What is Sushi-Grade Fish and is it Better Quality?

Sushi-grade seafood: You may have heard of it, be curious to try it, and have questions about the quality, freshness, and safety. 

Whether you’re considering making homemade sushi, or you’re craving a tuna burger like nothing else, you need the freshest possible ingredients to make it happen. Here’s everything you need to know about sushi-grade seafood, with tips for choosing the best fish for you and delicious recipes you can try at home:

What is Sushi-Grade Fish and is it Better Quality?

The terms “sushi-grade” and “sashimi-grade” are typically associated with a high level of quality and freshness, as well as the option for safe raw consumption. Although nearly every fish is edible, not all types are safe to eat raw. Tuna, salmon, yellowtail (hamachi), halibut, and flounder are common examples of fish that can be safely consumed raw. 

Of all the fish you can safely eat raw, any sort of tuna is superior and is one of the only species that’s safe to consume raw with very minimal processing. Sushi-grade tuna is not only the fish that’s most resistant to parasites, but also one of the most nutritious. Tuna is rich in vitamins A, D, and E, as well as omega-3 fatty acids that have countless health benefits and can’t be produced naturally by our bodies.

With that being said, despite the widespread popularity and various health benefits of sushi-grade seafood, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has minimal regulations in place to ensure quality. Currently, the only FDA requirement for proper handling of fish meant for raw consumption relates to timing, freezing, and storing to kill any parasites and ensure it’s safe to eat. That’s why it’s essential to know what to look for, where to go, and which questions to ask when selecting sushi-grade fish to make at home.

How to Pick the Best Sushi-Grade Seafood

To make fresh and mouth-watering seafood in your kitchen, you need the best ingredients. When picking out sushi-grade fish to cook with, you’ll want to find out where the fish came from, how they’ve been stored, and for how long. Ask these questions:

• Is the sushi-grade fish farm raised or wild caught?
• Where did the fish come from (and when)?
• How long are the fish available in the shop?
• What sanitization processes are followed?
• What is the freezing and storing process like?

Ideal sushi-grade products must be super frozen at ultra low temperatures so that the quality does not deteriorate. Super freezing technology allows for long-term storage and fresh fish preservation beginning immediately on the boat when the fish is caught. When fish is frozen from the moment it’s caught—and kept super frozen until it’s consumed—the taste, quality, and freshness are preserved in a way that simply can’t be replicated.

Sushi-Grade Seafood: Recipes You Can Try at Home

Once you’ve found sushi-grade fish online for delivery or in a nearby market, there are a number of ways to enjoy it from the comfort of your own kitchen. The following recipes are a good place to begin if you’re just getting started with sushi-grade seafood:

• Sushi Roll with Sushi Rice
• Tuna Avocado Poke
• Toro Steak & Sauce

If you’ve searched for where to buy fresh tuna and struggled to find a good shop, WAGYUMAN may be exactly what you’re looking for. We offer a wide array of premium sushi-grade seafood products, from blue-fin tuna belly to hamachi loin. All of our best-selling sushi-grade tuna products are super frozen to preserve the ultimate freshness, flavor, and quality you expect—and better yet, they’re delivered right to your door!