Warning Sushi Lovers

[JonS]

Many New York sushi restaurants and seafood markets are playing a game of bait and switch, say two high school students turned high-tech sleuths.

In a tale of teenagers, sushi and science, Kate Stoeckle and Louisa Strauss, who graduated this year from the Trinity School in Manhattan, took on a freelance science project in which they checked 60 samples of seafood using a simplified genetic fingerprinting technique to see whether the fish New Yorkers buy is what they think they are getting. They found that one-fourth of the fish samples with identifiable DNA were mislabeled. A piece of sushi sold as the luxury treat white tuna turned out to be Mozambique tilapia, a much cheaper fish that is often raised by farming. Roe supposedly from flying fish was actually from smelt. Seven of nine samples that were called red snapper were mislabeled, and they turned out to be anything from Atlantic cod to Acadian redfish, an endangered species.

Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/22/science/22fish.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

[JonS]

http://www.gourmet.com/images/foodpolitics/2008/08/fp_salmonimage608.jpg

Salmon tartare—eye-catching, fun, hip and tasty—has become a popular menu item in many top restaurants. Celebrity chefs prepare it on television. Mainstream magazines, newspapers, and cookbooks feature recipes. Raw salmon dishes—tartare, crudo, sushi, marinated and cured salmon—are growing in popularity. But unless that fish has been frozen first, it would be wise to pass.

That’s because a tiny tapeworm larva may lurk in the raw salmon flesh, just waiting for you to eat it so that it can take up residence in your digestive tract. Diphyllobothrium latum, carried by freshwater fish (including anadromous wild salmon, which spend their early lives in fresh water), is the largest human tapeworm. After the larva is ingested by a fish-eating mammal, it hooks onto the small intestine, where it grows to maturity, freeloading on its host for nutrients (it has a special affinity for Vitamin B12). Cooking fish or freezing it at minus-31 degrees Fahrenheit or colder for 15 hours will kill Diphyllobothrium larvae. Marinating will not. Freezing fish at slightly higher temperatures for longer periods will also kill the larvae but will likely diminish the quality of the fish.

Read more: http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2008/08/raw-salmon-tapeworm

[Russell]

I strongly agree that one has to be very wary about sushi. I am a long time devotee. I first ate sashimi when I moved to Kauai in 72. One of my best friends and roommates was a professional ahi fisherman, Kaula Rock on Niihau. Around here just go to where surfers are the owners. Everyone knows Bill at Arigato, and my good bro Nau at Sakana on Coast Village. Both are very expensive because like most everything in life you get what you pay for. Nau is a dyed in the wool Con surfer and a dedicated purveyor of fine fish!

[Surferguy80]

Any reports on Go Fish?
ever been there?

[lil' mermaid]

Read more: http://www.gourmet.com/foodpolitics/2008/08/raw-salmon-tapeworm

Hey, yes, there are many types of small beasties that lurk in the fish. I have been eating sushi for over 20 years and am one of the lucky few who can say that not even one little critter has crawled "under' my skin. I think everything in moderation is key here. But there are some really important things a sushi eater should know...

Parasites are a fact of life when you eat meat, and that's one reason why humans decided to cook their food thousands of years ago. Heat kills worms. So does frost.
This is why I/they would recommend to you that all seafood you decide to eat raw be previously frozen. It is just safer that way. Yes, fresh is better in most cases, but even professional sushi chefs freeze their salmon first -- salmon is unusually susceptible to parasites!:eek:

The critters you need to worry about are cod worms, seal worms and tape worms. Neither cod nor seal worms will kill you. Just give you a really bad tummy ache and make you uncomfortable until they pass out of your system.
Tapeworms are far nastier. Tapeworms can live inside people and can grow to 20 feet long inside you. Ick! :eek:

Another key factor in eating raw fish is freshness. Sushi-grade fish are caught quickly, bled upon capture, gutted soon after and iced thoroughly. It matters. A lot. A piece of fish can be perfectly good to eat cooked but nasty raw.

And definitely don't eat anything that is endangered!!!

So, i guess that reserch suggests that it is imperative that we eat and shop at reputable establishments. I like the idea of barcoding the fish. That would make for fun and some good meals. We could gather our own research team and comb the sushi joints of S.B., collecting samples, publishing our findings. who knows where this could lead? (sounds like fun trying anyways)
@
splash