I like sushi and have looked at those $20 at home kits to make it.
However I do worry about the meats. My understanding is that restaurants have to flash freeze meat to kill all parasites and pathogens, while I seriously doubt a grocery store’s meats would do this.
So how do you make sure the meat is healthy and edible raw? Is there a special kind of sushi meat you can buy?
Did others have good experiences with home made sushi?
Any particular type of rice, or recipes that are good? What about sauces?
FDA regs state that it’s illegal to sell any fish that hasn’t been frozen, for exactly the reasons you mention. So don’t worry about that. Your local Japanese/Korean/Chinese grocery should offer cuts of fish specifically for sushi or sashimi.
Other than that, it’s basically about vinegaring the rice so that it sticks properly, then just mold/roll the rice and fish with the shape and seasonings that you like. Just depends on your preference. What do you like?
We make sushi rolls from time to time with the kids, it’s good fun for them. Short grain sushi rice and some rice wine vinegar, it’s hard to get the rice exactly right but it is pretty close. It takes a few tries to get the rolling good though.
We just use smoked salmon and chicken teriyaki for the fillings. Not particularly authentic but tastes good to us.
The FDA mandates (well, strongly recommends) that all fish for human consumption be frozen for 7 days to destroy parasites. In reality this is going to happen anyway because the fish are so far from your table when they get caught. In Japan it’s possible to get a not-frozen fish in your sushi, but in the US that’s pretty much not happening. I can’t speak to other meats, this is specifically for fish, regardless of type.
All the sushi you eat at restaurants or buy in the grocery store has been previously frozen. There’s no “flash-freezing” involved, it’s probably been frozen for weeks if not months.
You are talking about a guideline, not a regulation, for serving fish to eat raw. Many states have more stringent requirements. I do only buy previously frozen fish or freeze it myself for safety.
There are plenty of sushi items that do not use raw fish, best to practice with those before buying expensive fish. You can make California rolls with just crabstick and avacado, or use real cooked crab meat. Learn to make tomago, it takes a little practice to get the many layers you’ll find at restaurants.
Getting the rice right and making attractive rolls, nigiri, and other forms requires practice to get it to restaurant quality. There are simple forms too. Some Korean girls showed me how they regularly take nori, spread tuna salad on it, and just roll it up like a roll cake, then slice it. Or just get some fish or other ingredients and make a chiriashi, a bowl of rice topped with the other ingredients.
We make sushi all the time. Since we make it all the time we just have ingredients and tools on hand so it’s not like you have to buy a pre-packed kit. Nori, short grain rice, wasabi, rice vinegar and whatever fish or veg you’re buying for that day, plus a rice cooker and a bamboo roll-up mat.
We tend to get a tiny little block of frozen tuna that’s enough for a couple of rolls for fancy ones. Then cheaper surimi, cucumber and avocado for california rolls to fill out the plate. Or tofu and avocado rolls.
Yeah I spoke incorrectly suggesting that it’s a law. If you’re outside of Japan, and you didn’t specifically pay money for raw and possibly parasitized fish, then you are not special enough to be at risk.
To clarify, is all fish available at the grocery store flash frozen by law to kill all parasites, or do I have to go to a special grocery and request ‘sushi grade’ meats to make my own sushi?
No, not all fish at the grocery store has been frozen in any manner - hence little signs you might see advertising “never frozen”. Such fish should be properly cooked prior to eating.
Yes, you want to ask for “sushi grade” fish, very much so. If the store you are at sells such you will then be directed to fish both appropriate for sushi preparation as well as previously frozen. I will also note that commercial freezing is usually much better than what you can do at home, preserving the desirable qualities as much as possible.
I’ve made vegetarian maki rolls - it’s fun and inexpensive and good way to learn the techniques before purchasing expensive and/or fussy ingredients. My first attempts were laughable, even if tasty. You get better with practice.
Quote: “The only concern any inspectors have is referred to as the parasite destruction guarantee, which is accomplished by ‘freezing and storing seafood at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours’ which is sufficient to kill parasites. The FDA’s Food Code recommends these freezing conditions to retailers who provide fish intended for raw consumption (for further information, please visit the FDA website). Some exceptions to that rule are bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and farmed salmon.”
That suggests that treating the fish in this way is recommended, not mandatory, so it’s probably a good idea to make sure you’re buying your sushi grade fish from someone you trust.
Pics or it didn’t happen. All grocery fish is frozen. Not because the FDA requires it, but that’s what it takes to get fish from the boat to your shelf. Most likely you have never eaten never-frozen fish in your entire life, unless you lived in Japan for any length.
Your first statement about grocery store fish is likely true, even in a coastal city, due to the logistics of scale in supplying chain supermarkets; but the second seems a strange conclusion. I’m sure I’ve had fresh and never frozen fish many times, at dockside restaurants, or those restaurants with live fish in them where you can even point out the specific (living) fish, crab, or lobster you want to eat.
OK those restaurants with tanks were mostly, maybe all Cantonese seafood restaurants, but in various places in the US, and I’ve always assumed the fish I eat in New England or Montauk are never frozen when they’re advertised as Catch Of The Day, or as “fresh fish”.
Perhaps i’m wrong here, but if I see two packages of fish in the case, one labelled “Previously frozen” and one either not labelled or labelled something like “Fresh” or “Farm-fresh”, I take it to mean that the first package has been frozen and the second not frozen.
And as long as we’re going to pick nits, I have eaten never-frozen fish many times to my absolute knowledge, and I have never lived in Japan. Mostly it was fish that I or someone with me had caught just a few hours previously.
But is it frozen in a way that kills the parasites? It was my understanding that things like a commercial freezer just slow the growth of parasites, they don’t kill them.
I second the advice of doing some rolls made from cooked/smoked fish and/or vegetarian items to start. Getting the rice right and learning to form the sushi takes some time, and it’s less frustrating to make a mess out of a cucumber than an expensive cut of fish. Plus, I love kappa rolls.
First, almost any type of fish can be used for sashimi or sushi and most are never frozen here in Hawaii, it’s not just tuna which most people associate with sushi and sashimi.
Second, In Hawaii, our Safeway’s and other markets have never frozen local fish including ahi (big eye tuna), fresh from the fish market.
“Our Classic selection consist of three outstanding products that can deliver all the romance and nostalgia of Hawaii. Opah, Ono, and Mahimahi are great candidates for that weekend special, Hawaiian Catch of The Day, or as one of the all time favorites on the regular menu. Recognizable, delicious, fresh and never frozen, these three are Classics for a reason. Caught and enjoyed for generations, and cherished by many island visitors.”
Third, I’m not in Japan, but we have Marukai Market which is part of the Don Quiote group in Japan and they’ll sometimes offer fresh (never frozen) fish airflown from Japan. So while the “must always be frozen” for raw consumption definitely does NOT apply to those of us in Hawaii!