Because sashimi and sushi both involve raw fish, they’re regularly confused with one another. And despite both originating from Japan and both being absolutely delicious, they’re actually very different from one another.
If you love Japanese cuisine and want to feel like a pro next time you’re dining out, or you’re new to this type of food and want to know where to start, we’re here to highlight the main differences between these two amazing delicacies.
What is sashimi?
Sashimi when translated roughly means “pierced body,” and it refers to a delicacy of thinly sliced fish or other types of meat. Sashimi is commonly prepared using a variety of seafood, like yellowtail or bluefin tuna, mackerel, or hamachi and is eaten plain without accompaniments aside from a little soy sauce. This is to allow the flavour of the meat to shine.
Sashimi-grade fish is some of the highest quality seafood and is even caught in a special way. A single line is used rather than a net and the fish is killed and iced immediately upon being landed. This keeps it fresh for longer with minimal degradation or build-up of lactic acid.
Sashimi is often the first course in a formal Japanese meal and Japanese chefs consider sashimi the finest dish in Japanese formal dining. It’s eaten first so that no other strong flavours affect the palate and it can be truly enjoyed for what it is.
What is sushi?
Sushi is a dish of prepared vinegared rice. Yes, despite popular belief, the term sushi refers to how the rice is prepared within the dish and actually doesn’t relate to fish at all! Roughly translated, sushi means “it is sour” in reference to the vinegar rice.
Sushi rice is a specific variety of short-grain rice prepared with rice wine vinegar. The vinegared rice has its own unique flavour and clumps together to enable the creation of sushi rolls and other preparations.
So basically sushi means any dish that is paired with vinegared rice and served in bite-size pieces. You can make sushi with fish and other types of seafood or vegetables like cucumber and avocado.
There are two types of sushi: nigiri and maki.
Nigiri
Nigiri is a bite-size rectangular mound of rice topped with a piece of sashimi. The word “nigiri” means “two fingers,” which describes the size of the rice.
Maki
Maki on the other hand is made in rolls and sliced into round bite-size pieces. In a maki roll, the fish, vegetables or other ingredients are rolled up inside of seaweed and vinegared rice.
While styles of sushi tend to vary wherever you go, it’s not sushi if it doesn’t include rice!
So there you have it! Next time you’re dining out in a new Japanese restaurant you can impress the staff with your sashimi and sushi knowledge.
Buy frozen sushi & sashimi online
If you’re new to Japanese cuisine and aren’t sure where to start – we’ve got you covered. We have a range of frozen sushi and sashimi that you can order online! Our fish is filleted, packed and frozen within 3 hours of being caught, therefore we can guarantee the quality and freshness of our products.
