ummmm, SASHIMI is raw fish, Sushi sometimes has Sashimi in it, but it is NOT raw fish... at least not the way i was taught
Posted on 05/24/2014 5:10:03 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Raw fish is sizzling hot right now.
Los Angeles has brand new bars devoted to an Italian style of raw fish, called crudo. President Obama kicked off his visit to Asia last month noshing nigiri at Jiro's famous sushi bar. And back in December, The New York Times named Sushi Nakawaza as its top restaurant of the year.
But why do so many of us find utter bliss in eating raw sea creatures but aren't so inclined to chow down on uncooked birds, cows or pigs?
A big part of it is gravity — or the effective lack of it in the ocean, says biophysicist Ole Mouritsen, author of Sushi: Food for the Eye, the Body and the Soul.
A feast for the eyes and the mouth. Tuna swim long distances, but their muscles are still soft and tender.i A feast for the eyes and the mouth. Tuna swim long distances, but their muscles are still soft and tender.
Kyodo /Landov "Fish are so soft. You can stick your finger through their muscles," he says. "Try doing that with a chicken or cow. Fish muscle is very different than that in land animals."
Why? Because fish can afford to be lazier than terrestrial animals. Fish essentially float all the time. So their muscles don't work constantly to fight gravity.
"Fish don't have to support their body weight," Mouritsen says, "so their muscle fibers are shorter and less tough than those in land animals." The same goes for the connective tissue holding the muscle fibers together: It's delicate and weak.
The result? Fish has a silky, smooth texture when it's raw, and a flaky, light texture when it's cooked.
By contrast, "Land animals — like ourselves — are always working to keep themselves upright and keep their shape," Mouritsen says, so our muscle fibers are thicker, tougher and firmer.
The result is a ropy, chewy — and less appetizing — texture when the meat is raw. Cooking softens the connective tissue in meat and improves its texture (it also makes it juicy and flavorful).
In general, the more a muscle works, the tougher, more sinuous it gets, Mouritsen writes in his book. This idea explains why the belly of the tuna, known as otoro, is exceptionally soft: The belly of the fish is the laziest muscle of them all.
One fish, two fish, white fish, red fish: Muscles that depend on oxygen tend to be red, while those that don't are white. Salmon flesh is orange because of the food the fish eat.i One fish, two fish, white fish, red fish: Muscles that depend on oxygen tend to be red, while those that don't are white. Salmon flesh is orange because of the food the fish eat.
Kake/Flickr.com "In contrast, those muscles that are more active in a tuna, say the ones in its fins and tails, are a bit more chewier than other muscles," he says.
Under a microscope, fish, chicken and other meat muscles look similar, with long, parallel fibers, like ropes, stretched out and tied together.
But when you zoom in a little closer, the fish muscles look like the Kate Moss of the bunch: Their fibers are slimmer, shorter and more delicate than the others.
The muscle properties of fish also explain the rainbow of colors you see at a sushi bar.
"Fish that are constantly on the move — say, a tuna — have muscles that are always working and burning carbohydrates aerobically," Mouritsen says.
The muscles need oxygen to make energy. And the molecule that carries oxygen to muscle contains iron. Guess what color iron is in the fish? Red.
In contrast, fish that mostly hang out in one place or on the bottom of the ocean — say, for instance, flounder — have muscles that don't rely on oxygen to create energy. No oxygen means no iron to carry it, which means the muscles tend to be white. (Of course, most fish have a mixture of these two type of muscles and thus can look red, white or pink.)
So what about the pinkish-orange color of salmon? That's a special case, Mouritsen says.
"The coloring is due to what salmon eat: shellfish that are enriched with a pigment that's related to carotene in carrots, called astaxanthin."
This pigment creates the characteristic bluish-gray or green color of raw shrimp and crabs. The molecule turns bright pink or orange when the salmon eats the shellfish or we cook it.
Yum. Years ago, we got smoked eel in Chicago, purchased from some lakeshore vendor in a dingy smokehouse. Delish.
I only eat tuna or spicy tuna and cucumber rolls.
I use them to get as much wasabi on em as I can possibly take.
I then shake or tap my foot while chewing blissfully and delighting in the pain.
Eating 5he fancy stuff wouldn’t do a thing for me.
ummmm, SASHIMI is raw fish, Sushi sometimes has Sashimi in it, but it is NOT raw fish... at least not the way i was taught
Well said. I had that feeling last time I ate salmon that my daughter cooked. So satisfying.
On the other hand, I love seafood with tentacles. So there is equilibrium.
>> Publix sushi is safer than most though. <<
Raw sushi is gonna be safe if the owner of the restaurant (or at least his sushi chef) is Japanese. That’s because those folks know which varieties of fish, and from which supplier, are hygienic; and they know how to handle and prepare the ingredients properly
Moreover, you’re almost always gonna be safe when the restaurant is run by Koreans. But if the restaurant is run by Chinese, you’d better check out their reputation before you eat the raw stuff.
(I speak from unpleasant experience!)
>> we can’t get enough parasites? <<
From what I’ve been told, deep ocean fish don’t have parasites. They are what’s used for raw sushi. By contrast, fresh-water fish are generally not suitable — presumably because they do carry various bugs that are harmful to human health.
Also, shell-fish aren’t used for raw sushi. Whenever you order shrimp or crab sushi, the meat is gonna be cooked.
>> Eating things raw that may have worms and other parasites <<
Not necessarily. See post no. 67.
yes! i never regret eating sushi... and i love that my sons enjoy it too... i like it best when it is the three of us eating sushi together...
I’m the only one in the family who eats it. But I really like it. But I admit it has little taste compared to fresh fish.
Dipping Bluefin Tuna in anything is like putting catsup on a fine porterhouse steak.
I’m fine with calamari. It’s other, more evident ways of preparing it that I just can’t get past.
Lots of supermarket stuff is not raw.
Don’t forget the parisites in raw fish, makes it all the more lively.
I think I have a couple of left over horse de-worming syringes.
“Raw meat isn’t the end of the world”
Neither is raw milk.
However,
Stay lucky my friend.
Might I suggest:
Prefer Mexican Food and salsa.
The sushi bar in Romeo has eel and I wouldn’t try it, based on your reaction, maybe I’ll try it next time...If its crappy, I’ll send you a nasty freepmail...:O)
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