Sashimi, the Very Philosophy of Japanese Cuisine

One of the most famous Japanese dishes is Sashimi. This dish would confuse a Western man — just thin to transparent slices of raw fish of different varieties with a side of vegetables (Garnishes). First, the idea of eating raw fish is shocking. Secondly, it is unclear what to cook here.

The tradition of eating raw fish could not have arisen in Europe. Fish - a product that is perishable, stale, is just dangerous. Even in European sea powers, fish could only sometimes be carried fresh because of the great distances. However, in the small Japanese islands, such problems did not exist.

Meanwhile, Sashimi perfectly reflects the very philosophy of Japanese cuisine. Unlike the world's culinary tradition, in which the ability to make interesting combinations of different ingredients is a sign of the cook's art, the Japanese tend to emphasize the taste of each ingredient by serving it separately.

Like the French is recognized worldwide experts in meat, the Japanese are well versed in fish. By the species and taste of the fish, the Japanese can accurately determine the variety, the time and place of fishing, whether it is artificially grown or floated in the sea, and so on.

For Sahimi, the fish fillet, carefully cleaned of bones, is slightly frozen and cut into thin slices. Varieties of fish in Sashimi can be very different - their choice depends on the season (Japanese people believe each fish tastes at a specific time of year). It can be prepared from more than thirty species of fish, but most often used tuna, salmon, carp, zander, and trout.

Also important is the tradition of dish decoration: Sashimi is always laid out on a tray of 3, 5, or 7 slices. To reduce the risk of fish poisoning, Japanese people use Sashimi with wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and marinated ginger. These products have strong antibacterial effects, killing dangerous germs and bacteria that may have appeared in raw fish. Wasabi is usually added to the soy sauce, dipped in pieces of Sashimi, and ginger is recommended after each fish species. In addition to being antibacterial, it has another important function - to kill the taste of previous food.

But the most important for the Sashimi taste is the cutting method. And as you may have guessed, it is the knife (better to say knives. Each cutting type is done with a special knife) that is the main tool in Japanese cuisine. To make a Sashimi like a professional, you will need a minimum of three knives.

First, you will need a Deba knife (14cm to 20cm heavy, single bevel) for fish dismantling.

After that, you will need a Yanagi knife (Yanagi ba), a special knife for cutting Sashimi slices from a fish fillet. Such knives have a very sharp, long, and thin blades - it allows you to achieve a fine cut while the fillet does not break down into fibers.

And for a vegetable garnish (Sashimi no Tsuma in Japanese), you will need the third knife - Usuba or Nakiri.

Also, you should know how to do slicing and cut properly. There are four main ways to cut fish for Sashimi, depending on the body's shape and the flesh's density.

Hira-zukuri is a cutting method used for yellowtail. Sogi-zukuri is used for white fish with dense pulp, such as sea bream. Fish with a thin body, such as Japanese needlefish, are cut by Hoso-zukuri. The Kaku-zukuri method suits fish with tender pulp, such as tuna and bonito.

Hira-zukuri / Sogi-zukuri

For Hira-zukuri, hold the knife so the blade is slightly tilted to the left. Hold the knife at an angle to the right and cut 2-3 mm thick slices starting from the left. Using a smooth motion, extend the knife through the meat using all blades from base to tip.

Hoso-zukuri / Kaku-zukuri

For Hoso-zukuri, the fish is cut with the blade's tip into thin strips. This method is used when the flesh is too thin to be cut by Hira-zukuri. The Kaku-zukuri method consists of cutting fish into 1.5-2 cm sticks and then cutting chopsticks into strips.

And remember that Sashimi is not the main dish to satisfy hunger. It is an expensive treat that should be savored. It serves a kind of «overture» to the following dishes.