Sushi vs Sashimi – Difference and Comparison

What is Sushi?

The Japanese dish, sushi, consists of specially prepared rice and some kind of fish or seafood, raw. However, on rare occasions, you can find it cooked.

The word “sushi” refers to rice and its preparation. Sushi rice is a short-grain rice that has been soaked in rice wine vinegar. It is then served with other ingredients, such as fish or vegetables. You can also add tofu, Chees, or any other choice.

Though some people mistake ‘sushi’ meaning raw fish, that is not the case. It simply means pure white rice topped with a vinegar dressing or that vinegar-dressed rice with any other additional ingredients. The kind of rice used to make sushi is high quality and also has medium or short grains.

Those who know how to make sushi rice don’t like using the long grain because it cooks until it is dry and fluffy, which is the ideal for many parts of the world, yet for it to be sushi, the cooked rice has to be sticky. Norimaki is also a favorite.

Although norimaki, or sushi rolls, are popular outside of Japan, they are prepared differently. Traditionally, sushi rolls are wrapped with dry seaweed, but outside of Japan, rice is found on the outside, and seaweed and other ingredients on the inside.

What is Sashimi?

Sashimi is raw fish made into thin slices. To avoid food poisoning, as well as to enhance flavor and texture, some ingredients in sashimi are briefly cooked, using either braising, searing, or boiling methods.

Sashimi can be sliced into a variety of shapes depending on the ingredient, such as flat slices, thin strips, rectangles, or cubes. In order to make sashimi that is smooth, uniform, and visually appealing, a knife that is very sharp and impeccable knife skills are required.

Although fish and seafood constitute the majority of sashimi served in Japan, thinly sliced raw meats, such as beef, pork, and chicken, can also be used. This helps cut down the cost because fish is very expensive.

Real sashimi, however, is simply fish; therefore, it is much thicker and larger, so you get far more of the fish. The reason it is more expensive is that you are paying for the quality and quantity of the fish.

Difference Between Sushi and Sashimi

 Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish consisting of cooked rice topped with vinegar and added other ingredients, such as raw fish or vegetables.

Sashimi is the Japanese word for “lean” or “thin slices” of raw fish. The ingredients for sashimi are finely sliced raw fish (tuna) but may also include other seafood such as oysters, octopus, or salmon. It is traditionally served without rice.

No more mistaking sushi and sashimi though it is easy to do so. Sushi is rice with vinegar dressing, while sashimi is raw, not cooked, fish that has been made into slices.

Comparison Between Sushi and Sashimi