Sashimi (raw fish) is an Art!
“Sashimi” is not a task as simple as cutting dead fish into pieces and line them up neatly on a plate. Fish for sashimi should be sacrificed quickly by good Itamae (Japanese chefs) who know how to drain blood and pull out their nerves. Fish meat is easily damaged and will become too soft if it takes too long before it is sacrificed. Fish meat is best cut by sharp, well whetted knife. And care is taken not to touch the meat directly. The surface of sashimi would be rough when it is cut by a dull knife. Even the heat from human hands can damage the meat. Good sashimi has smooth surface and acute angles, and that provide you with a clear and pure taste. The fish in this photo is “gizo (multicolorfin rainbowfish)”, and it is commonly eaten around the Setonaikai sea. It is so soft that it is difficult to prepare sashimi out of it.
