What Does “Sushi Grade Fish” Really Mean? When looking at recipes for using raw fish at home like sushi or Hawaiian poke, you’ll often see that they call for “sushi grade fish.” Available at many Japanese or Asian markets, you might think that this labeling refers to a higher quality fish. Well, that’s not exactly the case. “Sushi grade” simply refers to the fact that the fish has been flash frozen at a designated temperature for a certain amount of time. The extremely low temperatures of this type of freezing kills bacteria and parasites, making the fish safe for eating raw when defrosted properly. That’s right, the majority of fish served at sushi restaurants was at one point frozen. Unlike at home, industrial freezers freeze the fish extremely quickly, keeping the texture as good as fresh. It’s impossible to recreate this at home so when you’re trying your hand at sushi-rolling at home (which you should), stay safe and stick with fish labeled sushi grade.

Get more hand-picked recipes and cooking tips right in your inbox.pesce sushi onlineB swears you can make sashimi out of Costco salmon. organic food delivery in london ontarioI was mildly (ok, very) skeptical, but I told him if he prepared it, I would eat it. sushi london ontario wellingtonLove is trust, right?sushi making kit sur la table I was sure if he ran a restaurant, he'd be cited for health violations by not using sushi grade fish for sashimi, but after a Google search, it seems that no one - not the FDA, not local health inspectors, not any governing body - knows what sushi grade means! sushi grade tuna by mail

Yep, there's no regulations, as long the fish has been frozen for a period of time to kill parasites. where to buy japanese ginger salad dressingI suppose it's comforting that even when self-regulated, at least seafood vendors care about whether we get tapeworms.sushi rolling machine robot Basically, "sashimi" is just a sexy marketing term to mean any fish that can be eaten raw. Of course, the fresher the fish, the better the taste and texture, so these fish should be killed and iced ASAP. Here's more info from Sushifaq, Cooking Stack Exchange, and Beyond Salmon. After more Googling (yeah yeah, so I trust online strangers' opinions more than my own boyfriend's) using Costco fish for sashimi is not uncommon. From personal experience, their salmon quality is actually quite decent.

B is very picky about the package date being the same day to ensure absolute freshness, so he only trusts Costco (Ok, I know this is the second post in two weeks waxing eloquently about Costco, but my boy is in love with that place), and does not recommend getting the salmon from any random Chinatown market. Update to some FAQs in the comments: The salmon is fresh (not frozen), and the day you buy the salmon should be the day you make this recipe - don't let it sit in your fridge for days!Let's just say I was pretty darn impressed. The salmon is so buttery and had the perfect texture. N: I want you to make this salmon sashimi for my family when you visit us! B: Oh you know how to make sashimi now, so you can do it for them. N: Well, I'm afraid I'll poison them, so I'll let you make it! B: Great, so if anything goes wrong, I'm the fall guy, eh? B has made this recipe many times for family and friends and to date, no one has ever gotten sick. However, please use your own discretion when making this recipe as you are still eating raw fish (ie please don't try this if you're immunosuppressed or pregnant!).

Otherwise, enjoy some amazing sashimi! fresh salmon filet (check the packing date - the day you buy = packing date = day making the recipe) rice vinegar, diluted in water (optional) 1 sushi cup rice, recipe below Rinse and rub a generous amount of salt onto your salmon (both sides). Let sit in fridge for 2 hours. Afterwards, take out salmon from fridge and rinse with water. Submerge your salmon in diluted vinegar (preferably rice vinegar but white works as well). You use pure vinegar or dilute the vinegar up to 1:10 (ie 1/2 cup vinegar and 4 1/2 cups water) if you want a less vinegar taste.Let sit in fridge for 1 hour. Remove from fridge and rinse thoroughly.Wrap salmon in saran wrap and put it in the freezer over night The day you want to eat it, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw in the fridge. This should take 6-8 hours; do not try speed it up by leaving it outside. Cut the sashimi with a sharp knife in a slicing motion. Mold rice with your hands, dab with wasabi, and cover with your sashimi.

The Gentleman's Sushi Rice This serving size here is for 1 person. The lady and I do not like too much rice in our nigiri. 1/2 cup sushi rice Rinse the rice only 3-5 times (water does NOT have to run clear) and drain in a strainer. While rice is draining, combine vinegar, sugar, salt and mirin together in a bowl and mix well. Add rice to the pot. Bring quickly to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Cover the pot and DON'T touch it until the end, NO PEEKING. Put something heavy on the lid like another pot. The more pressure the rice is cooked under, the better it tastes. Cook for 15 minutes before removing the pot from the heat but keep the lid CLOSED. Let rice rest for 10 min and then remove the cover. Place in a glass dish to cool and lightly fan the rice while adding the vinegar mixture. Mix rice gently, being careful not to break it. Doc Uy's notes: As a caveat, Costco does not claim to sell sushi grade fish, but if you freeze it per FDA guidelines (pg 69), you should be ok from parasites.