even tens of, dollars. Professional fish harvesters and sushi chefs are trained to examine for and detect the presence of these worms. Although not overly common in commercially harvested fish, the ordeal of terrible stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea that they can induce makes whatever potential cost savings rather unappealing.

Buy any salmon that is intended for raw consumption from a purveyor that specifically stocks sushi-grade cuts of fish.From: Seafood Health Facts Many consumers prefer the delicate flavor and texture of uncooked fish found in sushi and sashimi (thin slices of raw fin fish) dishes. But there should be caution in consuming raw fish because some species of fish can contain these harmful worms. Eating raw, lightly cured, or insufficiently cooked infected fish can transfer the live worms to humans. Most of these parasites cannot adapt to human hosts. Often, if an infected fish is eaten, the parasites may be digested with no ill effects. Adequate freezing or cooking fish will kill any parasites that may be present. Raw fish (such as sushi or sashimi) or foods made with raw fish (such as ceviche) are more likely to contain parasites or bacteria than foods made from cooked fish, so it's important to cook fish thoroughly (at least 145°F for 15 seconds) or use commercially frozen seafood in raw dishes.

Two types of parasitic worms can infect humans: Anisakiasis is caused by ingesting the larvae of several types of roundworm which are found in saltwater fish such as cod, plaice, halibut, rockfish, herring, Pollock, sea bass and flounder.Tapeworm infections occur after ingesting the larvae of diphyllobothrium which is found in freshwater fish such as pike, perch and anadromous (fresh-saltwater) fish such as salmon.During commercial freezing fish is frozen solid at a temperature of -35°F and stored at this temperature or below for a minimum of 15 hours to kill parasites. Most home freezers have temperatures at 0°F to 10°F and may not be cold enough to kill parasites because it can take up to 7 days at -4°F or below to kill parasites, especially in large fish. Good handling practices on-board fishing vessels and in processing plants can minimize nematode infestation. Absolutely - as long as it is farmed salmon. I've worked in this field for several years and have just published a study showing that farmed trout and halibut are extremely unlikely to be infected with nematode worms that can infect humans and the same has been shown previously for farmed salmon.

If you want to read the article, it's here: An assessment of the potential for zoonotic parasitic nematode infections arising from the consumption of maricultured Atlantic halibut, Hippoglossus hippoglossus (L.), and rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum), in ScotlandThe reason farmed fish are not infected with these worms is that the infection is transferred via infected prey, and as farmed fish are habituated to eating heat-processed, pelleted diets and are fed to satiation, they do not eat wild prey, which may be infected. Conversely, wild fish are absolutely not safe to eat raw as they commonly contain nematode worms often in high numbers. These fish need to be frozen first at -20C for 24+ h before preparing as sushi or sashimi, otherwise you have a high risk of ingesting a live nematode, which can cause severe epigastric pain as the parasite penetrates the gut wall.By the way, there is no such thing in the UK as 'sushi-grade salmon', we just have fresh salmon or frozen salmon and it is all farmed (there is also a small market for wild Pacific salmon imported from Canada).

Anisakiasis is a human parasitic infection of the gastrointestinal tract caused by the consumption of raw or undercooked seafood containing larvae of the nematode Anisakis simplex.The areas of highest prevalence are Scandinavia (from cod livers), Japan (after eating sushi and sashimi), the Netherlands (by eating infected fermented herrings (maatjes)), and along the Pacific coast of South America (from eating ceviche). Fewer than ten cases occur annually in the United States.Anisakiasis can be easily prevented by adequate cooking at temperatures greater than 60°C or freezing. The FDA recommends all shellfish and fish intended for raw consumption be blast frozen to -35°C or below for 15 hours or be regularly frozen to -20°C or below for seven days.I use raw fish only if it has been previously frozen at the required temperature, otherwise I always cook it.In my country sushi and sashimi are always made with frozen fish (we say that the fish is "abbattuto"), it is mandatory here.In the sushi restaurant where I sometimes eat this is is the procedure:fresh fish is cleaned and then frozen at -28°C in 4 hours.