" Watchout ! ! ! Kinilaw Eaters (sashimi) "

(courtesy of: http://homecookingrocks.com/kinilaw-kilawin-na-tuna/)

"By sashimi it is meant a dish which is prepared with varied varieties of fish which are dipped in a soy sauce and wasabi mixture. Thereafter, the fish is sliced into really thin pieces and eaten raw. So, basically it can be said that Sashimi is an uncooked, yet delectable, fish preparation. Sushi, on the other hand, is used to denote a dish that includes vinegered rice topped with fish, innumerable vegetables and other ingredients."

The word ‘Sashimi’ basically stands for ‘pierced body’ or ‘stuck meat’. There is a possibility that the naming of the fish comes from the traditional Sashimi method. Just subsequent to the landing of the fish, the brain of the fish is pierced with a sharp edged tool and placed alongside ice. Since the fish dies instantaneously, the presence of lactic acid in its body is minimal and hence it survives on ice for long, ten days approximately. It neither degrades, nor turns white. Because of the wide popularity of this dish, Sashimi word has been duly incorporated in the English language. The word is now often used to denote uncooked or raw fish preparations.

A note of safety – Since Sashimi is a type of raw seafood, there is a possibility that it may cause seaborne illnesses. Most of the times, fish contain marine parasites. Because of the probability of the fish being infected with parasites, one should be careful while preparing sashimi. A good way to kill parasites is to freeze fish at a temperature of -20 degrees Celsius for one day. FDA however recommends that fish should either be frozen at – 20 degrees Celsius for seven long days or at -35 degrees Celsius for around 15 hours. Only fresh fish should be used to cook Sashimi, stale ones should be completely discarded.

It has also been observed that carbon monoxide is generally used to keep the fish used in Sashimi red and fresh for long. This makes spoiled fish appear fresh. So, one should also beware of such high unscrupulous activities. One should have an observant eye to tell the difference between fresh and stale fish.

In order to ensure an optimum level of healthiness and flavor, Sashimi fish is usually prepared fresh in restaurants. In fact, a good number of restaurants keep alive Sashimi fish in big tanks and hence prepare fresh Sashimi on order. If you want to hit a restaurant for a quick Sashimi delight, make sure it is a highly reputable one for low grade restaurants might serve stale Sashimi to you which may then throw negative effects on your health. For those who want to cook Sashimi at home, it must be made certain that the fishmonger knows of your intention of eating the fish raw. In this way, you can be assured that you will be given only the fresh and safe specimens.