How To Slice Fish For Sushi & Sashimi

Sushi and sashimi are two of Japan’s most popular seafood dishes. But what’s the difference between sushi and sashimi?

Sashimi is raw fish without rice, whereas sushi always contains rice.

In Japan a real meal always contains rice. So sashimi is considered a starter or snack, whereas sushi is a main course or standalone meal.

The same fish can be used for both sushi and sashimi, but it’s sliced differently for the two dishes (see video and details below).

In Japanese, the generic ‘sushi’ becomes ‘zushi’ when refering to a particular type of sushi. Here are a few of the most popular types of sushi:

nigiri: a hand-moulded pillow of rice with a topping
aburi: nigiri-zushi with a topping that’s lightly seared
nori maki: rice and fillings rolled inside nori seaweed, it may be thin (hoso-maki) or thick (futo-maki)
uramaki: inside out sushi roll with the nori on the inside and the rice on the outside
temaki: hand-rolled cones of seaweed holding rice and other fillings
chirashizushi: a bed of rice with the sushi toppings scattered over it

Here are a few things to keep in mind when buying and preparing fish for sushi and sashimi:

Both sushi and sashimi are made using the freshest, premium quality seafood.
Referred to as sashimi-grade, it’s caught and handled in ways that ensure it arrives at the market in the best possible condition.
Sashimi-grade seafood should be used for any dish where the fish is served raw or rare.
Popular species for sushi and sashimi include tuna, bonito, salmon, ocean trout, kingfish, garfish, whiting, snapper and cuttlefish.
Many fishmongers have specialist sashimi counters where they’ll slice fish to order – just be sure to tell them whether it’s for sashimi (sliced across the grain) or sushi (sliced with the grain).
If you order fish in a whole piece for making sushi or sashimi, ensure it is sashimi-grade and ‘saku-cut’, meaning a uniformly cut block of skinless, boneless fish ready for cutting into perfect sushi or sashimi slices.
Saku-cut is also the best shape for tataki as the uniform shape makes it easier to sear evenly.
Ideally, buy seafood for sushi and sashimi on the day you’ll be eating it.
If you do need to store it overnight, place it in the coldest part of the fridge (usually the bottom shelf) well wrapped with an ice brick beneath and above it.
Eat it within 24 hours or use it in a cooked dish.

To slice fish for sushi or sashimi you’ll need:

a very sharp, long knife
a cloth to wipe the knife on between cuts

Here’s how to slice fish for sushi & sashimi (scroll down for a step-by-step video with Japanese Sushi Master Hideo Dekura):

Buy sashimi-grade fish in a block (saku-cut).
Place it on a clean, dry work surface.
Use a very sharp, long knife to slice the fish in one smooth movement, rather than saw through it which can damage the flesh and give a jagged appearance to the slices.
For sashimi slice fish across the grain.
For sushi, slice fish with the grain.
Wipe the knife on a damp cloth between each slice.

Now you know how to slice fish for sushi & sashimi, Master Sushi Chef Hideo Dekura will show you how to cook prawns for sushi, make sushi rice, and make dashi soy sauce for serving with all sorts of sushi and sashimi.

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How To Slice Fish For Sushi & Sashimi

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