# Sushi



## Hare's Ear

What is the concensus on eating raw salmon or steelhead directly from Lake Michigan? I love sushi! A friend told me that there is a parasite found in freshwater salmon that is not present in saltwater salmon.


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## chuckinduck

My consensus is, sushi is great when its professionally prepared by chefs from sushi grade fish. I've never been brave enough to risk getting sick over eating my own salmon. I've also heard there are parasites in freshwater salmon, personally, I'd never chance it.


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## wally-eye

With the presence of VHS and who know's what else I wouldn't even think about it..............


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## Fishndude

I also love Sushi and Sashimi (just the fish), and have done this. BUT then I read that freshwater fish should not be consumed raw, due to potential parasitic infestation. I don't do this any longer. But I do keep Great Lakes Steelhead and Salmon for the table. I just cook them or smoke them.


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## King Crawler

Your friend is right, there can be several parasites in freshwater fish. ONLY eat sushi from fish taken in saltwater. As long as it is a saltwater fish, there is no need for professional preparation. 

Back in Maryland we always kept a bit of soy sauce and wasabi on the boat. The first yellowfin tuna to hit the deck had a nice bit of sashimi taken out of it flank. Take a bite and pass it on! It was still warm, and fantastic!


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## pikedevil

Yup saltwater fish only. Saltwater fish you really only need to worry about bacteria contaminating the fish after they are caught and prepared, namely vibrio, aeromonas, and a whole host of others that will most likely give you a nasty case of gastroenteritis (aka dont leave the bathroom). With Freshwater fish there can be parasites found in the water and in the fishes flesh that can cause problems as well as bacteria contaminating the meat. Fish Tapeworm isn't real common in salmonids but is something you can get from eating raw fish (its common in pike and ciscos, amongst others). I don't particualarly like the thought of a 40 ft worm inside my bowels. There are other parasites potentially passed to humans as well. Giardia, cryptosporidium, and entamaeba species could possibly contaminate the meat via the water. I prefer my fish fried.


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## UBDSLO1

Ever heard of the band "Third Eye Blind" ? nuff said...:lol:


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## The Terminator

Tried sushi Lake Trout about 10 years ago that we caught of Frankfort. Put a little wasabi on...not bad, but nothing special either. Has since learned from Japanese colleagues that even the Japanese only eat salt fish as sushi...sweet water fish, they cook. That's what I do. Frankly, I think sushi's a bit over rated. I've had salmon grilled vs. sushi...sorry the grilled was better. This was very fresh, 2 hours since caught, BC coho. 
With some good saki, I'll still scarf down a dozen or so bits of sushi/sashimi though.

The Terminator


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## hondakid

Yum-yum..raw fishrotest_e


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## JasonCarp

A ways back I had some extra salmon and recalled a recipe for Gravlox that my Norwegian professor made for us back in college. I e-mailed him and he e-mailed it back to me. Basically, it's kosher salt, dill, pepper, and booze marinating the fish for several days. Aquavit is the liquid the norwegians would use, but you can use Jack, Jim, or other favorite. (I'm getting thirsty just typing this.)

Marinate for at least 48 hours. I found it to be a little chewy but had quite good flavor. served it on a bed or sushi rice with soy and wasabi. tasted good and I lived to tell about it.

A friend of mine's wife is Japanese and she said another reason ocean fish is used is because of the fat content. (Hence, probably not as chewy)

I always brine with a bit of booze or wine when I smoke fish just to help kill anything and add flavor. 

Good eats.

Jason


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## Hare's Ear

Thanks for the input. That's what I thought. 

I was in Alaska a few years back. We flew the float plane to the ocean and landed in a small lake near the river mouth. We walked along the beach to a river that was LOADED with salmon. Virtually every catch was a fish. As the day was ending we kept a bunch of the silvers, cleaned them and packed them on crushed ice. We flew back to the lodge. The cook made sushi and sashimi for us from those silvers. It was an epic meal. The next evening we ate the roe for appetizers after coming back from fishing. I don't know what she did to prepare the roe. Both were incredible.


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## jrsoup

Hare's Ear said:


> What is the concensus on eating raw salmon or steelhead directly from Lake Michigan? I love sushi! A friend told me that there is a parasite found in freshwater salmon that is not present in saltwater salmon.


You'll get sick and die.


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## keyman

Just a question.If you soak the salmon in salt water,wouldnt it kill the parasites?


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## hypox

Any new info on this? 

Searches around the web say the parasite thing, but I can't find any research articles stating such. It sounds more like rumor getting passed on to me. Of all the people that have actually admitted they have tried it, no one has said they got sick.

Is Michigan losing out on a massive sushi market?


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## Fishndude

I still cook my freshwater fish. I still eat prepared sushi.


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## salmon_slayer06

I've tried raw coho and raw steelhead in the fall. I'm talking a small piece like for a cracker.. it was good. But it was immediately after bleeding it just after it was caught. Didn't see any worms or bugs or whatever it was fine. It's a shame because so many waste the fish by overcooking it and or letting it rot in the cooler on long tiring trips.


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## U D

Anybody remember lake Erie Oysters??? Walleye cheeks on a saltine with a splash of hot sauce. In the 80's when I was still a beer drinker it wasn't uncommon for a box of Walleye to come to the cleaning station with no cheeks left on them. No one ever got sick.


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## shinny

I talked to a sushi chef about this last year. He said all the sushi meat that comes into the US is frozen or flash frozen. This kills the parasites. He said I could do the same with the salmon I caught. 

Take that for what it is worth. I haven't caught enough of them yet to try.


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## wallyg

I used to fish with doctors in South Haven. The springtime cohos would get a quick freeze,
sliced thin and dipped in homemade sauce and eaten raw. Followed by nearly frozen vodka. GREAT STUFF! Still doing it here on the East side years later with no issues. Also make gravlax from our steelhead with no issues without the freezing.


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## hypox

I found this...

http://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/myth-sushi-grade/

It looks like if you have a freezer that gets colder than -4°F sushi is on the menu.

Now to find a freezer!


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