does anyone know if the fish on the sushi is really raw or has it been frozen to kill the bacteria in the fish

Answer 1

According to this April 8, 2004 article in the New York Times:

"Because of health concerns and growing demand, 50 to 60 percent of sushi in the United States is frozen at some point in its journey from the ocean.... And rare is the sushi restaurant that tells customers upfront that they may be eating fish that has been in deep freeze for up to two years.....If the sushi has not been frozen, it is illegal to serve it in the United States.

Food and Drug Administration regulations stipulate that fish to be eaten raw — whether as sushi, sashimi, seviche, or tartare — must be frozen first, to kill parasites.....

Many top sushi chefs are finding that fish frozen to about 70 degrees below zero, instead of the commercial standard, usually 10 below, can stand up to their rigorous standards.

Freezing technology that truly preserves the quality of fresh fish is relatively new....Superfreezing can reduce the core temperature of a 500-pound tuna to minus 70 degrees in about a day and a half. Packed in artificial snow ground from dry ice and surrounded by liquid nitrogen, that fish can be be preserved with no decomposition for as long as two years.....

Shin Tsujimura, the sushi chef at Nobu.... "Even I cannot tell the difference between fresh and frozen in a blind test," he said."

Read the whole article at the link below.

Answer 2

Any fish that rates as "sushi grade" (an actual rating...) has been handled and prepared carefully to ensure that it doesn't have bacteria. Many places will then freeze it, and then thaw it slowly, keeping it well chilled to prevent any bacterial growth. And any sushi place that wants to pass a health inspection will have sanitized preparation areas to prevent contaminating the fish.
And not all sushi is made with raw fish, either. Any shellfish like crab or shrimp is always cooked, and many rolls use cooked fish.

Answer 3

If you are eating sashimi sushi it had better be fresh-raw and not fresh-frozen. Freezing affects the texture and flavor of the fish. Some sushi is cooked fish. Sashimi is raw fish and no self-respecting sushi restaurant will serve thawed frozen fish as sashimi-grade fish. Freezing to kill bacteria in fish is not happening.

Answer 4

All sushi is raw fish and should not have been frozen. freezing meat does not kill bacteria, it only slows it's growth down

Answer 5

It should be raw...fresh not frozen...the fresher the fish, the better the sushi

Jade K--that's an urban legend! If there were fly eggs on the fish they would be digested in the stomach...they couldn't get to the brain...think about it!

Answer 6

It is really raw and it has not been frozen. Fresh fish does not have dangerous bacteria unless it has been handled improperly. Few people get sick from sushi. It's relatively safe.

Answer 7

Fresh, before bacteria begins growing. (Some sushi is still cooked.) Freezing does not kill bacteria, it only stops the growth. Only cooking to proper temperatures kill bacteria.

Answer 8

it should be fresh but some places freeze it first coz they need to kill the bacteria. seeing as most the people answering say its fresh then i doubt they heard about the guy who used to love eating sushi and ended up getting regular headaches which turned into migranes.... before he got it checked or something he died and noone could figure out the cause so they went to the source.... his constant headaches...

when they cut him open or his head for that fact they found nothing but maggots and worms that had been eating at his brains... hence the constant headaches.

im not just telling you some story coz there was in issue about it where they even displayed pictures about what it looked like and people were warned to freeze all their foods , meat and fish mainly coz of the bacteria a other stuff in it.

hope you enjoy your sushi now.... ;-)

Answer 9

all fresh fish sushi is made with fresh fish. you can not freeze the fish first because most fish will get ice particular in them and then they are no good for sushi.
there are certain kind of fish which are especially caught for "sushi quality".
so to answer your question, yes all fresh fish is used for sushi not frozen

Answer 10

When most people hear the word, “Sushi”, they immediately think of raw fish. In truth, dishes made with raw fish are called “Sashimi”. What defines Sushi is any dish made with vinegar rice, which may or may not include raw fish. Most often, Sushi will consist of various types of shellfish such as crab or lobster, or cooked fish along with other fresh ingredients wrapped tightly inside the sticky vinegar rice.

Although in today’s society you will find Sushi served most often in a Japanese restaurant, it actually dates back to 7th Century China. As a way of preserving fish, the Chinese people started making Sushi but without modern day refrigerators, they used the natural process of fermentation. To complete the Sushi-making process, only rice and salt were needed. The result was delicious fish, causing Sushi to grow in popularity.

In the 1800s, Sushi was made using a process that involved pressing fish in between layers of salt and leaving it for months to ferment. This process is known as narezushi, or “edomaezushi”, which is still used in some restaurants in Japan. The name narezushi was originally called “Edomae” and shortened to Edo. This name translates to “in front of Edo” which is a reference to fish caught in front of Edo city and used for the making of Sushi. Unlike the Sushi eaten today, Edo was formed in a ball of rice with a slice of the fish. When it came time to eat narezushi, the rice ball was thrown out and only the fish eaten. Today, narezushi is very difficult to find outside of Japan in that it has a unique taste not usually appreciated by Westerners.

As time passed and many of the Japanese and Chinese cultures crossed, Sushi became a popular food choice in both countries. Throughout the cities, you would find food stands where various types of Sushi were sold. In fact, during intermission at the various theaters, Sushi was sold as a snack much like the popcorn sold in today’s theaters. Since Sushi was easy and quick to make, it became a staple for most households in the 19th Century to accommodate the busy lifestyles of the Japanese people.

Eventually, a food shortage in Japan changed the way in which Sushi was made. Rather than throw the rice out, it was now eaten along with the fish. Additionally, the fermentation process was shortened so the fish although still safe to eat, was a little on the raw side. Because the fermentation process was shortened, the Sushi had a slightly sour taste, which people loved. As people began experimenting, they discovered that by making the rice with a little vinegar the same sour taste was produced and better yet, the fermentation time was dramatically reduced to one or two days.

The popularity of Sushi is greater now than ever. People are much more health conscious and enjoy the fact that Sushi is low fat, loaded with nutrients, and easy and quick to make. For instance, a typical serving of Sushi consists of 8 to 10 pieces, which is around 350 to 400 calories. Because of the fish, Sushi is high in protein and an excellent source for Omega 3 fatty acid. From the seaweed used in Sushi along with the rice, this food is also rich in iodine and complex carbohydrates.

What began as a means of preserving fish has turned into a multi-billion dollar industry with thousands upon thousands of Sushi restaurants dotting the country. If you have never eaten Sushi, you will probably be surprised at how delicious it is. Sushi has a nice, light taste that leaves you satisfied.