Freshwater Sushi

[SDFlagChaser]

Was watching a food network show tonight about sushi and got to thinking, has anybody ever made freshwater sushi?  I would think it would be possible.  any raw fish eaters out there?

[tjsnipehunter]

Do not do it. There are reasons freshwater fish are not used, they are called tapeworms. Saltwater fish have fewer parasites that are trouble for people.

Tim

[Cramshackle]

Theres no reason you couldn't use fresh water fish. Tuna and Salmon are whats popular here but in Japan they eat most anything as Sashimi (just fish, no rice)
The simple sushi/sashimi standard is the fresher the better, you don't get a whole lot fresher than out the hole and on the table. Also its hard to get anything other than farm raised catfish and trout commercially. At least from food service providers. I've been trying for years to get some other fresh water fish for my menus with no luck.

[Drifter_016]

I have a client that likes to eat raw lake trout, roe and sperm sacs.
He's not right in the head though. 

[tjsnipehunter]

If you are going to try freshwater sashimi freeze the fish for a week first.
This is about cold smoked fish but has good info on parasites http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~comm/ift2para.html

Tim

[jkw]

i will frequently catch a fresh salmon (in a river/creek) and eat part of it right there on the bank raw.... its pretty good...i especially like red salmon but kings and silvers are good too...anyone think im weird? not entrails just part of the fillet...

[stag]

Have heard in the past that it is not a good idea to eat fresh water fish raw....

[Joe Snag]

I ate a smelt once and took a bite of a brook trout both raw,,,Andrew Zimmern of the travel ,Channel would

[flyman1002]

I am a huge sushi eater but would never eat one out of freshwater.  Freshwater fish have parasites and other things that are only killed when cooked. I will stick to my deep fried panfish.

[Irish Jigger]

I don't eat anything I would consider bait. Once you get worms or a parasite in your intestines you'll probably feel the same way. There is a reason there are standards concerning what temp food should be cooked too. 48 hrs of puking and pi$$ing out of your A$$ will change your mind in a hurry if not ruin your perception of eating fish all together.

[cold_feet]

Just read a artical in paper warning againt eating fresh water fish as Sushi. The claim to this is a new tapeworm parasite found in some freshwater species. Also I would have to believe that through the polutants in most lakes are in the fat of fish which is near the skin and near the backstraps. Eating cooked fish seperates the fats from the flesh or meat sections and at time renders it away from the skin into the pan helping to reduce the contaminates. Maybe a farm raised Trout or Salmon might help if you wish to eat it but wild fish I would think twice.
Just My .02

[jkw]

this is because all your waters down there are polluted or have nasty bugs.....ours dont, for the most part...im talkin salmon that just came up from the sea to spawn......we dont have many, if any, parasites in our moving waters, maybe in some lakes where geese frequent heavily for extended periods, but you can just about drink from any stream without worryin a whole lot unless you drink a lot of it....giardia and beaver fevers the only thing we worry about...only got the latter once.....i mean hey- survivorman and bear grylls both do it.....we dont eat fish from the stocked lakes around the cities or resident trout from the local creeks that have houses on them....the salmon we get out of the local anchorage creeks....we catch em down at the mouth right when they come in....as far as out of town streams and lakes you have very little to worry about....

[bigredonice]

GO FOR IT!!!  I've seen way too many parasites in fish, from those in hatcheries, to those in the local lakes, to brookies in super remote rivulets, i would never ever eat raw freshwater fish.

[Kelly Johnson]

I've eaten raw Salmon from the big lakes on numerous occasions.

My salmon box come equipped with Limes, Salt, Jalapenos and a ziplock to do a quick marinade.

I wouldn't eat anything else though probably. More for size, flavor and texture issues than anything else.

Technically none of these is "Sushi" however as Sushi implies "rice" inherently.

Sashimi is raw fish and seafood but my method is more a South American preparation called "Ceviche"

I've never had anyone try it and not love it...some won't try it though

[stripers77]

this is because all your waters down there are polluted or have nasty bugs.....ours dont, for the most part...im talkin salmon that just came up from the sea to spawn......we dont have many, if any, parasites in our moving waters, maybe in some lakes where geese frequent heavily for extended periods, but you can just about drink from any stream without worryin a whole lot unless you drink a lot of it....giardia and beaver fevers the only thing we worry about...only got the latter once.....i mean hey- survivorman and bear grylls both do it.....we dont eat fish from the stocked lakes around the cities or resident trout from the local creeks that have houses on them....the salmon we get out of the local anchorage creeks....we catch em down at the mouth right when they come in....as far as out of town streams and lakes you have very little to worry about....

       I have only heard of freshwater fish being eaten from up north. never have I heard of freshwater sushi from any of our waters

[jkw]

ive heard of ceviche before, id like to try it , maybe if i find a good quick recipe ill do it this summer...hey ive et alot of weird things....ive had grouse heart kabobs (good in the woods), raw blackfish, stinkheads with a family from dillingham (this one is not very good, ill probly never try it again), one of my favorite dishes is moose heart and cabbage, either boiled,fried, or baked....the stinkheads are salmon heads that the natives bury in the ground for weeks, then they eat them just the way they are....

[superslabs]

Not a good idea. My cousin used to make freshwater sushi. We at alot of it. He got tape worms!

[darkhousefisher]

i will frequently catch a fresh salmon (in a river/creek) and eat part of it right there on the bank raw.... its pretty good...i especially like red salmon but kings and silvers are good too...anyone think im weird? not entrails just part of the fillet...

I do the same thing.  When I'm cleaning salmon, I can't help but take a few bites here and there.  I check them over real well before I do though, as I have found nematodes curled up in the fillets before.

As far as freshwater fish as sushi goes, I would be hesitant to do it.  Everything I have read on it says to use fresh saltwater fish, and be sure to freeze it for at least three days first.  That being said, most pickled fish and ceviche is uncooked.  It is soaked in a acidic brine(ie vinegar, salt, citric acids) which "cooks" the fish without actually cooking it.  I have ate alot of ceviche and pickled fish, and have never gotten sick, but I freeze the fish first.  Just my $.02.

[asiancarp]

I would recommend that all people eat "sushi grade" fish regardless.  However to answer the question of fresh water sushi.  Ancient sushi originated from the lakes!  "Koi-Arai" is carp sashimi and revered in Hokkaido North Japan at Lake Akan.   These days, Japanese commonly eat "Izumidai" which is your infamous tilapia.  In Tokyo, the most famous fresh water sushi is "Kohada" also showcased in "JIRO Dreams of Sushi", which is basically ancient Edo-mai style sushi using gizzard shad.  Its bright silver color really stands out against red tuna and orange salmon. 

These days we all have to cherish fish more.  That means eating more than just the usual fish.  I'm all for returning to fresh water sushi along side ocean fish.

[UFCreel]

Watch the TV program. Monsters Inside Me. After a couple of episodes you wont want to eat anything that is not thoroughly cooked.

[Mr.Seaguar]

Gollum liked raw fish. He went cuckoo for the Precious. No one else should eat raw fish. Why do you think Japan tried to take over the world? In the name of cuisine, that's why.

[merkleyb]

Fishy tastes sooo good fried or broiled or grilled.....Why the heck would anyone ruin a perfect thing?

[RPudney]

I would not eat raw freshwater fish, NOT a good idea.........  Fish must be cooked thoroughly or if you must, before eating it raw you can freeze it (I think below -10F) for several days and that's supposed to kill parasites, it's what's recommended before cold smoking.  But if you don't heed this warning, don't be surprised when you have critters growing in your belly & intestines.

[rgfixit]

Two types of parasitic worms can infect humans:
1. Anisakiasis is caused by ingesting the larvae of several types of roundworm which are found in saltwater fish such as cod, plaice, halibut, rockfish, herring, Pollock, sea bass and flounder.
2. Tapeworm infections occur after ingesting the larvae of diphyllobothrium which is found in freshwater fish such as pike, perch and anadromous (fresh-saltwater) fish such as salmon.
During commercial freezing fish is frozen solid at a temperature of -35°F and stored at this temperature or below for a minimum of 15 hours to kill parasites. Most home freezers have temperatures at 0°F to 10°F and may not be cold enough to kill parasites because it can take up to 7 days at -4°F or below to kill parasites, especially in large fish. Good handling practices on-board fishing vessels and in processing plants can minimize nematode infestation. Many seafood processors inspect seafood fillets of species likely to contain parasites. This process called candling involves examining fish fillets over lights. Candling detects surface parasites. Unfortunately, they cannot always see parasites embedded deep in thick fillets or in dark tissue. Candling is also useful for revealing pinbones in fillets that are intended to be boneless.
Fish is also safe to eat after it is cooked to an internal temperature of 145°F for 15 seconds. Normal cooking procedures generally exceed this temperature. If a thermometer is not available to check the internal temperature of the thickest portion of the fish, the fish should be cooked until it loses its translucency and flakes easily with a fork.
If a parasite is present in a fish, you have several options:
Remove the parasite, examine the fish for others and cook the fish. Thorough cooking kills all parasites.

So much for me eating freshwater sushi.
Rg

[Super-ice-bird]

Watch the TV program. Monsters Inside Me. After a couple of episodes you wont want to eat anything that is not thoroughly cooked.

There's a episode where the guys wife is pulling on a tape worm protruding from his backside! When the worm won't come out (because it's attached to his intestine) she cuts it in half with a pair of scissors and it sucks back inside of him! He got better after the hospital but it was all because he ate raw trout out of fresh water.

[rdhammah]

I have seen those codworms (Anisakiasis ) in  store bought filets. I check al my filets thoroughly. have even seen them in smelt.

[merkleyb]

I have seen those codworms (Anisakiasis ) in  store bought filets. I check al my filets thoroughly. have even seen them in smelt.

I should stop biting the heads of smelt then