What Is Sushi Grade Fish? (Image credit: Alice Choi) Buying fish you'll be eating raw can be a little nerve-wracking, especially if you've never done it before. It's expensive and you want to make sure it's safe to consume, so here's a guide on what to look for and what questions you should be asking. What is sushi grade fish? Although stores use the label "sushi grade fish," there are no official standards for using this label. The only regulation is that parasitic fish, such as salmon, should be frozen to kill any parasites before being consumed raw. The best practice for this is flash freezing on the boat immediately after the fish is caught, which preserves freshness and texture. The label sushi grade means that it is the highest quality fish the store is offering, and the one they feel confident can be eaten raw. Tuna, for example, is inspected and then graded by the wholesalers. The best ones are assigned Grade 1, which is usually what will be sold as sushi grade.

DIY Spicy Tuna Sushi (Image credit: Kathryn Hill) How to Buy Sushi Grade Fish Although something may be labeled sushi grade, here are a couple of things to know and questions to ask before purchasing: Go to the right place. As is always the case with fish, go to a reputable fishmonger or market. Look for one that sells through fish quickly, gets in regular shipments, and has knowledgeable staff.Being a responsible consumer helps contribute to healthy oceans, so make sustainable choices. This Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch guide is a great reference, and you can also download their smartphone apps to always have up-to-date, regional information when you're at the store. Ask the right questions. Don't be afraid to ask the staff where the fish came from, how it was handled, and how long it's been there. If the fish was processed at the store, ask if the equipment is sanitized to prevent cross-contamination from non-sushi grade fish."Touch and smell - the fish should only smell like the ocean, and the flesh should not be soft or flaky," says Skylar Roubison of Monterey Fish Market.

Since it's being served raw, look for vibrant color for the most eye appeal. If you have any doubt of the fish's quality, take a pass.jiro dreams of sushi future shop Once you get the fish home, use it as soon as possible since it's highly perishable. sushi club delivery rosarioThen savor every bite of your sushi grade fish, whether you use it in sushi, sashimi, ceviche, or crudo!yo sushi takeaway brighton Is it safe to consume raw fish purchased at the fish counter of a typical suburban grocery store? sushi maple ridge dewdney trunkIf not, do you have any tips for finding sushi grade fish.sushi tei jakarta menu

food-safety fish sushi salmon japanese-cuisine Not being aware of your location, some general tips:sushi grade salmon new york 1) Buy your fish from a fishmonger, and tell him/her what you are using it for. what to order at sushi sekiYou want to do business with somebody who's business is selling fish and only selling fish. They are going to know what's been stored to eaten raw standards in a way that the just above minimum wage fish guy at your grocery store doesn't. 2) Don't buy it early. Buy it the day you mean to consume it or the day that you going to prep it. This question can help walk you through that 3) Take a cooler to get your fish. You have to maintain the freshness, that means not allowing it raise in temperature anymore than you have to. I wouldn't trust anything from a grocery-store fish counter to be fit for raw consumption.

I've never bought anything from them, but it looks like they're probably a good source if you want to buy online. If you're in the SF Bay Area, there are a number of places to buy it. I usually go to Tokyo Fish Market on San Pablo in Berkeley. Living far away from the ocean for much of my life- fishmongers and freshly caught fish are hard to come by. Luckily that doesn't matter that much. The freshest fish are the ones that are frozen on the boat they are caught on. Suburban grocery store fish counters can sell you frozen fish in small quantities. I buy tuna or salmon steaks in .5 pound portions. They make excellent and very fresh tasting sushi when thawed. It will keep indefinitely when solidly frozen but as soon as you thaw it the normal rules apply- use it that day or it won't be fresh anymore. So don't order the fresh or the fresher fish. At Finney's, if you're wise, you'll say, "Fetch me the finest, French-fried freshest fish that Finney fries!" (Sorry, I couldn't help it- I've been reading to the kids.)

I have used smoked salmon to make sushi rolls with success, I would not try it with nigiri as the difference would be extremely noticable. Depends on how authentic you want to be. I worked at so many sushi restaurant( luxury and not luxury ) and they used all a regular freezer , nothing too fancy. Allmost all fishes are not fresh .. They are allmost all frozen first . But Sometimes (rarely )from the aquarium , but not recommended. I've used "regular" salmon for sushi once or twice, but the advice I received was to either buy it frozen or freeze it yourself to kill off any parasites. Sign up or log in Sign up using Google Sign up using Email and Password Post as a guest By posting your answer, you agree to the privacy policy and terms of service. Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged food-safety fish sushi salmon japanese-cuisine or ask your own question.There is nothing I hate more than being wrong. That's why I research things to death to make sure that I am not wrong too often.

When it does happen though, it's a great learning experience, like the one I just got on freezing fin fish. has just posted on my How to store fish story has inspired me to finally get off my lazy butt and write up my frozen fish experiments. I used to be of the conviction that frozen fish was ALWAYS worse than fresh. I know, I know -- Whole Foods and many fish cookbooks like to tell you that previously frozen fish can be even fresher than previously frozen fish because it was frozen at the peak of freshness. Just so that I don't have to use the "not previously frozen" terminology (that just takes too long to type), I'll use the word "fresh" to refer to fish that did not undergo the freezing process. The question I'll try to answer is , not whether it's as safe to eat. Why would I care? I can get plenty of excellent fresh fish here in Boston. The problem is that when it comes to eating fish raw, freshness is not the only thing you have to worry about. Depending on the fish, they might pose an extremely small risk (to read all about them, see my posts on parasites, parts 1 and part 2).

But if you want to eliminate that risk completely by killing the parasites, the only way to do it is to freeze the fish for at least 7 days. Cooking kills them too, of course, but that doesn't help you much with sushi. My attitude to raw fish is pretty laid back. But when I teach sushi classes, I want to give my students an extra precaution option. Some people don't want to take a risk of food-born illness, no matter how minuscule. When I am serving fin fish raw, I only use tuna, farm-raised salmon, farm-raised branzino, and farm-raised yellowtail. The only way to get yellowtail in Boston is flash frozen and shipped from Japan so parasites are not an issue for that one at all. The other fish are fresh, but the odds of them having parasites are practically zero, so I just buy them from a reputable market (The New Deal in Cambridge) and eat them. It doesn't kill bacteria, just temporarily stops it's growth, so freezing inferior fish does not make it "safe". I used to think that all fish would be damaged by freezing.