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Sashimi from Japan

Sashimi

Pristine slices of raw fish, served without rice. · Japan

📍 Nationwide ★ 4.6
Last updated Aug 13, 2026 · Reviewed by the WhatWhereVacay editorial team

Pristine slices of raw fish, served without rice.

About Sashimi

The freshest raw fish and seafood are sliced with precision and served simply with soy, wasabi and grated daikon, letting quality and knife skill speak for themselves. It is the purest expression of Japanese seafood.

🏛️ History & Culture

Sashimi’s origins trace back to Japan’s long coastal tradition of eating raw fish, with early references appearing in the Muromachi period (14th–16th centuries) when the term “sashimi” began to denote sliced raw seafood served with condiments. The practice was likely influenced by the availability of fresh catches and the development of soy sauce as a dipping accompaniment, though its exact evolution is not fully documented and is debated among food historians.

Regional variations highlight local seafood and cutting styles—Edo (Tokyo) favors lean tuna and white fish, while Hokkaido showcases sea urchin and scallops, and Kansai often pairs sashimi with ponzu or salt. Culturally, sashimi embodies the Japanese aesthetic of minimalism and respect for ingredients, often served at the start of a meal to cleanse the palate, and its preparation is regarded as a test of a chef’s knife skill and seasonal awareness.

🍳 How to make Sashimi

AI-assisted, not kitchen-tested

Sashimi (刺身) — Assorted Raw Fish with Soy, Wasabi and Daikon

Sashimi is the purest expression of Japanese seafood: a few slices of impeccably fresh fish, a dab of wasabi, a mound of shredded daikon, and good soy sauce. The dish lives or dies on ingredient quality and a sharp knife — there is nowhere to hide.

Prep
30 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
Difficulty
Medium

Recipe ingredients

  • 400 g (14 oz) sashimi-grade tuna (maguro), sashimi- or sushi-grade, from a trusted fishmonger; see parasite-freezing note below
  • 300 g (10½ oz) sashimi-grade salmon (sake), sashimi- or sushi-grade; previously frozen to destroy parasites — see step
  • 200 g (7 oz) sashimi-grade white fish (e.g. yellowtail/hamachi or sea bass), sashimi- or sushi-grade
  • 60 g (2 oz) daikon radish, for the tsuma garnish
  • 20 g (¾ oz) fresh wasabi rhizome, freshly grated preferred; tube wasabi is a home-kitchen substitute
  • 80 ml (⅓ cup) Japanese soy sauce (koikuchi shoyu), or null
  • 1 sheet nori (optional), thinly shredded, for colour and aroma
  • 1 sprig shiso leaf (optional), per plate, or substitute with a small lettuce leaf
  • flaky sea salt, to taste, optional, for fatty fish
  • sliced scallion and grated ginger (optional), to taste, optional accompaniments

Steps

  1. 1 FOOD SAFETY (mandatory): All fish for raw service must be sushi/sashimi grade. For parasite destruction, freeze fish at -20°C (-4°F) or below for 7 days, or -35°C (-31°F) for 15 hours, before serving raw. Skip only if your supplier can document equivalent parasite-control treatment. Keep fish at 0–4°C (32–39°F) until ready to slice.
  2. 2 Prepare the tsuma: peel the daikon and grate it on the fine holes of a box grater, or cut into very fine julienne. Rinse briefly under cold water and squeeze gently to remove excess moisture. Pile in a small mound on each of 4 plates; tuck a shiso leaf beside it if using.
  3. 3 Prepare wasabi: if using fresh rhizome, grate in small circular motions on a Microplane or sharkskin grater until a smooth paste forms. If using tube wasabi, mix a small amount with a drop of water to a stiff paste.
  4. 4 Cut a slice from each block of fish about 2 cm (¾ in) thick — this is your working piece. Keep the rest refrigerated.
  5. 5 With a very sharp, long, thin-bladed knife (yanagiba or slicing knife), slice the tuna across the grain into pieces about 5 mm (¼ in) thick, 4–5 cm (1½–2 in) wide and 7–8 cm (3 in) long. Slice salmon on a slight diagonal, again about 5 mm thick. Slice white fish similarly, against the grain.
  6. 6 Wipe and rinse the blade between each cut, and between species, to keep slices clean and free of skin or membrane fragments. Do not saw — use one smooth drawing motion per slice.
  7. 7 Arrange 3–5 slices of each fish on each plate, fanned or lined up neatly. Place a small dab (about ¼ tsp) of wasabi on or beside each portion.
  8. 8 Serve immediately, with soy sauce in a small dish for dipping, and optional salt, scallion and ginger on the side. Encourage diners to dip the fish side (not the rice — there is none) into the soy, and not to soak it; the daikon is eaten between bites as a palate cleanser.
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Ingredients
Steps

Sashimi — frequently asked questions

What is Sashimi?

The freshest raw fish and seafood are sliced with precision and served simply with soy, wasabi and grated daikon, letting quality and knife skill speak for themselves. It is the purest expression of Japanese seafood.

What is Sashimi made of?

Sashimi is made with tuna, salmon, soy sauce, wasabi and daikon.

Where does Sashimi come from?

Sashimi comes from Japan, and is especially associated with Nationwide. Sashimi’s origins trace back to Japan’s long coastal tradition of eating raw fish, with early references appearing in the Muromachi period (14th–16th centuries) when the term “sashimi” began to denote sliced raw seafood served with condiments.

Where can I eat Sashimi?

A Japanese sushi counter, the fish sliced to order.

How do you make Sashimi?

Making Sashimi at home takes about 30 minutes of prep. The recipe on this page serves 4 and is rated medium. Full ingredient list and step-by-step method are in the recipe section above.

→ More traditional dishes from Japan

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