Originally published July 16 2008
Health Benefits of Japanese Cuisine: Sushi and Sashimi (Part 2)
by Neil McLaughlin (see all articles by this author)
(NaturalNews) While fresh, raw fish is an extremely healthy food, making the right choice at your favorite sushi restaurant is still difficult due to problems with overfishing and pollution. This article explores many different kinds of fish so you can make more informed decisions at the sushi bar.
In order to serve fish raw it must be of the highest quality (sashimi grade). Note that no official standards exist for either sushi or sashimi grade fish, more on how to determine fish quality in the recipe below. The only type of food borne illness you can get from sushi is from a certain type of worm but sushi chefs are trained to remove this. Purchasing food that is still alive has obvious benefits in terms of freshness. Some restaurants will fillet and serve live fish on the spot. Consuming raw fish has higher enzyme content and the benefits outweigh the risks.
Raw fish is served as either sashimi (raw fish) or sushi (raw fish on top of “sticky” rice, tied together with a strip of nori seaweed). In the next section we examine fish we should avoid and the reasons why.
Seafoods To Avoid
* Sake (Salmon) - Salmo salar (Salmonidae)
While salmon is the most popular item at sushi restaurants, it is most likely farm raised salmon. Farm raised fish such as Salmon and Tilapia should be avoided as the fish are raised in crowded, often contaminated waters and fed an unnatural diet. Farm raised salmon is not pink but rather a grayish brown, so they are fed artificial colors to dye their own flesh. I'm sure they would just spray paint them if they could. The finer restaurants will serve wild salmon, however in 2008 the pacific northwest of the U.S. experienced a major shortage in salmon so there is a fishing ban and effectively a moratorium on consuming wild salmon. These are also threatened with the possibility that genetically modified salmon (brought to us by caring people who only want to feed hungry children) will escape. It has been estimated that just a few GM fish escaping would devastate the whole wild population. It’s sad what has happened to the wild salmon which is one of the healthiest fish, loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids.
* Maguro (Blue Fin Tuna) - Thunnus maccoyii (Scombridae)
While healthy tuna is one of the best sources of quality protein and Omega-3, it is hard to come by. Tuna is one of the largest fish and thus is at the top of the food chain where it accumulates higher concentrations of mercury, a dangerous heavy metal. A study in Chicago in 2006 found that 1 in 7 tuna samples had dangerously high levels. Bluefin tuna, the most popular and expensive at sushi restaurants is an endangered species.
* Saba (Japanese Spanish Mackerel) - Scomberomorus niphonius (Scombridae)
Due to high mercury content, mackerel should be avoided. Mackerel spoils easily and is the only salt-cured form of sushi. Mackerel contains more oil which gives it a fishier smell and taste, and for this reason it is often used as bait for other fish . Oily fish will trap more PCBs and toxins in the flesh. This is unfortunate as mackerel in its normal form was high in Omega-3 and offered extremely beneficial oils. Unless you get fish with measurable low mercury content, avoid this one.
* Tai (Red Snapper) - Lutjanus campechanus (Lutjanidae)
Snapper contains lots of B Vitamins along with Selenium, Potassium, Phosphorous and Protein, Red Snapper is normally not farm raised and contains low levels of mercury, and it is high in Omega-3. However this otherwise healthy seafood from the Gulf of Mexico is being massively over-fished.
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Seafoods To Prefer
* Hamachi (Yellowtail) - Seriola lalandi (Carangidae)
Yellowtail covers a wide range of fish, but the key is to make certain it is not farm raised. Wild yellowtail is a good choice for a fish that is sustainably harvested and that contains low mercury. A premium species is from Hawaii and called Seriola rivoliana. This is one of the healthiest fish and is among the highest in Omega-3 content. It is free from PCBs and has no detectable mercury.
* Kani (Soft-shell Crab) - Callinectes sapidus (Portunidae)
Crab meat contains Protein, Selenium, Magnesium, Vitamin B6 and Folate. Soft-shell crabs are a great food to buy live, and since you should not purchase (or eat) dead crabs, I do not recommend eating them at any restaurant that does not purchase them alive. Crabs are normally low in mercury and high in nutrition. Though high in cholesterol, crab meat is also high in Omega-3, and low in fat.
* Ebi (Raw Sweet Shrimp) - Penaeus vannamei (Crangonidae)
Shrimp contains high levels of Protein, Omega-3, EPA and DHA. Smaller fish, like shrimp, tend to be low in mercury. If you’ve never tried raw shrimp you’ll find it to be a completely unique experience from cooked shrimp. This expensive sushi item is often served alongside the fried shrimp carcass in tempura batter.
* Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe ) - Cheilopogon agoo (Exocoetidae)
Roe (fish eggs) contain Vitamin C and E. Roe is known to treat depression and bipolar disorder due to high levels of EPA, Omega-3 and DHA (brain foods). Flying fish and other types of roe are popular in Japanese cuisine and are extremely nutritious when uncontaminated. Fish eggs (Caviar) are whole organisms, offering complete nutrition.
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Recipe for Sashimi
Ingredients:
* Sashimi-grade fish (preferably locally caught within 24 hours, your choice of kind)
Instructions:
* Choose Sashimi grade fish (ideally buy a whole, cleaned fish and fillet yourself).
* Make certain the fish is wild caught and not treated with chemicals (some merchants use bleach, artificial colors, and carbon monoxide among other things to keep fish “fresh”).
* Ask to smell the fish before purchasing, if it smells fishy throw it back.
* Immediately wash the fish after purchasing and marinate in covered glass with oil and cider vinegar.
* Within 12 hours of purchasing, slice fish into small pieces.
* Marinate slices in rice vinegar and/or lemon juice for 20 minutes and then rinse with cold spring water before serving.
* Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce.
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Recipe for Sushi
Ingredients:
* Sashimi
* White Jasmine (sticky) rice
* Nori sheets (see part 1 for details on nori)
Instructions:
* Serve sashimi on top of a piece of rice.
* Tie together with a piece of Nori.
* Serve with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce.
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References
Toxic Mercury Taints Tuna in Chicago Sushi Restaurants (8/30/2006)
About the author
Neil McLaughlin is a computer scientist specializing in 3d graphics and simulation. He can be reached at naturalnews461 (at) yahoo (dot) com.
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