Sashimi

[Ericandblueboy]

I haven't done any research on this subject but I'm somewhat curious as to why the same Kindai tuna may be better at Kaz than Monterrey Bay Fish Grotto, assuming it's the same fish and I'm just having sashimi. What does years of apprenticeship teach you? Can you learn it in a few weeks if you're astute or does it really require years?

[goodeats]

Years. If you can read Chinese subtitles and are willing to sit through a Japanese mini-Soap Opera, I have an excellent one about Sushi apprenticeship to loan you that walks through reasoning why it take years.

Plus, I think you're asking two apples to taste exactly the same.

[Ericandblueboy]

Years. If you can read Chinese subtitles and are willing to sit through a Japanese mini-Soap Opera, I have an excellent one about Sushi apprenticeship to loan you that walks through reasoning why it take years.

Plus, I think you're asking two apples to taste exactly the same.

I'm just curious. I've had Kindai bluefin at Monterey and I'll have it at Kaz if it's still available this weekend. My expectation is that the fish itself doesn't taste that much different, or am I going to be surprised? I understand that Japanese sushi chefs for years have complained about the inferior Chinese or Korean sushi chefs. So what are they really complaining about? The ability to select fish or the ability to cut fish? If it's about the cutting, is cutting at a sushi restaurant so much different than fish cutting at a culinary school?

I know it takes lots of time and space to adequately explain these things but right now I'm just looking for a cliff notes summary to help the explanatory process.

[synaesthesia]

I'm just curious. I've had Kindai bluefin at Monterey and I'll have it at Kaz if it's still available this weekend. My expectation is that the fish itself doesn't taste that much different, or am I going to be surprised? I understand that Japanese sushi chefs for years have complained about the inferior Chinese or Korean sushi chefs. So what are they really complaining about? The ability to select fish or the ability to cut fish? If it's about the cutting, is cutting at a sushi restaurant so much different than fish cutting at a culinary school?

I know it takes lots of time and space to adequately explain these things but right now I'm just looking for a cliff notes summary to help the explanatory process.

Cutting is one aspect. Size is part of that, avoiding some nasty bits is another. Aesthetics is another important aspect. I'm sure there are others I just don't know what they are... but those jumbo hunks of sashimi that you get is from a traditional point of view a big no-no. I've seen Japanese chefs scale up for non-Japanese.

The other is an innate knowledge of the fish. In order for flavor compounds from a fish to come through the enzymes need to act upon the flesh. So fish that is freshly killed may be categorized as "fresh", but won't have the same flavor development. It takes a certain amount of knowledge and gift to know how far to let a fish "rot." A lot of the sushi places get their fish from the same suppliers - I know one big supplier is owned by the Moonies. It's what the chef does after he gets it that makes a difference.

Also most sushi-grade fish in this country is bought frozen. That is for two reasons. The first is preserving it, since much of it is flown around. The other is that the freezing kills the harmful things in the fish. So old school sushi didn't include raw salmon, because it is frequently full of parasites. So depending on the chef sometimes they also freeze the fish themselves - just depends on their supply.

You can read about more of this stuff in Trevor Corson's book. It's very informative about process.