I guess I’ve been pretty outdated.
Back then, Atlantic salmon (mostly farm raised in Canada and Scotland) were prone to parasites even though it is farmed. Mostly, the farm conditions were poor, and fish that came from such were not clean.
Atlantic salmon is type of salmon, and Norwegian is still Atlantic salmon but farmed in Norway.
My company that I worked for (going back 10-12 years) was once sued by a customer for parasite-induced hospitalization and our Atlantic salmon (farmed in Canada, I believe) was to blame. After this, we ordered our vendors to freeze the salmon before delivering to our stores.
I remembered back then when Costco salmons (mostly North American farmed Atlantic salmons) were packaged with the warning that it is not recommended for raw consumption. (Not sushi grade)
With that said, the condition has improved and most salmons you see are now all pretty darn safe.
In fact, Norwegian salmon has been getting bad names for not being environmentally friendly nor sustainable in terms of farming.
I wish we had choices for different salmons here.
We had Alaskan Sockeye, and occasionally King salmon. Very different in flavors.
I guess this is what I get for not staying up to date.
Regardless, what’s most important is that they are all “relatively” safe for raw consumption. I guess the magic word is “Sushi grade.”
I cure my salmon and blast freeze (-40 to -45C degrees) for flavor and safety. Once lightly cured, they last months in freezer without sacrificing the flavor or freshness.
Interesting thanks! I remember way back when my area of origin (coastal BC) was well known for parasites. As well as chemicals, high pollution rates etc. Was a pretty bad story for a bit. Having a sushi grade makes sense, implies safe raw.
Curing is a broad term, but in Japanese terms (called “shi me (may)),” it is to lightly salt the fish fillet to take excess water out. These moisture are the main culprit for their fishy smell and impurities. The key term is “lightly” since it can make the fish salty.
Cheers, that makes sense. Is it aged at all? Perhaps this could be similar to saying lightly brined? I guess they dont dissolve the salt in a liquid though. Just lightly “dust” it?
There is a technic where you evenly dust the salt over the fish. Japanese people usually measure your cooking skill by how you can evenly salt the fish. This is one of the classical Japanese cooking methods glorified on cooking shows and documentaries you see on youtube.
Heck, even Saltbae is popular because of how he pours the salt over his food
Generally, brining is not often used with fish for sushi, but some fish could be marinated with vinegar mixtures for different applications.
Aging is different in sushi terms. In Japan, aging fish for raw consumption has gotten very popular recently. There is a new method to take all the blood and nerves out of the fish right off the water, allowing the flesh to age without rotting. (I have this device, but I haven’t tried it…) Aging allows the meat to soften a bit, and flavors will intensify. This method will take some training and a deep understanding of how the aging process works.
Now that appropriate time is coming up, I’ll slowly add some 'shameless plug" here.
If you’re in southern Taiwan, please feel free to visit my truck. I’ve ordered interesting summer limited Japanese Sake bottles that’s really hard to find anywhere in island, and I’m planning to revamp my menu soon.
Cheers, look forward to trying that sake if its still around. no plans for Tainan currently, but in September. Are you mobile, or always setup shop in the same spot?
At this moment, I have no plans to move around. I’ll be honest, it’s super stressful but rewarding at times. Every single time we open, we learn something…for better or worse.
That would defiantly set off the smoke alarm, you can make a nice Gravlax with sea bass or swap out the vodka for whisky.
A Norwegian bloke in my accommodation at uni cured a side of salmon every week using beetroot. they would sell it in the sandwich shop he worked in at weekend. if you ever have chance you should give it a go. It tases and looks amazing a deep purple going to bright orange in the middle, but it did turn the blender purple too.
What time do you start? Maybe go before I meet my friends later in the evening, dependent on weather but seems Typhoon is that close at all (light rain here)?
We are closed this weekend…my apologies.
We had plans for this weekend with family friends.
Also I’m expecting lingering rain due to the typhoon so I don’t think it makes a lot of sense to open this weekend.
We’ll be open next week (hopefully the new typhoon won’t bring more rain ).
).