photo credit: slightly everything via photopin cc
When I’m not reading, blogging or doing homework, I’m cooking. Cooking is a lot like reading and writing: it brings ingredients together to create a single dish that tells a story of flavors, family, friends and experiences. And just like with books, you don’t have to be the creator. Sometimes we’re all just looking for a little eye candy. So here’s a little food for thought!
I don’t know if you all know this, but I’m a total foodie. A foodie is “someone who has an ardent or refined interest in food.” Cooking is all about discovery for me – seeing which ingredients work well together, what flavors can be created, and what new foods can be tried. So now I’m bringing this discovery to TGR!
Every Monday I’ll be sharing a new food find, recipe, and of course, some eye candy.
This week: Sushi vs. Sashimi
You all probably don’t know this, but I love sushi. Don’t get me wrong: it took me a while to get into it. I’m a bit late to the sushi-loving bandwagon, you could say. I’ve only been eating it for a few (okay, more like five) years. And even now, I’m still not as adventurous with it as I’d like to be. coughcough Can’t go wrong with a California roll, right? coughsushinovicecough.
I’m kidding. I don’t eat only California rolls. I’ve tried eel and salmon and tuna and octopus and sea urchin, too. But while I’ve tried all these different rolls and all these different flavors, for the longest time I was ignorant to the difference between sushi and sashimi.
I knew that what I ordered was – and is always – sushi, because I ordered under the sushi menu headings. But every time I’m out, I hesitate, scanning the sashimi list, wishing I knew what in the hell it entailed. Thankfully, now I do.
Sushi uses cooked vinegared rice. So your normal rolls – which do have their own technical terms (like nigiri and maki) – typically fall under “sushi.” Perfect example is the above picture.
Sashimi is raw meat (usually fish) served on its own. Like the picture to the right.
I don’t know about you, but the thought of eating a slab (even if it’s thin) of raw fish kind of terrifies me, for several reasons. I don’t think I’d like the slimy texture or the flavor, and need I mention the health risk? Call me paranoid, but I don’t think even if I wanted to eat sashimi I’d be willing to eat it just anywhere. I do still hope to someday try it, but for now I’m perfectly content with ordering those heavenly little squares.
Although, now that I think about it, I’ve had raw tuna in rolls before. But that hardly counts. It’s so tiny!
Have you ever had sashimi? Any tips for a sushi/sashimi novice?
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Sashimi is one of my favorite foods. Absolutely delicious.
You only need get it from a reputable source and then eat without worry. I generally get a chunk of tuna and cut my own sashimi or make ???? (tuna bowl, one of my favorite meals).
I never thought about cutting my own. I may be up for that. :o
My husband and I are both sushi fans so we occasionally go out and indulge in some fine Asian raw fish, lol.
The difference is simple: If it comes in a roll, it’s sushi. If it comes in a slab, it’s sashimi.
I have tried a few kinds of sashimi because my husband loves it. Here’s my advice, just try it :) Next time you find yourself in a sushi restaurant tell the waitress to bring you one piece of tuna Sashimi. Surprisingly, it’s not very fishy and it’s not slimy (although you’d think so, right?). Good quality tuna actually melts in your mouth and it delicious. Oh and if you like ginger, throw a piece on there and dip it in soy. There’s different types of sashimi, like white fish and salmon but I usually don’t go for them. Salmon is a bit fishier and I don’t care for it as much.
As for the health risk, don’t fret about it too much. Most sushi has raw fish in it also. Besides, most people don’t consume more than 2 or 3 pieces of sashimi per serving.
Hope that helps :)
When I think raw fish I just think of slime, haha. So yea, was not thinking it’d be pleasant! But thank you for the advice. :) I’m much more open to trying tuna than salmon. And I totally forgot that I could eat it with other things (like the soy, ginger and wasabi), so. Helps make it seem less scary.
I love sushi, but like you, feel that sashimi isn’t as appealing. I’m too scared to try it. I’ve tried raw tuna rolls and other similar things too, but sashimi is different. I just get horrifying images of parasites and get paranoid that it won’t be prepared properly and stuff. I would like to try it one day as well…but for now I’ll stick to sushi. Like you said, you can’t go wrong with a California roll :P.
I don’t know why I think raw fish in a roll is any better, but I do. :P
I don’t have any advice, exactly, but the first time I tried sashimi I was REALLY surprised by how much I liked it. It wasn’t at all what I was expecting.
And now I’m totally craving sushi. Yum!
Everyone I’ve talked to seems to agree that they were pleasantly surprised by sashimi. Hmmmm…..
If I could pick one food to eat for the rest of my life it would be a kind of sushi or sashimi. They are both just so light, healthy, and just yummy.
Don’t be scared of sashimi! I honestly think it tastes even better. It’s not slimy or fishy, actually that’s how you can tell if it’s going bad. A nice fresh piece should have a light taste, and doesn’t have the rice and other toppings to take away from the flavor of the fish.
Don’t worry about it being prepared right. The sushi chiefs really know what they are doing. Just dip in in some soy sauce mixed with a little bit of wasabi and it’s fantastic! :)
I think I’ve imagined the worst possible outcomes, and they’ve prevented me from trying. I’ll have to just go for it!