How Safe is Your Sushi? Part Three: Bacteria and Germs!

By Ross A. Christensen

 

Uh oh, my ability to be nonchalant and glib about people’s concerns over the safety of their meal is handicapped here. If you’ve read my previous two articles on How Safe is Your Sushi, Mercury & Parasites, you’ll have noticed that I’m not terribly concerned about those two topics that some consider big issues. But I think there is a real chance of danger with this subject. Oh no, someone help me!

 

The fact is that if a sushi bar isn’t clean and sanitary, patrons can easily get sick from bacteria and germs. There are dozens of different types of nasties that can pop up, and most can be prevented and contained easily by the sushi bar staff. There are a couple of things that are beyond the sushi bar’s control, however. Here’s an example.

 

To give you an idea of how idiotic our government can be about some issues, let me share with you a true story. The names have been changed to protect the moronic. Oyster farms harvest their oysters once each week for sale. Each time that an oyster farm harvests, they take samples of their products and send them to the government to be tested for safe levels of… whatever. Samples of the oysters are delivered to the government testers, and the same day the bulk of the harvest is delivered to the local restaurants. One week later, the government test results are available and the cycle begins again.

 

Now here in rural California, as you drive through the countryside you will see ponds with fountains bubbling away in the middle of them like some sort of Zen retreat for the cows. These deceptively serene ponds are where the farmhouses’ toilets empty into and the aeration of the fountain helps kill the nasty bacteria that are swimming around. These ponds will occasionally malfunction or overflow into the ocean, and fishing in that area is closed off. So far, everything makes sense, yes? Stay with me, it’s about to get stupid.

 

One day one of these ponds accidentally malfunctioned, overflowed, and emptied into the sea near an oyster farm I was associated with, and the oysters were contaminated. This event was unknown to the oyster farmer, and on harvesting day the oysters went off as usual to the government to be tested. Also as usual, the oysters from that week’s harvest went out to local restaurants as well. Sure enough, the government came back a week later to say the oysters had been contaminated and must be recalled. Now, this recall demand is utterly ridiculous; the oysters went to the restaurants last week and by this time they have all been consumed. But the government didn’t care, they demanded those oysters back. Most of the other area oyster farms just pulled new oysters off of their farms and said, “Here they are, yeah, we got them back.” The government agent was satisfied and the farmers put their “recalled” oysters back in the water. One oyster farm (the one I was familiar with) stood their ground, told the truth, and said, “The oysters have been eaten and can’t be returned.” So the government fined them for the violation. The testing process does nothing for the safety of the consumer since the oysters can’t be tested in a timely manner, and it’s impossible to retrieve dangerous oysters before consumption. Essentially what the people in the government are doing is using a weather report that is nine days old in order to tell you that you should have carried an umbrella a week ago.

 

So let’s get to specific types of problems. Hepatitis is a danger at any restaurant if a cook or server is infected, but this isn’t a problem exclusive to sushi restaurants. Vibrio vulnificus is a bacteria found in saltwater (and is related to cholera) and can be contracted by eating raw oysters which then causes diarrhea, stomach pains, vomiting, and skin blistering. Hurricane Katrina caused an outbreak of vibrio that many of the refugees were treated for, but it was contracted by wading through infected waters, not by consuming contaminated seafood. Vibrio, like many other types of bacteria, isn’t as dangerous when consumed as much as they are if contracted through the skin while swimming or wading in infected waters. Obviously, that needn’t be a concern for the sushi bar patron.

 

Fecal coliform, streptococci, and Escherichia coli (the infamous E. coli) are bacteria that come from many sources, but the most noticeable and common source is from raw sewage. Most of these critters are already found to some degree inside every human being, but are safely contained in our intestines that can hold them in check. Preventing the transference of these bacteria is as easy as frequent hand washing and cleaning work surfaces with soap and water. Infection causes gastrointestinal distress and multiple other complications, but luckily they are bacteriological weaklings and easily fall in the presence of antibiotics.

 

Listeria is most commonly found in farm animal products and is rarely a problem for the sushi bar. Salmonella is also not a common seafood-type infection.

 

The very nature of sushi helps to combat contracting any kind of germs or bacteria. The rice in your sushi is made with vinegar which, although it is not at antibacterial strength is also combined with wasabi, which is a natural antibacterial. The sushi chef regularly dips his/her hands in tezu, a vinegar water mixture that not only keeps the sushi rice from sticking to his hands but is strong enough to be antibacterial. Just by watching your sushi chef you will notice that, by and large, they are very fastidious about their station, and you will get a good illustration about the cleanliness of the rest of restaurant. Yes, sickness does occasionally occur at a sushi bar, but usually at a sushi bar that people were wary of in the first place and that have been fined before. Sushi bars are like people: if you aren’t comfortable with them stay away even if they say they have changed.

 

An urban myth asserts that you shouldn’t eat fish on Tuesday because that fish is left over from last week’s fish order, and therefore is close to spoiling if it’s not already doing so. This isn’t backed up by any facts, only anecdotes, and since all sushi fish in the U.S. are frozen the idea that all of that fish gets thawed on Wednesday doesn’t seem likely or prudent. In Japan, the fish is typically bought daily and true sushi connoisseurs eat sushi for lunch since at dinner it wouldn’t be as fresh. This is only a gastronome’s desire for the freshest fish possible, not a person worried about the wholesomeness of the fish.

 

The commercial freezing method used on sushi-type fish kills all germs and bacteria (and parasites; see How Safe is Your Sushi Part Two - Parasites) that could come from the sea into the sushi bar. Now-a-days with the quality of nitrogen blast frozen fish, infection is almost not an issue. The most likely seafood to be contaminated would be oysters, which aren’t a common sushi ingredient. Basic restaurant sanitation practices control any germs and bacteria that might be carried by the staff. Sushi bars also tend to be much more conscientious about sanitation than your average restaurant, almost guaranteeing your safety.

 

Of all of the possible risks involved with sushi, germs and bacteria are probably the greatest, but are also the most controllable by the sushi bar itself. The terrific thing about the danger of bacteria and germs in the sushi bar is that you, the discerning patron, can look around and notice for yourself if the sushi bar isn’t clean, the staff is dirty, or they just don’t seem to care about sanitation. Luckily, the smallest dangers have the largest warning signs.

 

 

Copyright 2008 Ross A. Christensen

How safe is your sushi? Part Two: Parasites!

By Ross A. Christensen

 

Being an avid sushi enthusiast, it’s strange to me to think there are some people who dislike sushi. Many of the people who say they dislike it have never even tried it. Often their reason for condemning it without tasting it first comes from fear. They ask, “What of the risk of parasites?”

 

The short answer for the average person is…There is nothing to worry about. Parasites at the sushi bar are essentially non-existent. Continue on happily with your life and save your energy for worrying about terrorists, mutual nuclear annihilation, and if Paula Abdul is on drugs or just clinically insane; y’know, the important stuff. For the paranoid and hypochondriacs, read on…

 

Nematodes (a.k.a. Roundworms, hookworms, whipworms,) infect the body and become clinically known as anisakiasis. This is the infection of the body by the anisakis worm larva, a type of nematode. They only grow to about an inch in length, and within 12 hours of contracting one you would have terrible stomach pain, nausea, and diarrhea. It eventually moves to the intestine and sets up house. Survival in the human digestive tract is “iffy.” Most nematodes will die within 24 hours, but resistant ones can last longer and actually burrow into the digestive tract before they are finally overcome by the digestive process. In countries where eating raw, untreated fish is common, this malady is easily diagnosed and treated. In the U.S. where it is a rare occurrence, contracting anisakiasis is often misdiagnosed as appendicitis or an ulcer. Since the body of the larva has a chemically resistant exterior, treatment basically consists of going in, with a tiny camera, with a tiny flashlight attached, and a really long tweezers… if you get my drift. Unfortunately, there is no medicinal way to get rid of them.

 

Flatworms (Flukes and tapeworms) are a group of parasites that infest marine mammals and fish. They’re more “primitive” than nematodes, having only one hole as the only way in and out for their digestive system. Flukes don’t even have a circulatory system. Flukes do have the ability, after being ingested, to use the bloodstream to travel throughout the host’s body and to travel to other organs. They range in size from 1mm to 70mm but for the most part are considered as being microscopic. With over 6000 different types, flukes are everywhere in our ecosystem; avoiding them is impossible. E.g., you’ve heard of “Swimmers Itch”… it’s flukes burrowing into a swimmer’s skin. Tapeworms are a common parasite in freshwater fish and so any type of raw freshwater fish should be avoided. The good news with flukes and tapeworms is that most can be treated with simple medication.

 

Don’t let anybody fool you: you cannot freeze fish at home to kill parasites, not even if you freeze it for months. This process simply puts the parasite to sleep until it is thawed. This cryogenic suspension was graphically demonstrated to me personally when some whole frozen bluegill (a freshwater type of fish) were thawed in my sink, and they proceeded to snap back to life and flop around the sink until they were humanely dispatched. These bluegills had been in my freezer for several months before this shocking event occurred. Needless to say, the even lower brain-stemmed parasites they might have had would be equally surprised at their new awakening. Another problem with home freezing is the freezing process takes too long and microscopic cell walls are damaged in this slow method making the fish taste fishy and have a poor texture.

 

Younger fish are less likely to have contracted parasites just due to the fact that they haven’t been around a long time to catch them. Fish coming from the Pacific Ocean are more likely to have parasites than fish from the Atlantic Ocean because the Pacific has a higher population of marine mammals and so they spread parasites that they contract. The Atlantic has fewer marine mammals and therefore fewer parasites. Wild caught salmon are almost always found with parasites while their farmed cousins rarely are found with parasites. Most incidences involving a person contracting a parasite from sushi are from people preparing it at home and eating raw, wild caught salmon.

 

In all of my years of preparing fish, raw, cooked, marinated, you name it, we’re talking about thousands of fish in my lifetime, I have only found two parasites in my fish, one was dead in a frozen snapper the other was alive in a fresh wild salmon filet.

 

Once again it looks like I have drawn a sad picture for the sushi eater striving to enjoy his meal but let me add this.

 

Let’s start with the fact that fish are inspected by the initial processor to find the best specimens right at the start. You can translate that into “Let’s find the fish we can charge the most for first, and get them out of the masses and treat them better.” When this batch of fish is set aside a couple of these fish will be sampled for parasites. If they are deemed as having low to no noticeable parasites they are then sent to be processed and frozen with a nitrogen blast freezer.

 

The FDA has required all fish (with the exception of tuna) destined to be served raw in the U.S. to be frozen at a minimum of minus four degrees Fahrenheit for seven days or minus thirty-one degrees Fahrenheit for fifteen hours. Either process will kill any and all parasites inside of a fish. Freezing in this method happens so quickly that the ice crystals that form are very short and don’t pierce through cell walls, and so the fish can legally be sold as “Fresh.” Home freezers cannot freeze this quickly and so not only do parasites survive the process but the long time lapse of freezing creates long ice crystals that pierce cell wall after cell wall as they grow. Freeze a strawberry or onion in your home freezer and let it thaw and you will get a very dramatic example of what damage can occur.

 

You might ask why tuna are mostly free of parasites while something like catfish are not safe to eat raw. It’s simple if you think of it this way. Tuna are like F-16 fighter jets, and catfish are like New York City subway cars. F-16s are rarely in the area that spray-painting graffiti vandals are found and even if a tagger saw an F-16 flying by he wouldn’t have a good chance of catching it and spraying it. A New York Subway car on the other hand, is found in the relative vicinity of vandals and doesn’t actually put up much of a fight getting away. Larger species of tuna are considered so low in parasitic incidence that the FDA does not require them to be frozen to kill parasites, however most are voluntarily frozen anyway just for shipping, freshness, and safety’s sake. Also, most parasites are found close to the skin’s surface, so sushi that comes from deep inside a fish like “maguro” is almost guaranteed to be parasite free.

 

If you want to make sushi at home and want to be confident that your fish is free from the danger of parasites, ask your fishmonger for “Sashimi Grade” fish. These are fish that go through all of these FDA measures to guarantee your safety. Not only are they inspected and found to be at least very low in parasites, but then they are frozen to a point where no hidden parasites could survive.

 

Your chances of becoming infected with a parasite in a U.S. sushi bar are so low that it could reasonably be dismissed as an issue in our modern times. Sushi in other countries is still at risk, but many of these other countries are picking up our “Freeze the parasites to death” program. Even sushi bars in Japan, with their obsession of the freshest seafood possible, are becoming safer to eat at.

 

So for all of the paranoid, hypochondriac, and doom saying folks who are scared to eat sushi in fear that their body will become the next great rave party for the squirmy wiggly critters, I’m sorry to tell you that America’s professional sushi bars are secured by some of the best bouncers since Patrick Swayze watched over “Roadhouse.”

 

 

Copyright 2008 Ross A. Christensen

Introducing Someone to Sushi
By Ross A. Christensen
 

So your new girlfriend has never had sushi, or your boyfriend is always calling your lunch “bait”, or perhaps your wife is a shrill hag and you just want to feed her so she’ll shut up at least long enough to chew.

 

Introducing someone to sushi is always a little fun and a little tenuous, but no matter what, it will be an event to remember.  Whether one is struggling to use a pair of chopsticks, dropping sushi in your lap, or joking about the next course being whale testicles, sushi is best eaten with someone you enjoy being with.

 

If you aren’t a sushi aficionado and you’d like to study up on the etiquette of sushi bars, or discover a little more about what’s on the menu, or learn about the great nutrition of sushi, I recommend a fantastic book named “Sushi A to Z, The Ultimate Guide”.  You could even bring the book with you to the sushi bar to answer any questions that might pop up.

 

Now that you have brushed up on everything you will need to know to have a good meal, double check the hours of the sushi bar you plan to go to.  There are very few things more embarrassing than showing up to lunch at a closed restaurant.

 

Your wait staff may bring you a moist towel for you to wipe your hands, just place it back in the basket when you are done, usually they will leave it so you can use it throughout your meal.

 

Sit at the bar right in front of the sushi chef (called “Itamae”, ee-tah-may).  If he/she doesn’t already know you, introduce yourself and your friend, mention that this is your friend’s first time eating sushi and you would appreciate any help and input that they can provide.  Most Itamae will suggest starting out with a California Roll.  This is typically made with surimi (imitation crab), avocado, cucumber, and mayonnaise wrapped in rice, nori, and sesame seeds.  This is one of the most popular sushi rolls ever invented, and since there is no raw fish involved it is rarely offensive to someone unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine. 

 

Tamago (sometimes spelled tomago) is a cooked egg omelet made with chicken eggs, bonito stock, soy sauce, and sugar or mirin.  It is similar to a French crepe in the way it’s made, but instead of removing each cooked crepe, the first crepe is rolled up to one end of the special rectangular tamago pan and becomes the base for the next crepe which, when cooked, the first crepe is rolled inside to the other end of the pan.   The process is repeated until it becomes a thick log. That is why it’s called “thousand layer omelet”, because of the several layers all rolled together.   It is then chilled, cut into sushi sized pieces, and then placed on top of a ball of rice.  Due to its mild flavor, this is also a good entré into sushi.

There is plenty of cooked sushi to try in order to familiarize someone with sushi so they can become accustomed to it before indulging into the raw or exotic sushi.  There’s ebi, which is cooked shrimp; kani, cooked crab; anago and unagi, cooked eels; shako, cooked mantis shrimp; tako, cooked octopus; all of which can be a good introduction to sushi without eating raw seafood.  There are numerous styles of maki that have cooked ingredients for the squeamish. The Spider Roll is a large maki type roll that is made from a whole cooked soft-shelled crab and several other ingredients.  It just happens one of my favorites since it fulfills every American man’s need of breaded, deep-fried food. The maki is so large that just eating one piece of it in one bite is almost impossible, so be prepared for a mess.

 

Ordering edamame (fresh, boiled & salted soybeans) to snack on during the meal is a good idea, because sometimes it can take a while for sushi to be prepared.  If you’ve never had them, the soybeans in the pod are eaten by putting the end of the pod in your mouth and pinching the beans out.  Many sushi bars will provide a paper bowl to put the discarded pods in. 

 

Once you have someone comfortable with the idea of being in the room with a shark’s buffet table, you can introduce them to the idea of eating from the raw side of the smorgasbord.  The selections that are easiest to introduce are negi-toro maki, raw tuna and onions, which makes you feel like you are eating beef tartar; or a spicy tuna maki, which is tuna, mayonnaise, and flying fish eggs, with a fantastic southeast Asian based hot sauce called sriracha (it’s actually made in central California and it makes the world’s best buffalo wings). 

 

You can appear exceptionally skilled by knowing a few little things to pass on to your guest, like adding only a few drops of soy sauce from the pitcher (called a shoyu sashi) to your dish (called a kozara).  Filling your kozara up with soy sauce is considered wasteful by the Japanese and is a sign of an amateur sushi eater.  Adding just a few drops to your dish every time you need it is the sign of a pro.  You can also make yourself look more accomplished by being sure that only the fish part of their sushi touches the soy sauce and not the rice.  If the rice is dipped into the soy sauce, it soaks it up and the rice ball will fall apart before you can raise it to your mouth. 

 

What I would consider as one of the most important things to do when introducing someone to sushi is that you don’t get all tied up in forcing etiquette and rules upon the newbie.  Nobody wants to get involved with a hobby or pastime that is overly complicated or dogmatic.  Although there are people who believe that sushi should be eaten at a certain time of day in a certain way with special rules, most of those people started eating sushi just as you and I and weren’t born with the knowledge of the sea gods floating within their heads.  And since you aren’t in Japan you aren’t expected to act like you are Japanese.  Even if the entire staff of the restaurant is from Japan and the menus are written in Japanese, YOU are an American, so you don’t have to feel the need to blend in.  (If you’re reading this and you happen to be of Japanese decent, the idea still applies; the restaurant you’re dining in is in America and the staff realizes they’re serving Americans.)

Be supportive while introducing this new world to your companion.  Although jokes about parasites and deadly fugu may be funny to the people who love and understand sushi, it’s scarier to the person who’s new to the group.  Let me further illustrate this point.  One day I went to the doctor, and as we reviewed the current set of my x-rays he said, “Does looking at this concern you, because it scares the heck out of me!?”  Although I understand his comment and there was some humor there, a big part of me also had this feeling of, “This is NOT how to ease a person’s fears, Doctor!”  Think of yourself as the doctor when you are taking someone to a sushi bar, they are looking at you as the expert and the one to put their nervousness and fears to rest; they DON’T want to be the punch line of your next joke.

 

Introducing someone to sushi is taking them on a journey of discovery.  It’s a whole new arena in life to explore with a wide variety of tasty rewards.  Sushi is more than a meal, it’s an opportunity to meet people, share stories, make memories, laugh at ourselves and grow closer to the people around us.

 

 

Copyright 2008 Ross A. Christensen