Sashimi
(刺身)
Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy consisting of thinly sliced raw fish or shellfish (or even meat) served with soy sauce and other ingredients such as wasabi or ginger paste. Most common ingredients used in the preparation of sashimi are tuna, squid, scallop, whale, and octopus.
Sashimi can be cut in different ways to alter the appearance of the dish, from extremely thin to very thick slices of fish. It is usually served as an appetizer, decorated with shiso leaves, cucumbers, and seaweed (wakame and tosaka-nori).
There is a tradition in Japan to serve an odd number of pieces of sashimi on a plate called mukozuke, because it is considered bad luck to have an even number of ingredients. Sashimi is often confused with another popular Japanese dish, sushi, a dish made with raw fish and vinegared rice.
Sashimi and sushi also share a common history, as both dishes were originally prepared during the 8th century in Southeast Asia.
