We love sushi! In fact, ever since our son, Oliver, was 2 years old, he preferred his salmon and tuna raw. When I was preparing dinner and cutting up a fillet, he would sneak a piece off the cutting board and gobble it up. Now, at the age of 7, he can pack away the better part of a tuna loin sliced up, dipped in soy sauce, and with a rice ball in his other hand. Raw pacific seafood is some of the best in the world for sushi. It’s simple, nutritious, and delicious. But there are some important things you should know about eating raw seafood to ensure food safety and the best quality!

Pacific salmon and tuna which have never come into contact with fresh water are generally safe to eat raw straight out of the ocean. But on rare occasion, they can be infected with a parasitic worm. There has only ever been one case in Canadian history, but if you want to avoid being like this poor fellow, you would be wise to eat only fish that is sushi-grade.

For fish to be called sushi grade, or sashimi grade, it must be frozen. Guidelines vary for different species, but ideally, fish is frozen at -35 for 15 hours. Home freezers are usually around -18 so, if you want to ensure that your freshly caught fish is sushi grade, you’ll want to freeze it for around 36 hours before eating.

Although freezing will kill any parasites in raw fish, you’ll still want to handle it safely to ensure it does not become contaminated with bacteria after thawing. Thoroughly wash your hands and clean all surfaces before handling your raw fish. And follow these guidelines for safe thawing of seafood at all times.

All Skipper Otto’s sustainable seafood is frozen to sushi-grade standards, so cook up some sticky rice, get out the soy sauce, and have your friends over for a sushi-party knowing your sushi will be premium quality, totally safe, and absolutely delicious!