a Japanese term for a dish of sliced raw fish. The word is derived from sashi (to pierce) and mi (flesh), with no element specifying fish or seafood; and similar techniques can be used to produce dishes called sashimi chicken or beef, but these are rarities by comparison with the ubiquitous fish sashimi. Tsuji (1980) has declared sashimi to be ‘the crowning glory of the formal meal’ in Japan (by which he does not mean that it comes at the end, for it is usually served at an early stage), and emphasizes that its preparation is not just a matter of choosing supremely fresh fish but also of taking into account the seasons at which the various species are at their best.
Sashimi is presented with great elegance in an arrangement which often incorporates a bed of shredded white radish (daikon) and a mound of finely grated wasabi, plus a dipping sauce (soy sauce with added flavours) and further garnishes such as shiso leaves, sprigs of prickly ash (the sansho plant), or thin curled strips of the red stems of corkwing (bofu).
The slices of fish are normally around 1 cm (0.25–0.5″) thick, but for certain species or presentations paper-thin slices are preferred. Factors such as the thickness of the slices affect other features such as the composition of the dipping sauce; a citrus fruit and soy sauce called ponzu is a favourite with very thin slices.
Alan Davidson was a distinguished author and publisher, and one of the world's best-known writers on fish and fish cookery. In 1975 he retired early from the diplomatic service—after serving in, among other places, Washington, Egypt, Tunisia, and Laos, where he was British Ambassador—to pursue a fruitful second career as a food historian and food writer extraordinaire. Among his popular books are Seafood of South-East Asia, North Atlantic Seafood, and Mediterranean Seafood. In 2003, shortly before his death, he was awarded the Erasmus Prize for his contribution to European culture.
Tsuji, Shizuo (1980), Japanese Cooking: A Simple Art, Tokyo: Kodansha International.
