sashimi

[ sah-shee-mee; Japanese sah-shee-mee ]

noun

, Japanese Cooking.

1. raw fish cut into very thin slices.

sashimi

/ ˈsæʃɪmɪ /

noun

1. a Japanese dish of thin fillets of raw fish

Word History and Origins

Origin of sashimi¹

1875–80; < Japanese sashi stabbing + mi ( y ) body (< *mui )

Word History and Origins

Origin of sashimi¹

C19: from Japanese sashi pierce + mi flesh

Example Sentences

There’s one called Marukai Market, which has really fresh fish for sushi or sashimi.

From Outside Online

Bluefin tuna sells in restaurants for $10 to $20 for two pieces of sashimi.

From Time

Beautifully balanced, it is delicious on its own but even better with sushi or sashimi.

From Washington Post

Even when presented with a gorgeous sashimi platter, Lavigne still waxes poetic about that commercial Kitty.

From The Daily Beast

Ninja, a stop that caused a minor blockade on Oak Street, serves one of the most experimental po-boys—a sashimi creation.

From The Daily Beast

At my restaurant, I even serve raw octopus sashimi with just sea salt.

From The Daily Beast

Pad Thai, coconut soup, tikka masala, curried goat, sashimi, and crudo.

From The Daily Beast

Fish boiled with a little salt, sashimi (sliced raw fish)—and don't forget the kamaboku (fish paste).

From Project Gutenberg

See to it that a meal is ready at even; not much, sashimi (sliced raw fish) and wine.

From Project Gutenberg

Sashimi Vs. Sushi

What’s the difference between sashimi and sushi?

Sashimi and sushi are both dishes you’ll find on the menu of a Japanese restaurant, and you might even order both at once, but they’re not the same thing.

Sashimi is raw fish cut into thin slices. Sushi consists of bite-sized pieces of cold, boiled rice, stuffed or topped with various ingredients.

The variety of sushi perhaps best-known outside of Japan is called maki (or maki-zushi). It’s made by forming a roll of rice around various fillings, especially vegetables, raw seafood, or a combination, and then wrapping the roll in seaweed and slicing it into small, bite-sized rounds. Another variety, nigiri (or nigiri-zushi), consists of bite-sized pieces of rice topped with raw seafood or something else.

In Japanese, the word sushi means “sour rice” (the rice is traditionally moistened with rice vinegar). The word sashimi comes from the Japanese sashi, meaning “pierce” or “stabbing,” and mi, “flesh” or “body.”

Many people associate sushi with a raw fish or seafood element, and it often includes these, but not always. It can be filled or topped with many other things—its essential ingredient is rice.

Sashimi, on the other hand, is simply thinly sliced raw fish (often accompanied with soy sauce or wasabi). (You may see some non-fish dishes prepared sashimi-style, which typically means they’re sliced thin like sashimi is.)

Here’s an example of sashimi and sushi used correctly in a sentence.

Example: I love ordering sushi with unusual combinations of ingredients, but sometimes I prefer the simplicity of sashimi.

Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between sashimi and sushi.

Quiz yourself on sashimi vs. sushi!

Should sashimi or sushi be used in the following sentence?

The paper-thin slices of _____ were beautifully arranged on the platter.