This question was originally posted on Quora.com. I can think of the following reasons. 1. Inferior taste Fish in the fish tank actually taste worse. 2. Size Some fish is just too big to keep in a tank. 3. Technically challenging (to keep the fish alive in a tank) Keeping fish alive isn’t what the restaurant staff is trained to do. 4. Cost Simply it costs too much 5. Inhumane Not everyone is comfortable with eating live fish. 6. It would take too long If the fish were too big

"How should we keep this Tai Snapper in the fridge? “Looking at the whole fish, I asked Toru, the executive chef at Yoshida Sushi in Hollywood. "I think we should cut the head off, store the whole thing, tightly wrapped in plastic," Toru answered. Then, Take-san walked in from the back employee entrance to the Sushi Bar. "Ohayo Gozaimasu," He greeted us. "Ohayo Gozaimasu," we greeted back to him. Just before he was about to enter the locker room, he looked back to us and said

Black throat seaperch, also known as "Rosy Seabass" or "Akamutsu", are caught along the coast of the Sea of Japan. They are about 40cm in size and season from autumn to winter. Their nickname is “black throat” for the black coloration on the inside of their throats. They are a white fish, and their meat is fatty and tender. In Tokyo region, Nodoguro is regarded as high-priced item. As such, it is rare to see them at normal supermarket since whole sellers distribute most of

In English, Ebodai is referred to as Japanese Butterfish. It’s about 8-12inches in length and is different from “Butterfish” that is served at some sushi restaurants in US. Main season is from Summer and Autumn (July-November). Ebodai is caught in Japan, Korea and some parts of South East Asia. In Tokushima, commonly style of Bouze Nigiri is the whole fish as seen in the picture below. Bouze Nigiri has become popular thanks for a famous Japanese food comic/mango called,

Have you ever asked this question to your sushi chef, "So, what's fresh today?" From a sushi chef standpoint of view, I must confess that it's rather annoying. In fact, many of the sushi chefs I worked with, disliked being asked this question. Why? Because the fish supposed to be fresh to begin with - at least fresher than other seafood establishments because sushi restaurants serve them raw. Secondary, many sushi chefs know that a fresh fish does not always mean "tasty." How

(photo by Albert Law) Sushi is such a delicacy, and that is why we love it. At the same time, we are aware of laying the risk of consuming raw fish. Because the safety is one of the most important aspects of our service, we take every precaution to ensure the quality of fish we serve. We taste every fish we serve so that we know they meet our quality standards. Recently, one of our clients brought up their concern about the safety of consuming raw salmon, citing some online i

The name Mehikari means “shinning eyes.” The fish has eyes that look like they are lit in green and blue light, thus English name “Greeneyes.” It is a deep-sea fish living around 200~700meters in depth, about 15cm(6inches) in length. Also caught in Miyasaki prefecture in Japan, tempura is one of the most popular ways to enjoy it followed by grill. In Iwaki, Mehikari is serves as sushi. #Fish #Sushi #Ingredients

Sushi is more than raw fish. In Japan, many vegetables are used for sushi. For example, Kappa Maki is a traditional seaweed out cucumber roll. The other popular roll is a Japanese pickles roll called Oshinko Maki. Umeboshi – pickled plum and Natto – fragmented soybeans are the other popular sushi items. Then there is Yellow Garlic Chives, “Kinira.” It has very slightly sweet flavor and aroma. It takes two years to harvest Yellow Garlic Chives and it is considered as

Shishamo ししゃも It’s rather small fish – about 15cm (6inches) in length, silver. Only caught on the Pacific Ocean side of Hokkaido, the northern island of Japan. Normally, Shishamo is grilled or fried. In Hokkaido, local Sshishamo fishing is allowed only during October – November. During this time, it is served as sushi or sashimi because of its freshness. Its tastes is similar to Hirame/Halibut and lot sweeter, has almost no “fishy” smell. It goes well with soy sauc

Shiro Ebi, means white shrimp is only found in Toyama Japan. It’s about 6-7cm (2-2.5inches) in length, living deep see about 100-600meters. It has slightly pink color when arrive and becomes white after it dies. Because it must be very fresh for raw consumption such as sushi, until recently, it was only served at local sushi restaurants in Toyama region. As such, many Japanese are unfamiliar with Shiro Ebi Sushi. It has very sweet flavor like sweet shrimp. Because of

Hamachi, Yellowtail Maguro, Tuna Unagi, Fresh Water Eel Uni, Sea Urchin You've probably seen the one on the right, nigiri. Did you now they look like what is on the left, before they get sliced? #SustainableFish #Fish #Ingredients