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Not all sushi is the same. If you love some good sushi and visit Japanese sushi restaurants often, you should become more aware of the many different kinds of sushi, sources of fish for sushi, and why you should definitely ask for sustainable sushi over traditional sushi. The following info will make you a well-rounded and intelligent sushi connoisseur.
Types of Sushi
Most people who associate the word "sushi" with raw fish know very little about this food. Actual sushi rolls contain next to no raw fish, with the occasional exception of roe, caviar, and fake crab or fake lobster meat. Actual raw fish dishes are known as sashimi, and that is why sushi and sashimi dishes/rolls are clearly marked under these subheadings on a Japanese menu. There are many different kinds of rolls; some with nori (seaweed) wrappers and some without, some with vegetables, all vegan options, giant futomaki rolls as big as your face, uramaki (which rolls the nori sheets inward and places the rice rolled around the outside), and several regional and international specialties.
Sources of Fish for Sushi
The usual sources of fish for sushi are commercial fisheries. While that is fine and good, you want to be sure that the fish that your favorite Japanese restaurant buys and uses is flash-frozen or at least frozen between negative forty and negative sixty degrees for at least twenty-four hours. This is the regulated and expected temperature range and time frame to kill parasites and parasite eggs present in the commercially caught fish.
There are also fish farms that supply fish, but that is not the overall best option. The best option is sustainable fishing sources. These sources are fish farms, with the unique distinction that all practices and approaches to raising the fish do not endanger the environments wherein the fish are raised.
Why You Should Ask Your Sushi Restaurant for Sustainable Sushi
Ergo, sustainable sushi helps the environment while you happily chow down on your favorite rolls and sashimi. Sustainable sushi also monitors pests and parasites that not only make the fish sick but make the fish potentially hazardous for human consumption. Pests and parasites are prevented in sustainable fishing, making the sushi extremely healthy and risk-free for your consumption.
Additionally, you do not know what you are consuming at the restaurant unless you ask. The waitstaff may have to take a few moments to ask the sushi chefs, but this information is worth knowing, especially if you are worried about health concerns. Most sushi chefs take enough pride in their work to share with consumers where they get the fish to make their sushi and sashimi.