Fish · 魚

Mostly used and eaten raw, fish you want to use for Sushi needs to be fresh above all. Using deep frozen fish is possible, but because of fresh fish tasting better it is not absolutely recommended. So how recognize fresh fish? To tell it with the words of a well-known German television cook: "If you shake it and the bones fall down, you should not buy it." However, it is not that easy to recognize fresh fish.

The freshness of fish, if bought as a whole, shows among other things on clear, not dull and not blood shot eyes. The flesh should be firm and elastic, meaning if pressed by your fingers it should give way and, after letting go, find back in its original shape. The scales of fresh fish are shining and the gills are red. Fresh fish under no circumstances smells like fish.

Fresh fish is to be used as soon as possible, in case of needing it for Sushi that means gutting and filetting. The so prepared fish should be kept cool and be eaten soon. If you wish to store it longer than half a day you should wrap it into polythene sheet, protecting it from drying up.

In principle, nearly every fish can be used for the preparation of Sushi. Some sorts of fish indeed have turned out to be especially suited and tasty. These will be presented in the following.

Tuna (Maguro) · 鮪

Tuna

Tuna is a fish related to the mackerels. It is mainly catched in the warm waters of the Atlantic and Pacific down in 200 meters depth. Nearly every part of the fish may be eaten raw. The pieces' color is dark red, reminding one of beef. Tuna is the most popular Sushi filling.

Experts prefer the fatter pieces of tuna, taken from the belly side, because of the more intensive taste. As a rule, you may say, the fatter the piece of tuna is, the better it tastes. Therefore the fat tuna flesh is subdivided into three parts: fat (toro), fatter (chu toro) and very fat (otoro). The fatter the flesh, the less dark the color is.

Tuna belongs to the fat fishes and contains up to 260 calories per 100 gram. Apart from iodine and vitamin A it is above all a supplier of valuable essential fatty acids.

Salmon (Sake) · 鮭

Salmon

Today salmon is found mostly in the Pacific. A long time in his life the fish stays in the sea, finally searching his way against the current of a river to spawn. Traditionally the salmon is not used raw for Sushi but slightly smoked or marinated. In the meantime salmon is also used raw. The flesh is of a pale-red to orange color and tastes lightly sweet.

Salmon also contains valuable fatty acids. Furthermore its fat holds vitamines A, D, E and plenty of potassium, fluorine and iodine.

Mackerel (Saba) · 鯖

Mackerel

The mackerel is an oily fish with soft flesh. Best time for the mackerel is October or November, when the flesh is especially fat and tasting intensively.
Although mackerel and tuna belong to the same family, they do not have very much in common regarding to the taste. In contrast to the light, unobtrusive taste of the tuna, the mackerel tastes much more intensively.

Yellowtail (Buri) · 鰤

Yellowtail

The Japanese yellowtail belongs to the spine mackerels and is closely related to the tuna. Buri, the grown-up fish, and Hamachi (ハマチ), the young fish, are of golden color and raised in Japan in special fish farms. Outside of Japan it is quite difficult to get real Japanese yellowtail.

Sea bass (Suzuki) · 鱸

Sea bass

The full-grown Japanese sea bass is called Suzuki and over 60 cm long. His white flesh is especially tasty in the summer months.

Red Snapper (Tai) · 鯛

Red Snapper

There are known more than 100 variations of this carp-similar fish. Some Japanese types are Mai-dai, Chi-dai, Kuro-dai, Ishi-dai and Renko-dai. Among the use as fish for Sushi, the Snapper is also very tasty when grilled.

Freshwater eel (Unagi) · 鰻

Freshwater eel

In Japan, freshwater eel is very popular in various ways of preparation and is also used as an ingredient for Sushi. Unagi is never eaten raw, but first grilled and then put into marinade. The freshwater eel is full of taste and its color is nut-brown. Being already marinated, you do not put the freshwater eel into soy sauce.

Sea eel (Anago) · 穴子

Sea eel

Sea eel is, similar to the freshwater eel, not used raw, but first cooked, then grilled and also marinated. Anago is a very rich source for animal fats.