Sushi Seafood

• Crab (kani): Crab has a fresh, clean taste and springy texture. In sushi, it’s served cooked rather than raw. You can buy live crab and cook it yourself, but it’s easier to buy cooked crab packaged in containers labeled lump crab meat.
   
  
• Eel (unagi): Eel served as sushi is usually steamed and dipped in mirin. Its texture is soft with a slight crust. Eel is sold precooked year-round in vacuum-sealed packs.
   
  
• Mackerel (saba): Rich, oily, and fishy in flavor, mackerel served as sushi is often salted, marinated in a vinegar mixture, and served with a grated ginger garnish. Though it sounds related, horse mackerel (aji) is actually a completely different species from regular mackerel and has a milder flavor. Both types are often served with the skin on.
   
  
• Octopus (tako): Octopus has a fresh taste and a firm, almost chewy texture. Its tentacles are often sliced and used in hand rolls or finger sushi.
   
  
• Red snapper (tai): Japanese red snapper is highly prized for its flaky, red-and-white flesh. Because red snapper can be difficult to find outside of Japan, domestic snapper, sea bream, and porgy are often used as substitutes.
   
  
• Salmon (sake): By far the most popular sushi fish in America, salmon has a rich, strong taste and a buttery texture. Wild salmon is generally considered superior in quality to farmed salmon. Pacific wild salmon is available from early summer through early fall, while Atlantic wild salmon is in season from summer through early winter. Farmed salmon is available year round.
   
  
• Sea bass (suzuki): Sea bass, a firm-fleshed fish with a light flavor, is available year round. Make sure the fish you buy is actual sea bass, as inferior substitutes are sometimes passed off as the real thing.
   
  
• Sea urchin (uni): Sea urchin has a rich, nutty flavor and a creamy texture. It is considered a delicacy and is often served as battleship sushi (see How to Make Battleship Sushi [Gunkan Maki]). Domestic sea urchin is available year round.
   
  
• Shrimp (ebi): Shrimp is usually cooked when served as sushi, but some adventurous sushi eaters enjoy it raw. Raw shrimp is sweeter and more tender.
   
  
• Tuna (maguro): Tuna served as sushi varies in color and flavor depending on the type of tuna and the part of the fish from which it comes. Yellowfin tuna has pale pink flesh and a strong flavor. Bluefin tuna is lighter than yellowfin in both color and flavor, and is generally considered superior. Toro is tuna that comes from the fattiest section of a bluefin’s belly and has a meltingly soft texture. Fresh tuna is generally sold in large blocks.
   
  
• Yellowtail (hamachi): A lean fish with golden flesh, yellowtail has a mildly smoky flavor and buttery texture. Though yellowtail can be difficult to find in standard fish stores, you may be able to buy it from your local sushi restaurant.
   
  

Buying Seafood

• Whether the fish is filleted or whole
• The freshness of the fish

Filleted or Whole Fish

Buying Fresh Fish

1. Health: Cooking destroys bacteria and other health dangers in food. Because sushi fish is usually eaten raw, it’s crucial to buy fish that’s free of bacteria.
2. Taste: Sushi fish should be eaten with very little sauce or anything else that might mask its taste. If the fish doesn’t taste good, the sushi won’t taste good.

• Sushi- or sashimi-grade: Only sushi-grade or sashimi-grade fish is safe to eat raw. Look for a label or ask your fishmonger which fish make the grade.
• Display: All fish, whether whole or filleted, should be displayed on fresh—not melting—ice.
• Filleted fish: Filleted fish should appear vibrant, firm, and shiny with no tears or dry spots.
• Whole fish: If you’re buying a whole fish, look for one with intact scales, reddish gills, and clear eyes. They shouldn’t give off any strong, ammonia-like odors.
• Prepackaged fish: Never use prepackaged fish for sushi unless it’s precooked.
• Shellfish: Shellfish should be alive when you buy it, with the shell shut tightly or open slightly. If the shell is a bit open, tap it gently. If the shellfish is alive, the shell should close on its own.

Storing Seafood

• Storing fish: Refrigerate fish until the moment you need to cut it.
• Storing shellfish: Store shellfish in the refrigerator in a colander or other self-draining container. Cover mussels with ice. Place clams or oysters on top of a bed of ice and cover them with a damp towel. Do not keep shellfish in a closed plastic bag. Tap on any open shells before using. If the shell doesn’t close, discard it.