Japanese food is now popular in all over the world, and the style of eating Japanese food is pretty special, because people eat raw fish in the Japanese restaurant!
Before I learned something about Japanese culinary culture, I think all the fish and meat should be eaten after it is cooked. However, in the Japanese restaurants, we can see Tuna, salmon, clams, scallops, yellowtail, halibut, flounder, squid, gizzard shad, mackerel, sea bass, and snapper are among those that are commonly consumed in their raw states. What’s more, there are lots of Japanese restaurants all over the world nowadays, and Japanese sushi culture is getting into people’s daily life.
People like Sushi, but have you ever wondered if the sashimi you’re scarfing down is safe? The first few times I went to Japanese restaurants, I had avoided raw seafood in my sushi because I had never tried to eat anything without being cooked. Also, I don’t know what is actually safe and what is not. If anyone asks me whether raw salmon is OK to eat, I will say it depends. But there are several threats that people who love raw fish should concern.
When consuming raw fish, there are several threats that we should look out for: First, the fish may not be fresh. Second, the fish may be rotten and there are many bacteria in the fish. However, those two threats are easy to be noticed because when the fish is not fresh and rotten, it usually carries a noticeable stench. The biggest threat is the parasites, which are hard to be noticed. And this is the reason we cook meat and fish to begin with. Because high temperature kills parasites, which are generally different kinds of worms. According to some experiments, worms are found in salmon, mackerel, Pacific rockfish, jacksmelt, halibut and flounder. And the worms do a lot of damage to human body, sometimes they can live in your body for a long time without causing you to have any side effect, however, sometimes they can bring some really bad consequences like causing people have stomachaches. A source I found online claimed that: “Tapeworms, however, can linger in your body alive for quite some time and grow as long as 20 feet.” (Erman,2015)
The hygienic standards of farmed raw in the U.S., the UK, Norway, New Zealand, Canada and Japan are set very high, and they are generally safe to eat. Because most fish in those areas are living in cold water, and fisherman catch those fish in the cold temperature. Cold can not only kill worms but also keep fish fresh before it getting into people’s stomachs. Also in some big and famous Japanese restaurants, the chefs would like to use frozen fish before serving them raw to customers.
However, our environment is getting worse and worse, and the oceans and seas are as clean as before. Humans like us are destroying the living environments of those fishes, and it is hard to imagine that what will happen if we eat the raw fish which was living in the polluted sea. We can never know what environments that the fish have been living in. We should keep the oceans clean in order to make our enjoyment of raw fish better and safer.
Reference: Erman, A. (2014, February 13). Sashimi: Is it Okay to Eat Raw Fish? Retrieved December 1, 2015, from http://www.organicauthority.com/sashimi-is-it-okay-to-eat-raw-fish/
Whenever we choose to eat at a restaurant we take risks with our food, it is not just raw fish. Hamburger can be rotten or not fresh. If it is not cooked properly, there could be harmful bacteria in the meat as well. Parasites are not only contracted from raw fish, but can be found in beef, pork, or any contaminated meats. Read about it at http://www.fsis.usda.gov/wps/portal/fsis/topics/food-safety-education/get-answers/food-safety-fact-sheets/foodborne-illness-and-disease/parasites-and-foodborne-illness/. If someone is interested in purchasing fish to make their own sushi, they can buy “sushi-grade fish,” which is the freshest fish the store is selling and can be safe to eat raw. You can read more about that at http://www.thekitchn.com/what-is-sushi-grade-fish-ingredient-intelligence-204696. You briefly mentioned the polluted waters potential impact on raw fish, but you could have went more in depth revealing experiments done on the subject and explain exactly what harmful affects it could have on consumers. Again, there is always a risk when eating out, but as long as the restaurant is clean and has a good reputation, there shouldn’t be any problems.
From the moment I began to like sushi I was always confused as to how people ate raw fish so freely and easily. After reading your blog post I now realize that the process in cleaning fish is not as sanitary as it should be for the amount of people that consume sushi in America. Here is an article talking about raw seafood and if it is safe to eat or not: http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/food/is-raw-seafood-safe-to-eat It seems as if the main concern with raw sushi is the food poisoning that comes along with it, and if you are an individual that is at high risk. Those at high risk include people with compromised immune systems or with decreased stomach acidity. Next time I get sushi I am going to make sure it is cooked! Interesting post!
I never could quite understand why we could eat raw fish, but not raw meat. It never made too much sense to me, so just as I would stay away from raw meat, I too would not partake in eating raw fish. This was until my brother forced me to eat sushi when I was in middle school, and from there on out I have not stopped loving it. The thing for me is that I keep it in moderation, and that is exactly what Eatright.org says to do, http://www.eatright.org/resource/homefoodsafety/safety-tips/food/is-raw-seafood-safe-to-eat . As long as you are not a high-risk individual, according to the article, raw seafood is not good for you, but the risks are very low that in the long run, you are not harming your body. This of course is if you keep it in moderation. I love eating sushi, and even though it may seem unsafe to eat, in moderation the risks are minimal.
As much as I love sushi and can’t imagine the day where I will have to go without it, I must admit that raw fish has always been a big concern for me. Tapeworms are very real and also somewhat dangerous. They stay alive in your stomach just like you said and, in order to stay alive, they have to eat. That means that whatever food is coming into your body, they are eating as well. This can cause people with tapeworm to notice that, even after eating a large meal, they still feel hungry. It’s because the food you just ate doesn’t have time to settle before the tapeworm sees it and starts to feast. Most restaurants are professional enough to serve their raw fish as clean and as fresh as possible. But what about that one restaurant that isn’t paying attention or that one piece of bad fish that goes unnoticed? That is what consumers need to be worried about. When it comes to raw fish consumption. The only solution for right now is to be mindful of where you are getting your raw fish products from and how often you are consuming raw fish. Because the more you eat of it, the more likely you are to eat a fish infested with worms or bacteria. I also think that fishermen who sell what they catch to restaurants and grocery stores should only be allowed to fish in certain bodies of water to ensure that the fish is as fresh as possible. This would greatly reduce the amount of bad fish in restaurants and grocery stores as well as the amount of worms and bacteria being consumed.
Sushi is something that I have loved since I was a little kid. Something I had always wondered though was why fish could be eaten raw but not other types of meat. The fish cleaning process quickly is able to separate the “unclean” parts of the fish from the clean parts. As long as the fish stay in cold temperatures/frozen prior to eating preparation and are properly cleaned it is safe for humans to eat due to the fact that the cold temperatures kill any parasites that could have been living on the fish. Overall interesting topic and great blog post. https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/17qju8/why_can_we_eat_sushi_raw_but_not_other_meats/
Raw fish is being consumed at high rates in the Untied States because sushi popularity is at an all time high. With the increasing consumption rates comes a higher risk of acquiring a bacterial infection or tapeworm. Also, there is a large misconception in America that sushi is healthy, but in fact, can have over 400 calories a roll and is loaded with sodium when you add soy sauce. Knowing that, why would anyone risk their health by consuming raw fish when in sushi form is not very healthy. Fish should always be prepared properly by being cooked to a point where bacteria is killed.
http://renegadehealth.com/blog/2013/09/30/1-sushi-health-risk-parasites-with-7-tips-to-protect-yourself