Above: Removing the pin bones from a Sockeye fillet. Of the eight species of Pacific salmon, Sockeye (red salmon) have the firmest flesh and are second only to Chinook in terms of fat content. These attributes make them a perfect choice for sashimi or seared tataki. Among Pacific salmon, there is a direct correlation between how far each species travels and how much fat or oil the meat contains. Chinook, which may run 100’s of miles up natal rivers, have meat so laced with fat eating a piece of an upriver bright can be akin to letting a piece of of light, fresh, creamery butter melt in your mouth. While sockeye aren’t quite that fatty, their relatively long spawning runs during which they don’t feed necessitate ample amounts of stored fat. Bluebacks (another name for Sockeye) have rich, oily meat – self-basting on the grill and ideal for sashimi. Marbled with fat, the belly meat of Sockeye is comparable to toro – the highly-esteemed belly meat of tuna. The term “Sockeye” is derived from similar sounding native American words meaning “red” – which is both the color of sockeye meat and the color they take on during their spawning run.

The fillets are beautiful, and given the relative abundance of wild Sockeye and their generally reasonable market price, it’s puzzling that they aren’t utilized more often by sushi restaurants. Unfortunately, most sushi restaurants serve farmed Atlantic salmon – a bland substitute for wild fish. Butterfly-filleted, seasoned with salt and pepper, and ready for the grill this ocean-caught king salmon (Chinook) shows this species’ characteristic orange color. Since producers are permitted to dye farmed Atlantic salmon to match the color of wild fish, looks alone are not always a good way to determine whether or not you’re making a sustainable choice when you purchase a piece of salmon at the market or order salmon at a sushi-ya or other restaurant. If the menu merely says “salmon,” it’s a sure bet the product came from a farm. Wild Chinook are highly prized and command a higher price than farmed fish; therefore anyone selling wild kings is going to accurately label them as such.

The meat of sockeye has a distinctive red coloration and is noticeably firmer than that of other species. Sockeye, too, are highly prized and are almost certain to be accurately labeled. The upper part of Sockeye fillets, the back meat, is beautifully colored and wonderfully firm.jiro dreams of sushi david gelb Sockeye are primarily filter feeders. sakae sushi menu auto cityThey have more gill rakers than other salmon, and these gill rakers help them sift out small crustaceans such as krill. jiro dreams of sushi david gelbThese crustaceans are rich in carotene which give red salmon their red color. jiro marzy o sushi

Krill are also loaded with oil, giving Sockeye their rich, oily flavor. A sashimi-grade Sockeye fillet fresh from Alaska’s famed Copper River is ready to be sliced into thin, bite-sized pieces and dipped in soy sauce with just a hint of wasabi. yo sushi menu windsorEnjoy with a favorite craft beer, a good daiginjo sake, or a lightly-chilled Chablis. snl how to order sushi like a ceo*We strongly advise readers to freeze salmon and other fish for at least 24 hours before serving raw in order to kill parasites.snl how to order sushi like a ceoEach day we select the freshest sustainable, sushi grade fish; our fish come in whole and are never frozen. Our modern and unique twist on poke highlights prime cuts so we purposely do not pre-marinate, and we build your bowl to order.

There are endless combinations of bases, sauces, and toppings for you to customize and enjoy.Sushi has gone through a fascinating evolution in this country, from exotic high-end import to ubiquitous staple. Along the way, the audience has become more polarized than ever: Snobs won’t go near the stuff unless it comes from the most hallowed temples of sushi-master zendom, while the downmarket version—sold in plastic containers at supermarkets—is now basically a faddish health food, as pedestrian as wraps and smoothies. But what do we really know about sushi? Despite its popularity, the Japanese delicacy remains one of the most misunderstood cuisines in the U.S.—a minefield of misinformation littered with improperly labeled fish and supersize “Kamikaze” rolls. From assumptions about what sushi is most “authentic” to the way we slather our nigiri with wasabi and soy sauce, most of us have the raw fish game all wrong. To sort out the facts from the myths, we tracked down an pro who could set us on the path to sushi wisdom.

Trevor Corson, the author of The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice, traveled to Japan for the first time when he was 16 on scholarship for a summer home-stay program. When he tried sushi in 1986 Washington, D.C. in preparation for his trip, he remembers thinking, “Now here’s a cuisine that is truly repulsive and I never want to eat this again.” After trying sushi at a neighborhood restaurant in Japan with his host family, he changed his tune and realized he had a lot to learn—and a lot of new fish to try. Since his humble discovery as a teen, Corson spent three years living in Japan, worked as a commercial fisherman, and penned the pop-science bestseller The Secret Life of Lobsters: How Fishermen and Scientists Are Unraveling the Mysteries of Our Favorite Crustacean. He also regularly hosts educational “historical sushi dinners” in New York City (for more info visit his website). Through his own travels and his commitment to studying sushi in both its traditional and modern iterations, Corson is helping to educate others on how to better understand and enjoy sushi.

Photo by Matt Carr With that, it’s time to put down the sake, leave the chopsticks on the table, and do this thing right. Here, Corson debunks 15 common sushi myths that tend to circulate among diners in the U.S.—his answers will help you navigate your next sushi dinner like a true aficionado. You Should Always Use Soy Sauce When Eating Sushi Corson says: With sushi, a good chef should be pre-seasoning every piece of fish for you. Sushi Should be Paired with Sake Corson says: It is not low-class to have beer with sushi. Bluefin Tuna/Fatty Tuna Belly Is the Ultimate Connoisseur's Sushi Corson says: The bluefin tuna was basically invented by Japanese airline cargo executives who were trying to find a product they could put in their planes on return flights from the U.S. to Japan, and there were a lot of bluefin tuna at the time. Sundays and Mondays Are the Worst Days to Go to a Sushi Restaurant Because There Is No Fresh Fish Coming In Corson says: People assume that you want your sushi fish as fresh as possible;

however, that is not the case. A lot of fish taste better after they’ve aged a day or two. You Should Add Wasabi to Your Soy Sauce and/or Sushi Corson says: sushi chefs have told me that if they see people adding extra wasabi to their sushi or to their soy sauce, they immediately stop giving them their best fish because they know they won’t be able to taste the difference. Corson says: the fish that you are getting in average sushi bars is of very questionable origin. Pink Tuna Is the Freshest Corson says: Looks can be deceiving, however, as there is a whole practice in the industry of gassing tuna with carbon monoxide to make it look pink. Only Men Should Make Sushi; When Women Do It, It's Not As Good Corson says: There are all these myths about women and sushi-making that don’t hold any water. Sushi Was Invented in Japan Corson says: You can still get that traditional form of sushi in Southeast Asia, in Taiwan, and in a few shops in Kyoto—the old capital of Japan.

Sushi Should Not Be Eaten with Your Hands Corson says: When we eat with chopsticks and chefs see this, they will pack the sushi together much too tightly so that they won’t fall apart when we try to pick up the sushi. In Japan, People Eat Sushi All the Time Corson says: Most Japanese people probably eat their version of curry rice [kare raisu] more often than they eat sushi. A California Roll Is Not Real Sushi Corson says: anything that is made with rice and seasoned that way—no matter what shape or size (there are many many regional styles of sushi)—is called sushi. When Eating Nigiri, You Should Put It in Your Mouth Fish-Side Down Corson says: If you are turning the nigiri upside down, then the garnish might fall off. Ginger Is a Garnish for Sushi Corson says: have a bite of between different pieces of fish to cleanse the palate and prepare the tongue for the flavors of the next fish It is Not a Good Idea to Buy Sushi from a Supermarket