[colbyh]

We're close with Michelin-star sushi chef and he's never tried to hide the fact that all of their fish has been frozen at some point. He finds it odd that diners care about it so much, but he's also of the opinion that all fish tastes better after it's been dead for at least a day. Certain fish even tastes best after a few days frozen.

[cloverich]

There's a Parts Unknown episode with Anthony Bourdain where he highlights this, basically saying that if he ever hears anyone say "That sushi was so good, it was so fresh" he knows that don't know what they are talking about.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0hH_XR433A

[Filligree]

I don't know about typical sushi fish, but I've eaten a lot of cod that was caught, boiled, and put on the dinner table all within about forty minutes.

It falls apart on the plate, but it's also one of the best-tasting types of fish dinner I've ever had.

Once it's an hour old it's too late, though, so I don't expect to ever see such fish commercially.

[babesh]

Yup. At least several kinds of fish are really good fresh. There is this Cantonese thing with live fish that are killed and immediately cooked... usually steamed but also pan fried. Delicious.

[wahern]

There's at least one restaurant in San Francisco Chinatown that sells _live_ drunken shrimp. Yes, they're still moving, if only sporadically. It's a fun dish, but uncooked shrimp are pretty tasteless, and the rice wine doesn't help much.

[sushid]

Which place is this? I kind of want to try now.

[wahern]

Great Eastern on Jackson St. I don't know if you can order straight off the menu or if you need to clarify you want the live dish.

The first time we ordered it the shrimp weren't moving for several minutes, so we felt deflated and resigned to eating unexciting raw shrimp. Someone picked one up to eat it and let out a shriek when it jumped.

[e12e]

You can keep the fish (and squid) alive, and even stir fry it alive. Won't work with all fish, obviously.

[gtvwill]

Mmm I havent had good "fresh" sushi as cooking rice takes time, sashimi on the other hand, I have had literally pulled from the ocean, cut and not even bled tuna straight off the chopping block on the back of the boat. Good stuff but a bit messy. Same goes for pearl meat, fresh straight from the shells is the best way to have it. Stuff is like butter. Post freezing the meat is still good, but not the same flavors or textures.

[danmaz74]

In Italy, it's actually mandated by law that raw fish needs to get frozen at least for a very short time before being served, as a precaution against anisakis.

[Symbiote]

That's the case across the EU.

[hkmurakami]

Yeah if you've been to Tsukiji then you've likely seen frozen blocks of tuna being cut/packaged/shipped etc and this is really no surprise. The fish is caught so far away that there's no way you can get it "fresh".

[2muchcoffeeman]

It's all marketing and people having no clue what the food industry is like.

Most people have no idea how long most livestock has been dead before you get your cut of meat.

[hkmurakami]

Same with produce. Your average imported produce has been in a temperature and gas concentration controlled container for months.