Many people say, isn't sashimi just raw fish? Yes, the most common ingredient for sashimi is indeed fish. Commonly used saltwater fish include tuna, salmon, sea bass, whale, sea bream, flounder, and bonito; there are also freshwater fish like carp and crucian carp.
Nowadays, many restaurants have "sashimi" on their menus.
Many people say, isn't sashimi just raw fish? Yes, the most common ingredient for sashimi is indeed fish. Commonly used saltwater fish include tuna, salmon, sea bass, whale, sea bream, flounder, and bonito; there are also freshwater fish like carp and crucian carp. Speaking of carp, in ancient times, it was considered a delicacy in sashimi. However, the ingredients for sashimi are not limited to fish; they also include shellfish such as abalone, oyster meat, and scallops, as well as shrimp, crab, octopus, squid, cuttlefish, sea cucumber, sea urchin, and raw fish roe. Besides seafood, chicken and beef, and even venison and horse meat can be used to make sashimi. Hard to imagine, isn't it?
Soy sauce and horseradish are the classic condiments for eating animal-based sashimi, while sake and vinegar were essential when eating sashimi in ancient times. As many years have passed, this custom has been preserved to this day. The amount of sashimi consumed is also a matter of great etiquette. Each serving should not be large, constituting only a small part of a meal. The reason for this arrangement was initially that sashimi was relatively expensive, and over time, it became a custom to signify a distinguished status.
In Japan, "sashimi" is the most delicate dish in Japanese cuisine. It was initially popular only in coastal areas. With the improvement of preservation and transportation technology, more and more people have started eating "sashimi," and it has now become a high-end delicacy loved by food lovers all over the world. On the banquet tables in our country, "sashimi" is also a common sight, to the point that some people consider eating raw fish, raw shellfish, and raw meat a fashion, believing it to be a symbol of noble status.
What they don't realize is that sashimi made from raw fish and shellfish should not be consumed in large quantities. The reason is that fish and shellfish contain a substance called "thiaminase." If large amounts of raw fish and shellfish are eaten, it can lead to a deficiency of thiamin (Vitamin B1).
There is another reason for Vitamin B1 deficiency. Usually, "sashimi" is eaten with alcohol. The ethanol in alcohol can reduce the intake of Vitamin B1, hinder its absorption in the small intestine, and decrease the conversion of thiamin in the liver to its active form, thiamin pyrophosphate, thereby reducing the utilization of Vitamin B1.
Vitamin B1 is a water-soluble vitamin with limited reserves in the body. After 1-2 weeks of deficiency in the diet, the body's Vitamin B1 content will rapidly decrease, leading to beriberi. If beriberi occurs, symptoms can include fatigue, irritability, agitation, headache, nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite, gastrointestinal dysfunction, and fatigue and soreness in the lower limbs. As the condition progresses, "dry beriberi" or heart failure may appear.
I have asked many friends who enjoy raw fish, and almost none of them knew that eating large amounts of raw fish and shellfish along with consuming a lot of alcohol can lead to beriberi. I am writing these words on a cold winter night, hoping that more friends will understand this scientific knowledge and avoid becoming a "nobleman" in sickness.