WordGarden.iosashimi
C2Pronunciation
UK
US
Meanings
Noun
a Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw fish or meat
Beyond the definition
Imagine very fresh fish or seafood, cut into clean, delicate slices and served on its own. That's sashimi. It is a traditional Japanese dish. Unlike sushi, it does not come with rice. It is usually served with soy sauce, wasabi, and often pickled ginger.
The name comes from Japanese, and the dish is meant to let you enjoy the natural taste and texture of the seafood. In everyday English, when people talk about sashimi, they usually mean a simple but special plate of raw fish or seafood prepared with great care.
Sashimi is a Japanese dish made of thin slices of raw fish or other raw seafood. In some cases, the word can also be used for thinly sliced raw meat, but in English it usually means raw seafood. Unlike sushi, which is made with vinegared rice, sashimi is served without rice and focuses on the natural flavor and texture of the main ingredient.
It is often served with soy sauce for dipping, along with wasabi and pickled ginger. Common kinds include tuna (maguro), salmon (sake), yellowtail (hamachi), and mackerel (saba). The quality and freshness of the seafood matter a lot, and the cutting style is also important.
Presentation is an important part of the dish. It may be arranged carefully on a plate and served with shredded daikon radish, shiso leaves, or seaweed. The goal is not only to eat it, but also to notice the color, texture, and clean taste of each piece.
You might hear someone say, "Let's get sashimi tonight," meaning they want a meal of carefully prepared raw seafood. In a food review, someone might praise a restaurant's sashimi for being fresh, beautifully cut, and well presented. Because it is eaten raw, it should come from a trusted source that handles seafood safely.
Examples
- 1
Restaurant order
We ordered some salmon sashimi to share before the main course.
- Grammar
sashimi is usually uncountable, so people often say some sashimi or a plate of sashimi
- 2
Serving style
The sashimi comes with soy sauce, wasabi, and sliced radish.
- 3
Platter choice
We skipped the rolls and got a sashimi platter instead.
See also
Similar
- raw fish
- sliced raw seafood
Shades of meaning
- crudo
- carpaccio
Contrast
- sushi
- cooked fish
Used with (collocations)
- sashimi platter
- salmon sashimi
- sashimi-grade fish
Explore
- Japanese cuisine
- nigiri
Forms and spellings
1 form open this card.
Main spelling
- sashiminoun