Sashimi

an introduction

The Japanese believe that in most cases the less a food is cooked the better, and the best way to cook a fish is not to cook it at all. To some, sashimi looks like sushi without the rice, but there is more to it than sliced raw fish. Sashimi is one of the oldest Japanese cuisines and has a history all its own.

In 123 C.E., the reigning emperor was served raw bonito and clams with vinegar by his head chef—this was sashimi in its earliest form. By the middle of the 15th century, namasu, as it was then known, was eaten with seasoned vinegar, not with soy sauce as it is today. By the mid-17th century, sea bass, red snapper, bonito, shark, eel, perch, carp, shellfish, pheasant, and duck were all used for sashimi. Many of these were eaten raw, but some were blanched or lightly cooked. At around the same time, soy sauce became widely available, and sashimi, in the form that we know today, became popular.

Today, sashimi is regarded as the perfect start to a Japanese meal. It is served with soy sauce, wasabi, shredded daikon, and sometimes fresh seaweed and perilla leaves—accompaniments chosen not just for their colors and flavors but for their ability to aid digestion.