Can You Use Supermarket Fish for Sushi?


As a general rule, you should not use regular supermarket fish for sushi.

When making sushi, the fish is eaten raw. It is therefore important to choose fish that is suitable for eating raw. The fish must also have been handled correctly.

Why Can’t I Just Use Fish from the Supermarket?

When you buy regular fish from a supermarket, it can be difficult to know if it meets the requirements for raw consumption.

For example, you may not always know:

  • where the fish was caught
  • when the fish was caught
  • how the fish was handled and stored
  • how long the fish was in transit
  • how long the fish was stored before being filleted and packaged
  • whether the fish is suitable for eating raw

Supermarket fish is often packaged and sold with the intention of being cooked. You should therefore not assume that a regular pack of salmon or other fish can be used directly for sushi.

If you want to make sushi at home, choose fish that the seller specifically recommends for eating raw.

Would You Like to Learn How to Make Sushi?

In our sushi course for beginners, you will learn how to buy fish for sushi and how to handle it correctly. You will also learn the techniques needed to make delicious sushi at home.

Learn more about our Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Capgemini, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What kind of fish is used for sushi in Japan?


In Japan, many different kinds of fish are used for sushi.
The selection of fish is very very large. Each season offers many different tasty fish.

In Japan, fish is something very special. It is so for several reasons.

Fish in Japan is very fresh. The fish is so fresh that it has only been dead a few hours before it ends up on the dinner table in Japanese homes or sushi restaurants.

The quality of raw materials means extremely much to the Japanese. It should be as fresh as possible.
Some restaurants choose to have a large pool of fish as part of the restaurant. Once guests have placed their order, fish is caught and, prepared for sushi or another tasty dish.

It gives a completely different food experience, as the fish has a completely different consistency. It can be compared to live lobsters, which are first killed just before being placed in a pot of boiling water.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

In Japan, which fish is most popular for sushi?

The most sought after fish for sushi in Japan is tuna. Japan is the country in the world that eats the most tuna.

The largest fish market Tsukiji is located in Tokyo. Every day, large quantities of seafood are sold in the morning. Many sushi restaurants go directly to the Tsukiji fish market in the early morning hours to pick up fish for the restaurant.

Many sushi restaurants know in advance which fish they should have at the fish market. It happens regularly that they come home with other fish than what was on the shopping list. Their regular fish supplier can surprise with new and exciting fish that they did not anticipated.

The tuna is the big attraction at Tsukiji fish market.

Every day, large quantities of tuna land in different age groups. The quality of the fish is assessed by tuna buyers. Sushi restaurants will, on their advice, purchase the best tuna for just their particular restaurant.

At Sushi course for beginners, of course, tuna of the best quality from Japan is used.

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

How often is the menu replaced at sushi restaurants in Japan?


At sushi restaurants in Japan, the menu is changed quite often.
The Japanese restaurants follow the season for ingredients and so do sushi restaurants.

What few people think about, there is also seasonal fish.
In Japan, not all types of fish are available all year. Most fish swim many kilometers either to seek warmer water in winter
or to spawn in spring.
All fish have their very own life cycle for when they are born, where they grow, some are caught and other swimmers continue to spawn.

Japanese sushi restaurants prefer to use fish on the menu when they are in season that tastes best and has the most flavor. It also means the menuis changed continuously.

Some sushi restaurants also have the fish of the day on the menu. It often happens that the fishing boats catch a little different when they are out with the boats at sea.

At Japanese sushi course for beginners, you will learn which fish are most often used for sushi in Denmark. You will also learn how to handle and prepare the fish for sushi. You can read more about Japanese sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

 

Is there a big difference in the quality of fish?

Yes it is there.

There is a big difference in quality compared to whether it is a fish that you have to cook or whether it is a fish that is to be used for sushi.

Does it matter?

No, it’s not.

One of the criteria is that a fish must be as fresh as possible. If the fish is not fresh enough then you can risk getting sick.

In addition, it is also important where the fish has grown up. There are some areas in the world’s oceans that have just the right conditions in terms of the quality demanded for sushi.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you will learn what questions to ask a fishmonger when buying fish for sushi

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.