Sashimi thickness

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nightslayer

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So today I was slicing some Mekajiki (swordfish) and got to thinking about sashimi thickness and how it affects the taste of the particular fish; I don't recall ever having seen a discussion of any detail on the topic. Ive only ever seen mekajiki in 1/4" inch or thicker slices, but I did them pretty thin (1/8" or so) and got a good deal of taste and way more than enough bite from the firm fish.

I have no clue what principles guide the art of matching slice thickness to different types of fish, and while I understand sushi chefs work and dedicate their entire lives to finding out, perhaps the Japanese knife fans of this forum might have some suggestions/appreciate such a discussion at a more superficial level?
 
I remember in Tsuji's "Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art" he said something about relating thickness to strength of flavour and texture. I can't really recall what the relation was so when I get home I'l be sure to get back to you.
 
Come on guys; a whole community of Japanese knife fans and no one has an idea on how to cut sashimi? ):
 
The thread title does not really indicate a question, so maybe many with the knowledge are just not reading the thread?
 
In my experience and having trained as a sushi chef, thickness governs texture and not taste. You could argue that increasing surface area changes the direct contact with tastebuds.
 
Imo, I prefer to cut my sashimi into smaller bite size pieces so they're easier to eat. Thickness of the cuts really depends on several factors, i.e- the texture, density as well as the oil content of the fish in question.

For example.. fish like hirame and akayagara whose flesh is more on the dense side, I generally cut them into thinner slices and fold them. Oily and fattier fishes like salmon, escolar etc.. are cut into smaller pieces because they can be overwhelming if consumed in large pieces. Items like mongo ika, tako or cuts of tuna where there are more sinew are generally scored to help with the texture.

At the end of the day, I don't think there is a "rule" set in stone for sashimi sizes, it all depends on the chef who is making it or what the owner of the establishment dictates the serving sizes are. I alter the cuts from my own experience eating and serving the food.

Examples of plates i did

upload and share pictures
 
Is that real wasabi? Love Hamachi nice cuts.

For ala carte sashimi most Ahi & some Hamachi I use thicker cuts like S-Line. Sushi topping thinner slices. For brunch & banquet platters of sashimi smaller thinner cuts because of food cost Ahi is expensive.
 
Depends on what and how
The tougher the fish, the finer the slice is my general inclination
But there are many variables including curing and aging of fish, the method of serving, the cut, and the context
The most important basics are slicing against as many grains as possible, and doing so in one pullcut
 
Fattier fish is generally cut thicker so It can be chewed more, thereby letting the fat render and coat the tongue more. Lean fish is often considered more flavorful and therefor you need less of the fish to balance with rice, wasabi, nikiri shoyu. This is at least my understanding of the rules of Tuna.
 
Of course if you're at home messing around with one,
do whatever you like and what fits your palatte.

The harder cases are dealing with N-large
species and day to day / catch to catch
seasonal, etc product variation.

IMHO, One of the reasons you pay the Man for Omakase.

when you cannot experiment
due to cost and logistcal constraint, inexperience etx.
 
I'm not a sushi chef, but I enjoy sushi and sashimi. I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago and had dinner at Sushi Yasuda. Great place BTW. I ordered a sashimi entre, and the fish was cut very thin --- some types were 1/8 inch thick, some 1/4 inch thick. I prefer this over large pieces because I can take my time and savor several pieces over just a few, and too big a piece and it kind of overwhelms me. I love raw fish, but take it to the extreme where you cut a huge piece and suddenly it loses its appeal. I think it is like anything, e.g. too much of a good thing is not that good. e.g. donuts or pancakes.

The thinnest pieces were some type of white fish that was not as tender as say maguro and hamachi. So yes, I think the cut size and thickness is extremely important.
 
keithsaltydog said:
Is that real wasabi? Love Hamachi nice cuts.

For ala carte sashimi most Ahi & some Hamachi I use thicker cuts like S-Line. Sushi topping thinner slices. For brunch & banquet platters of sashimi smaller thinner cuts because of food cost Ahi is expensive.
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That's actually a fresh frozen wasabi blend. We do carry fresh wasabi but it's becoming very cost prohibitive to carry. Not many people are willing to fork out the money for them and we typically have to absorb the cost when we get a bad root that is on the bitter side. Also the cut on the left of my picture is kampachi, the center is hamachi.

naifu said:
I'm not a sushi chef, but I enjoy sushi and sashimi. I was in NYC a couple of weeks ago and had dinner at Sushi Yasuda. Great place BTW. I ordered a sashimi entre, and the fish was cut very thin --- some types were 1/8 inch thick, some 1/4 inch thick. I prefer this over large pieces because I can take my time and savor several pieces over just a few, and too big a piece and it kind of overwhelms me. I love raw fish, but take it to the extreme where you cut a huge piece and suddenly it loses its appeal. I think it is like anything, e.g. too much of a good thing is not that good. e.g. donuts or pancakes.

The thinnest pieces were some type of white fish that was not as tender as say maguro and hamachi. So yes, I think the cut size and thickness is extremely important.
Click to expand...

Thats my same experience. I prefer to have my cuts smaller, I'm the firm believer that each piece of sashimi should be taken in one bite and that each piece should be savored without being overwhelming. I.e things like wagyu, I feel like they should be enjoyed in small quantities, had a 8oz wagyu steak once and that was one of my worst experience. It was way too much and way too rich for my taste. But like I said, it all depends on who the chef is and who the consumer is. I personally hate it when other sushi chefs feed me a piece of salmon sashimi and I have to take 3 bites to consume it.
 
ThEoRy said:
Why? Parasites galore. High mercury content. Parasites galore. No thanks.
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Not a fan or swordfish?

Great topic I am really enjoying reading from those with working experience.

I would love to get into sashimi but I just don't like raw fish enough/my wife hates it. Haha
 
Ah unsure about the environmental issues but re. mercury doesn't the same issue exist even with tuna? As for the other responses - these are exactly the answers I was looking for, thanks for the info guys! (and also sorry for catching up late on the thread - life has been busy)
 
Most would be even more surprised to learn that if the sushi has not been frozen, it is illegal to serve it in the United States
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>http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/sushi-fresh-from-the-deep-the-deep-freeze.html?

Salmon and Swordfish in particular are problematic if eaten truly raw...and even dogs cannot stomach raw salmon

Do not ever give your dog raw or undercooked salmon. It can contain the Neorickettsia helminthoeca parasite, which causes salmon poisoning disease.
Click to expand...
 
HRC_64 interesting article. Thanks for the link!

I learned something new today. So now I have to wonder why pregnant women are advised against eating sushi. If it's been frozen wouldn't that kill any parasites? (Yea, I get the mercury levels but always thought it was more about the pathogens)
 
Im no doctor but I don't think freezing kills bacteria or parasites
 
StonedEdge said:
Im no doctor but I don't think freezing kills bacteria or parasites
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If brought to a low enough temperature it can kill some. I believe some fish is cryogenically frozen to preserve freshness and it also kills bacteria.

"For certain types of fish the, FDA requires the fish to held frozen at -20 F for no less than twenty-four hours. This process kills off any nasty bacteria. Therefore if you have ever had salmon at a sushi bar, you have tasted premium flash frozen fish."

Not sure how reliable that is.
 
TheCaptain said:
HRC_64 interesting article. Thanks for the link!

I learned something new today. So now I have to wonder why pregnant women are advised against eating sushi. If it's been frozen wouldn't that kill any parasites? (Yea, I get the mercury levels but always thought it was more about the pathogens)
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I thought one of the the major food safety concerns with raw and cold smoked fish was listeriosis, which is a pretty big problem in preganacy (and is the reasoning behind the advice not to eat soft cheeses).
 
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