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Fish intended to be eaten raw, as in poke bowl, sashimi and crudo. The single most important thing to know about it is what the label does not mean.
"Sushi grade" is not a certification
There is no legal definition of "sushi grade" or "sashimi grade" in the United States. No agency issues it, no inspection confers it. It is a claim made by the seller, and its only real content is whatever that seller's standards happen to be.
What it should mean is that the fish was frozen to the FDA's parasite-destruction schedule.
The freezing rule
FDA guidance for fish to be served raw:
| Temperature | Time |
|---|---|
| −20 °C / −4 °F | 7 days (total time) |
| −35 °C / −31 °F | 15 hours (in a blast freezer) |
| −35 °C then held at −20 °C | frozen solid, then 24 hours |
This is counter-intuitive: frozen is safer than "fresh" for raw consumption. A domestic freezer typically runs at −18 °C and does not reliably meet the schedule, so home-freezing supermarket fish is not a substitute.
Tuna is the usual exception cited — several large tuna species are treated as low parasite risk and are exempt from the freezing requirement — but handling and cold-chain still decide whether it is safe.
Buying
Ask the counter directly: was this frozen, and at what temperature? A counter that cannot answer is a counter to buy cooked fish from. Prefer a dedicated fishmonger or a Japanese or Korean grocer with turnover.
Handling
Keep it at fridge temperature until the moment you cut it. Cut it cold, with the sharpest knife you own — a dull knife tears the muscle fibres and destroys the texture. Eat it the day you buy it.
Who should not eat it
Standard FDA advice: anyone pregnant, very young, over 65, or immunocompromised should not eat raw fish. This is not over-caution.
Elsewhere on the site
Used in: poke bowl
Related: smoked salmon · sushi rice · nori · Fish and Seafood