Is Sushi/Sashimi really healthy, or an Epidemic waiting to happen?

Ok, so from the last Animal Planet link it says:

You can eliminate the risk of infection by simply cooking your seafood thoroughly. Alternately, you can freeze the fish for a week or cure it in saturated salt brine for five to seven days.

But so far there is no agreement on this.
Will you trust 24-hour frozen "raw" salmon?
I think I'll rather have my salmon smoked.
What I also wonder is if the raw fish lies in a kitchen, can't some of the tiny, whitish, translucent worms end up in other dishes?

Isn't it strange.
We put things in our bodies which are sold as healthy.
Never mind stuff like pills or aspartame.
Everybody knows the controversies.
But tell people what can happen with raw fish, and nobody cares.
Nobody's even sure, and the info on freezing is conflicted.
Yet, perhaps millions are going for a sashimi lunch right now.
Bon Appetit.

People have been eating raw fish for centuries.

It's hardly "an epidemic waiting to happen".

Non story.

reply to post by babybunnies

People have been eating raw fish from the US coast in close proximity to seals?
People were certainly NOT eating raw fish all across the globe, not even in Western culture in the 1990s.
Only the very rich or a minority perhaps.
We were first disgusted by it.
And who says the chefs, or the fish is the same as they ate it traditionally?
This is a mass industry, and not an upper-class treat any more.
The West's new taste for the exotic may be depleting traditional and safer stocks.
The oceans are warmer and polluted, and mercury poisoning is a real risk.

If it's so safe then why are the warnings increasing?
We never had cases like this in our culture, and nobody ate raw fish.

i've been eating shushi and sashimi since the 60's. ate fugu in tokyo last month. yay!! finally!

ate sushi breakfast at the fish market there too.

anyway, i am shy of raw swordfish, have eaten it many times but very sparingly.

roasted salmon sushi is my favorite, along with uni (warship style).

also i don't eat alot of fresh water fish in comparison. to me they are more dangerous.

While the Nguni people (Zulu) ate no fish since they arrived here from the Congo in the 17th century, the indigenous Khoisan peoples introduced the whites to eating mollusks and mussels raw. Both peoples preferred them cooked however.
Still, sometimes there is a Red Tide en.wikipedia.org...
Although people know the signs in general, still every year people fall ill from eating infected seafood.
In fact, a famous Strandloper (Beachcomber, Khoisan who lived along the coast) burial is of victims of Red Tide.
Just goes to show, just because people have been doing something for centuries doesn't mean it's always safe.

By all accounts fish was smoked or cooked.
Even in California fish was smoked or cooked by native peoples.

reply to post by fooks

Well, I'll still have my occasional Sushi.
It is frozen here (unless you go to a really posh place - how ironic), and heard on the radio that our Tuna has a very low Mercury level.
In fact, others come here to steal our seafood!
Weighing up harm against benefit, for me benefit wins.
Omega 3 oils from fatty fish are essential as medication.
I'd stay away from certain places and parts of the globe however.

Here we also serve rolls with local fish, like yellowtail, or smoked snoek.
Yum.

I like my sushi battered in corn meal and deep fried...served with fries, slaw, and hush puppies...oh, and hot sauce...can't forget the hot sauce.

reply to post by AlreadyGone

Sounds like US tempura?

I used to let that show freak me out.

Then I checked the stats. Even the most hysterical fear mongering stats still showed I could eat the parasites themselves by the handful and be more likely to die driving to work the next day than ever getting sick.

Real life is filthy. Always has been. Eat a clump of dirt. It won't kill you.

These shows are just feeding phobias.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

All true, but I'm still unsure of raw fish, also because of the salmonella and other parasites.
I know I'm taking a risk.
Defrosting also poses dangers in dirty kitchens.
I'd still advise caution, and carefully selecting a good restaurant.
I also de-worm regularly.

reply to post by halfoldman

OK, I can choose, but would I give raw fish to a child?
Here I would say NO.
Absolutely not.

Originally posted by halfoldman
From the above link, p.3:

The Diphyllobothrium tapeworm is common in salmon, as well as other saltwater fish that also frequent fresh water. These freeloaders can thrive in the human gut for years, causing abdominal pain, weakness, weight loss and anemia. Luckily, they can be eradicated through medical treatment. To avoid risking a mouthful of spicy nematode roll or tapeworm sashimi, stick to reputable restaurants that follow food safety guidelines. If you're still feeling a bit paranoid, ask whether the fish has been previously frozen or stick to the many sushi options that either involve cooked or vegetarian ingredients.

animal.discovery.com...

I would think that the weight loss part would find favor among model-types and celebrities. Maybe iron supplements could then counteract the anemia, and maybe other medications for the abdominal pain?

reply to post by halfoldman


I have eaten so much bait I can only imagine what is crawling around inside by belly. From raw fish eel chicken to grilled rat in the dark alley to the old lady who washes the bowl out in the bucket to only scoop out a fresh bowl of ramen and add it to the bowl her you go.


And you know what I'm still here.


I would be more worried about swimming in a lake and having an ameba swimming up your nose and into your brain.

Anyway. Who is up for some yummi bait.

Fresh tuna sashimi coming up....

Originally posted by Rocky Black

I would be more worried about swimming in a lake and having an ameba swimming up your nose and into your brain.

When I first heard of that happening I freaked out bad.

Then I remembered swimming in run-off and roadside creeks as a kid with old sneakers on to protect my feet from broken glass and figured if I survived that an amoeba swimming into my brain probably wont be the thing to bring me down.

I always freeze my sushi/shashimi. I would rather not have to wonder about the parasites. Plus, it's easier to slice when it's a tiny bit frozen. I wish the kids didn't like it so much. Then there would be more for me.

I eat a raw piece of salmon every couple of weeks. There is an asian store that has like the craziest selection of seafood I have ever seen. They also have an area where they'll have pre-sliced salmon and tuna sashimi. I eat the salmon like a candy bar. Raw salmon is absolutely delicious, it is one of my "desert island" items in fact. The way I see it is that the japanese people have been eating raw seafood for a very long time. They seem to be doing alright? Why all the worry? I can likely just as easily be hit by a car or struck by lightning, but I don't worry about that stuff either. If you enjoy sushi, do so. If you are scared, then don't.

Originally posted by byteshertz
reply to post by halfoldman

 

Bear grills always takes a bite out of freshly caught salmon (freshwater) seconds after it comes out of the water - skin and all. Looks so good I wana try it. Is Bear grills risking it - or does it only apply to saltwater?

Let's face it Bear Grylls is a born risk taker, it seems to be in his blood and he thrives on it.

As well as outrunning a speeding train in a tunnel, I've seen him almost buy it when his rope snapped why he was tackling a dangerous cliff.

Bear Grylls has bitten the heads off live animals live lizards and eaten plenty of things raw even when he admits that he could possible pick up diseases or parasites by doing do.

If Bear Grylls eats raw fresh salmon if is NO indication that it is safe to do so!

Originally posted by halfoldman
reply to post by halfoldman

 

OK, I can choose, but would I give raw fish to a child?
Here I would say NO.
Absolutely not.

edit on 10-3-2011 by halfoldman because: (no reason given)

very wise to not give that to children unless 30generations grew up eating it.

letthem get to be adults with all natural defenses ready.

Originally posted by Rocky Black
reply to post by halfoldman

 

I have eaten so much bait I can only imagine what is crawling around inside by belly. From raw fish eel chicken to grilled rat in the dark alley to the old lady who washes the bowl out in the bucket to only scoop out a fresh bowl of ramen and add it to the bowl her you go.


And you know what I'm still here.


I would be more worried about swimming in a lake and having an ameba swimming up your nose and into your brain.

Anyway. Who is up for some yummi bait.

Fresh tuna sashimi coming up....

reminds me of the mayor of venice who said the canals were clean.

he swam in one and died of a parasite from it! lol