Update - Frozen fish

[Frost]

I did a search but was unable to find a reason why for this question; Why does the sashimi have to be unfrozen? I have an idea, which is that the freezing process damages the proteins or fatty acids. Every fish vendor or restaurant I have spoken to have said it is common practice to freeze fish as it as caught to A) Preserve it, and B) Kill any parasites.

I found a really good Japanese sushi restaurant though that has said that the molecules in fish will not be damaged if it is thawed properly. Can anyone expand on this? The more info the better, as I prefer sashimi to egg yokes.

[avo]

In terms of Japanese sashimi, what was meant was that properly thawing the fish will not cause a significant decrease in flavor and texture. Because that is what it is all about for sashimi connoisseurs: unfrozen simply tastes better. Of course, there is good tasting frozen fish, and then not so good. That is where the proper thawing techniques come into play: generally, the slower and colder the thaw the better.

For example, most sushi bars get their hamachi (japanese yellowtail) frozen. It might be that some get higher quality fish than others, but there are distinctive differences that I notice when going to different places. Some places have the most tender and flavorful hamachi. Some have firmer but equally flavorful. Some have poor flavor and poor texture. I think variences in texture and flavor (or lack thereof) are due mostly to proper thawing of the fish. But I'm just speculating.

My fish market states that NONE of their fish is ever frozen. They do get frozen shrimp, conch, stuff that comes packaged mostly. Otherwise everything is fresh. The wild salmon might have some wriggling worms, but usually is completely worm-free, alive or not.

Wow. I hope I answered your question.

[Oscar]

I agree with Avo.

[Frost]

I was hoping that you could tell me how to prepare sashimi myself? It would be helpful, and save me some money. Thanks.

[RRM]

Hmm. Basically, its just getting rid of the parts of the fish that are unedible. To be on the safe side, you let the fishmonger do this; it doesnt cost you extra (or hardly).
Slicing up the edible parts cannot be done wrongly.

[johndela1]

I found a really good Japanese sushi restaurant though that has said that the molecules in fish will not be damaged if it is thawed properly. Can anyone expand on this? The more info the better, as I prefer sashimi to egg yokes.

I thought freezing actually damaged things. Water crystals forming and piercing things...

checkout:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/quer ... t=Abstract
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryopreservation

[Frost]

ya i know freezing damages the cells. but i was wondering if as long as it is thawed properly the damage would be negligible?

[avo]

Judge mostly on freshness and texture.
I don't mind the fact that some (most) sashimi is frozen at sushi bars, but I do mind when it has been improperly handled (including thawing, improper slicing).
If I'm paying $8 for 60g, it better taste good.

[Frost]

ya thats a problem im seeing to. at least in my area (toronto) the only places that sell the best sashimi are the most expensive. what with sashimi being at the bottom of most north american menus.

[dionysus]

you don't have a fishmongers in Toronto?

[Frost]

well ya kensington market is good for it, but i really dont trust them with my food. they have serious infestation problems, and the parasites already in the fish arent all im worried about. aside from them im still searching. im good on raw egg yokes at the moment.

[avo]

If you see that the tuna or salmon is fresh, you should be perfectly safe. Things like shrimp, clams, etc are iffy and are most likely responsible for the infestation you are talking about, so just stick with what you know. Check out my raw fish list and if you have any questions, just ask.

[Frost]

ll commercial fishing vessels put fish on ice to keep it fresh, is that ok to eat to prevent break outs? im thinking that there is a difference between being frozen and being kept on ice.

[Oscar]

That is different, and should be okay.

[MJ]

Cooking with heat not only alters nutrients, but also produces cancerous by-products. I know freezing also alters nutrients, but does freezing producing cancerous by-products?