School of Fish - Sake at the bar is not just a drink

by Sarah J. Gim, Posted Dec 23rd 2005 @ 9:31PM

We've been going through the entire menu of sushi and sahimi piece by piece here at slashfood, and before all Holiday hell broke loose, I think we were on...tuna. From the generic maguro to shiro maguro (albacore) to seared ahi to the different grades of toro (tuna belly).

With those silly new year's resolutions right around the corner, let's get back into our little study since sushi is typically regarded as light and healthy (keep those deep fried tempura rolls and hand rolls made with spicy tuna mixed with mayonnaise away from me!)

Salmon is a fish that I almost never order in a restaurant simply because I find it extremely boring - when it's cooked. There was a point in my sushi life when I also shied away from it at the sushi bar, because quality varied widely from place ot place. But tastes change, and so does quality when people demand it, so raw salmon, sake, is one fish that is now very consistently good at the sushi bar.

For raw salmon, the flesh is bright glossy orange and striped with shimmery, velvety fat. Some restaurants also get creative with smoked salmon (oh, the dreaded Philadelphia Roll) or salmon that's been marinated or salted, but I always prefer it raw.

Filed Under: Ingredients, How To
Tags: asia, dinner, fish, japanese, lunch, sake, salmon, sushi