Where to get raw fish?

A

applejammy

後輩

13 Apr 2005

3

0

• 24 Sep 2009

• #1

Hi there,
I recently moved to the UK from Vancouver, Canada, where sushi shops are aplenty and cheap too. Unfortunately that's not the case here. My favorite sushi has always been negi toro and salmon sashimi. How might I go about making these on my own? The rice, dried seaweed (nori?) and the spring onions are easy to obtain, but where do I get the raw tuna from that's safe to eat? Do I literally have to buy a fresh fish from a fisherman's market and open it up? I don't know how to do that! :?
Please help!

 

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Moderator

Donor

Twenty-year veteran

8 Aug 2005

7,316

3,727

• 24 Sep 2009

• #2

If you have access to a Japanese (or alternatively, general asian) food market with a fresh seafood section, you should be able to buy small cuts of sashimi-ready fish (like .25~1kg). If you get desperate, you can try the supermarket, and ask the butchers if they have a recommendation. Then you just need to learn how to slice sushi, but that's a skill worth having.

 

A

applejammy

後輩

13 Apr 2005

3

0

• 24 Sep 2009

• Thread starter
• #3

Thanks!
Boy, how silly I feel, almost immediately after posting that I went to the local supermarket and found packages of raw, cut and ready-to-eat(?) salmon, tuna, and cod among other types of fish! The salmon is very pricy. About 4 GBP for two large chunks, about 8.00USD!

 

nice gaijin

Resident Realist

Moderator

Donor

Twenty-year veteran

8 Aug 2005

7,316

3,727

• 24 Sep 2009

• #4

Yep, imagine what a whole fish would cost!

 

Numark

先輩

16 Apr 2005

156

3

• 24 Sep 2009

• #5

There is a sushi chain in the UK called YO! Sushi that does kaiten zushi (conveyor belt sushi)... every monday all plates are blue colored and therefore only £2.20!

The best part is, they have UNLIMITED miso soup!

 

undrentide

Japa'n vagyok

18 Jan 2006

3,652

310

• 24 Sep 2009

• #6

applejammy said:

Thanks!
Boy, how silly I feel, almost immediately after posting that I went to the local supermarket and found packages of raw, cut and ready-to-eat(?) salmon, tuna, and cod among other types of fish! The salmon is very pricy. About 4 GBP for two large chunks, about 8.00USD!

Click to expand...

Please do make sure that those packages are for sashimi, i.e. to be eaten raw.
I'm a bit alarmed to see you mentioned cod, because generally cod tends to go bad quite easily and quickly, cod is not suitable for sashimi. (Even in Japan it is very very rare.)

 

Kinsao

Horizon Rider

8 May 2005

8,515

143

• 2 Oct 2009

• #7

You really have to make sure that the fish you buy is 'sashimi-grade' i.e. it's been stored below a certain temperature! If in doubt, ask the fishmonger or shopkeeper!

It also depends on whereabouts in the UK you are. I live in the Midlands and I've been told (by fishmonger) that it's too far away from the sea to get fish fresh enough for sashimi. However, if you lived by the sea it should be much easier!

By the way, if you go to a fish market you can get it much cheaper than in the supermarket. My local fish market sells a whole salmon for £6 (and the guy will head and gut it for you, ready for cooking).

 

P

pipokun

先輩

4 Feb 2005

2,559

46

• 10 Oct 2009

• #8

The storage condition before going on sale is important when fish is awarded an order, "sushi/sashimi grade".
I heard the EU regulation, -20ﾂ≫?ｹC for 24 hours, has significantly decreased food poisoning cases among fresh-herring loving Dutch people.

Salmon sashimi/sushi is very popular in Japan, but it is quite a new trend to eat raw salmon. Only brown bears have eaten raw salmon for ages before the invent of proper freezing technique and knowledge by humans.