Facts about Sashimi
- 10
Uni, or sea urchin sashimi, contains five gonads that must be carefully extracted by hand, with only premium grades from Hokkaido commanding prices around 50,000 yen per kilogram at high-end Tokyo restaurants.
- 09
Scallop sashimi, called hotate, must be served within 24 hours of harvesting because the meat's sweet amino acids begin breaking down into bitter compounds after one day of refrigeration.
- 08
Bluefin tuna sashimi can cost up to 3,333 dollars per kilogram at auction, with a single 278-kilogram specimen selling for 3.1 million dollars at Tokyo's Toyosu Market in January 2019.
- 07
Salmon roe, or ikura, when used in sashimi preparation contains astaxanthin, a carotenoid pigment that gives the eggs their distinctive orange-red color and provides antioxidant properties stronger than vitamin E.
- 06
Wasabi served alongside sashimi in most restaurants is actually horseradish mixed with mustard and green food coloring, while authentic wasabi root costs approximately 4,000 yen per kilogram in Japan.
- 05
Octopus, a popular sashimi ingredient, possesses three hearts that pump blue blood containing copper-based hemocyanin instead of iron-based hemoglobin like fish.
- 04
The traditional Japanese knife used to slice sashimi, called a yanagiba, measures approximately 24 to 30 centimeters long and requires annual sharpening to maintain its precise single beveled edge.
- 03
Edible gold leaf, called kinpaku, has been used as a garnish on premium sashimi platters in high-end Japanese restaurants since the Edo period to symbolize luxury and prosperity.
- 02
Maguro, the most prized sashimi fish, commands prices exceeding 3,000 yen per kilogram at Tokyo's Tsukiji Market due to its rich fat content and delicate flavor profile.
- 01
Japanese food safety standards require sashimi-grade fish to be frozen at minus 20 degrees Celsius for seven days to eliminate parasites.