Sashimi and Sushi - What’s the Difference?

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy made using the finest freshest fish, thinly sliced and eaten raw. It is usually served as a first course, before the palate is tainted by other foods and flavours.

The preparation of sashimi is the reserve of highly skilled chefs who train for years. Various fish and shellfish are used to make sashimi, all served raw, with the exception of octopus. So as not to overpower the delicate flavour and texture of the fish, sashimi is served with wasabi and a light dipping sauce, and often accompanied with a simple garnish of pickled ginger, finely grated daikon or shredded cucumber. Tuna (maguro) is probably the most popular fish used for sashimi, but yellowtail (hamachi), mackerel (saba), sea bream (tai), squid (ika), octopus (tako), prawns (ebi) and salmon (sake) are all used.