# What Fish Can't Be Sushi, And Why? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 5, 2003, 7:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683 "2003-10-05T07:27:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/21 "2003-10-06T01:00:51Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > **_Sushi_ refers to the fish. > _Sushi Nigiri_ refers to fish served on rice.** No, Derleth was correct. _Sushi_ is seasoned rice served with something else. _Nigiri_ is a ball of rice topped with something (usually but not always fish), as opposed to _Maki_ (rice wrapped around something, and usually wrapped with seaweed) or other styles of sushi. Common non-fish sushi toppings include cucumber, _kanpyo_ (dried gourd strips), _natto_ (fermented soybean), and seasoned omelette. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/22 "2003-10-06T02:52:46Z")
Salmon is often a freshwater fish and served as sushi ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/23 "2003-10-06T03:26:15Z")
**Scylla** , the Japanese restaurant I worked at only used North Atlantic salmon, although YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/24 "2003-10-06T03:29:53Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Hari Seldon \* > \*\*Apparently you get a buzz from a little bit of the poison. About 100 Japanese a year die from a little bit more. But the meat without the poison is perfectly safe (although rather insipid). \*\* Your numbers are wrong. [Here’s a site](http://www.pref.osaka.jp/shokuhin/hugu/hassei.htm) (in Japanese) that has the statistics for the last ten years. The number of deaths varies from 0 to 6 per year for Japan and the number of people reporting symptoms varies between 23 and 52. 58% of cases involved fugu prepared at home, 23% fugu eaten in a restaurant and 17% fugu bought at the market. There is poison in all of the fish’s body, but the concentrations found in the meat are non-leathal. The most dangerous parts are the eggs, liver, digestive tract and skin. There _is_ freshwater sushi, I’ve seen ayu and trout for instance, but it’s true it’s somewhat rare and usually found in area that are famous for their freshwater fish. [here’s a site](http://www3.tokai.or.jp/fujishige/) that has a few pics of various rainbow trout sushi. The absolutely best swordfish is sometimes served as sushi and sashimi, but you’d have to go to a good (expensive) restaurant to find some. A Google search reveals that there is indeed monkfish sushi, even though I’ve never seen any. Turbot sushi isn’t unheard of either. ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/25 "2003-10-06T04:01:21Z")
An old friend of mine said he’d never eat sushi, his explanation was a tour he once took of a fish plant, I think it was north Atlantic cod they were processing, he said he saw woman workers with razor sharp little spoons watching the fish meat carefully as it was conveyed over a very bright light - they would whip in with those spoons and cut out worm cysts in the fish filets. Some fish can be eaten raw, some must be cooked, would seem to be the conclusion. ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/26 "2003-10-06T04:11:36Z")
All fish can be eaten raw… if fresh enough. Around here, that’s usually not a problem. I just spent the summer in North America and I wouldn’t eat most of the fish I saw at the market cooked. (I wasn’t so close to the coast, though.) ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/27 "2003-10-06T04:30:24Z")
I never witnessed it, but in my dad’s generation of college kids (1940’s) there was a craze of eating raw, live goldfish. That’s as fresh and live as you can get. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/28 "2003-10-06T04:55:57Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Scylla \* > \*\*Salmon is often a freshwater fish and served as sushi \*\* Salmon’s a bit weird. It lives in the sea, swims upstream to spawn. (Perhaps some spawn in the sea, or live in freshwater year round; I only know what I saw in primary school movies). So, perhaps they’re deemed “more saltwater” than freshwater, as most of their flesh is formed at sea. Certainly, they have a different taste than the river fish I caught and ate growing up. Perch sashimi anyone? Crappy maki (no pun intended . . . )? Does the “freshwater eel”/unagi in sushi (barbecued, usually) have a similar life-cycle? I know some eels do go from salt/fresh . . . [Also – side note; does anyone eat the eels (anago or unagi) un-barbecued]. ---
**Author:** ![Huerta88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/82dd89/32.png) [@Huerta88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Huerta88)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/29 "2003-10-06T05:01:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Zenster \* > \*\*_Fugu_ is a perfect manifestation of Japanese culture. It epitomizes the old Asiatic paradox, “less is more.” > > In Japan, what is subtle is viewed as refined. That which is difficult to discern is prized. The stark, yet highly organized _chaji_ (tea ceremony) is a sterling example of this mindset. _Fugu’s_ incredibly delicate flavor is viewed as a challenge to the senses in order to detect and appreciate it. \*\* Eastern mysticism aside, should we take this as a concession that fugu is pretty tasteless? Or at least not likely to wow the palates of any gaijin seeking an Emeril-style “Bam!” experience? “Arigato, sensei; this water soup with essence of sea-mist is most sublime.” ---
**Author:** ![jovan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@jovan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jovan)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/30 "2003-10-06T05:04:36Z")
Yes, in some places you can have raw eel sashimi but it’s extremely rare. 99.999% of the time it’s served cooked, usually barbecued like you mention. ---
**Author:** ![cankerist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bc79bd/32.png) [@cankerist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cankerist)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/31 "2003-10-06T05:21:43Z")
> [@](#): > > Eastern mysticism aside, should we take this as a concession that fugu is pretty tasteless? Or at least not likely to wow the palates of any gaijin seeking an Emeril-style “Bam!” experience? Cooked fugu has a great taste and texture, and hasn’t killed me yet. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2003, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683/32 "2003-10-06T05:24:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Huerta88 \* > **Eastern mysticism aside, should we take this as a concession that fugu is pretty tasteless?** It’s just white fish. Very good white fish, mind you, but It doesn’t have a strong distinctive taste like salmon or Pacific saury. And the stories about the tinglign sensation from trace amount of poison are completely wrong. If you feel any tingling at all, you need to get to a doctor immediately. If you want sashimi with a unique taste, I’d recommend spiny lobster. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-fish-cant-be-sushi-and-why/205683.md?page=1)