As many people would agree, sushi is one of the representative foods of Japanese cuisine. However, you must remember another delicacy that makes the cuisine unique – Sashimi. We acknowledge that sushi draws the attention of food enthusiasts and chefs worldwide.
Although, this does not mean that acquiring sushi-making skills makes you a Japanese chef. Sashimi-making skills are as crucial as sushi-making skills. If you wish to become an all-rounder Japanese chef, you cannot ignore the importance of sashimi-making skills.
Supervised and tailored by one of our master chefs, our course, Art of Sashimi Masterclass, offers extensive knowledge and skills regarding the food. This newly launched course can help you improve your fish-handling and knife-handling techniques.
What is Sashimi?
For those who are not familiar with Japanese cuisine, they might go, “What is sashimi anyway?” Well, it is a Japanese dish consisting mainly of raw seafood and other ingredients cut into small, thin slices. They often come with soy sauce, wasabi, ginger, or other seasonings to add flavor.
Sashimi has been a common local dish in Japan throughout its long history. Today, you can find them lined up in most of the supermarkets in the country, and you can tell how essential the dish is to the locals.
This is off-topic, but if you know well about sashimi, you may also know the word “otsukuri.” Some people call the dish sashimi, and others call it otsukuri. The difference used to come from geographical reasons, but there are differences in visual presentation and ingredients today.
What Are the Differences Between Sashimi and Otsukuri?
In the sense of sliced fish on a plate, sashimi and otsukuri are the same. Then, why do people use the two different names? Well, the answer lies in the history of Japanese cuisine and different food cultures in different regions – Kanto, Japan’s major eastern region, and Kansai, the western counterpart.
The word “sashimi” came from Kanto, spreading across Japan later. In those days, a colorful and luxurious way of serving fish developed in the region, and people called it sashimi. On the other hand, people in Kansai used the word “otsukuri.” They had a unique concept of enjoying the natural flavor of fish. So, they appreciated only one type of fish arranged simply on a flat plate without any garnish.
However, this has drastically changed as time has passed into the modern age. Today, the use of the terms “sashimi” and “otsukuri” has been reversed.
Sashimi means simple fish slices or even fresh slices of meat, such as beef and horse, and processed products like konjac. Otsukuri often refers to a dish of fish slices decorated with garnish like daikon radish, shiso leaves, and a tail head. The fish can also be prepared by adding a little extra touch. For example, seasoning it with kombu seaweed is one of the popular cooking methods for otsukuri.
What Do I Learn in “Art of Sashimi Masterclass”?
Art of Sashimi Masterclass consists of three courses: Sashimi Masterclass, How to Buy, Store, Filet & Prepare Salmon & Tuna for Sashimi, and Japanese Knife & Sharpening Masterclass. Below, we will explain what you can expect from each course.
Sashimi Masterclass
Although salmon and tuna may be the two most popular kinds of sashimi, there is much more to explore. The course provides how to slice sea bream, mackerel, and squid, as well as different slicing techniques you might not even know about. In addition, other skills, such as kombu-curing and aging techniques, can enhance your sashimi-making skills.
How to Buy, Store, Filet & Prepare Salmon & Tuna for Sashimi
Before getting into the slicing step, there are a few steps to complete. In this course, you can learn how to choose high-quality fish, cut them into a saku filet, and professionally prepare them. Using tuna and salmon, we demonstrate each step containing tips you can immediately apply to your fish-handling process.
Japanese Knife & Sharpening
The course consisting of three modules can provide you with the basic knowledge of Japanese knives. Knowing which knife to use and how to care for them is a top priority as a chef. We focus on three kinds of knives in the course, namely usu-ba, de-ba, and yanagi-ba knives, and explain how to take care of them with a whetstone with videos.
Who Is This Course For?
This course is ideal for anyone keen to improve their sushi/sashimi-making skills. That includes chefs who work at a Japanese restaurant or want to refine their sashimi-making skills. Sure, there are different techniques applied to sushi and sashimi, respectively. However, the knowledge of Japanese knives and acquiring sashimi-making skills are nothing but crucial for a Japanese chef.
Also, this is a great path if you have completed our Sushi Masterclass courses. Our student Kelly, who had recently completed our Sushi Masterclass -Foundation- course, contacted us to sign up for this new course. This is a perfect example of students who wish to keep improving their culinary skills with us after confirming the content and outcomes from our Masterclass courses.
Will I Receive a Certification?
The answer is yes. You will receive a certificate in your hand upon completion of the course. To complete the course, you will have five private sessions with our master chef. Such opportunities where you can receive personalized training from a master chef are rare, and our former students recognized these sessions as very fruitful.
Take the Art of Sashimi Masterclass to Further Your Chef Skill
Sashimi makes up the core part of Japanese cuisine. Sure, sushi-making skills are essential to call yourself a Japanese chef, but there are many more fields to master, and sashimi is one of them.
Whether you are a beginner or experienced in the cuisine, the Art of Sashimi Masterclass is an excellent step in honing your culinary skills. If you have any questions, contact us for a free consultation. This course is also available with our Grand Membership Plus plan.
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