A Guide To Having Sashimi
When it involves raw fish, there’s more to great sashimi than just being freshly caught. The flavour and texture of fish alters with time, and just like good beef, some fish improves with a little time to age. In this article, we take a look at some simple rules for Sashimi preparation and consumption straight from the minds of authentic sashimi delivery Singapore experts who are keen to share about their passion.
When to consume
As a general rule smaller sized fish and seafood like prawns and squid are best eaten as soon as they’re sent off, and larger fish like flounder and snapper may need to be rested on ice for a couple of hours or over night for their muscle tissues to loosen up and their flavour to strengthen. Some even think large fish like tuna are at their ideal aged for week or 2.
Yet be warned – aging fish to be consumed raw is strictly for the experts and my guidance when picking fish for sashimi is to follow the suggestions of an excellent fishmonger.
Rules of sashimi
To mix or not to mix
When including soy sauce to your personal sauce dish, include only what you require as opposed to filling the dish completely, which can be looked at as squandering. Just a half teaspoon or so in the base of the dish is usually plenty to season just a couple of pieces of sashimi.
Many state it’s frowned on to fuse wasabi and soy sauce with each other for plunging sashimi into, yet I know lots of Japanese who perform just that. Personally, I believe it’s better to keep the wasabi (or various other karami) away and dab just a little on the fish prior to dipping it lightly in the soy sauce.
Avoid scents
Putting on aftershave or cologne to a sushi dining establishment (or any dining establishment for that issue) is believed to be fairly impolite in Japan, as strong smells disrupt the delicate flavor of the fish. Given that our perception of flavour is primarily scent, this is a great rule to comply with to maximise your appreciation of the meal.
Cuts to try
Hira-zukuri
The hira-zukuri (rectangle-shaped slice) cut is the most common. Beginning with the right side of the fillet (for right handers) bring the blade from its foundation to its apex in a solitary vertical stroke. This is for a tidy slice of fish between half a centimetre to greater than 1cm wide. The pieces are stacked like publications on a bookshelf. This cut is frequently made use of for tuna, salmon and kingfish.
Usu-zukuri
The angled usu-zukuri (thin slice) cut begins from the left of the fillet, brining the blade at a nearly horizontal angle across the grain, producing a really thin, diagonal cut that is best for firm, white fish with slim fillets like bream, flounder and whiting.