re: #640 lincolntf

I have never eaten sushi. And believe me, it hasn’t been easy. My wife loves it, and as of a few years ago there’s been a huge explosion in the number of places that serve it. I’d say that at least 50% of the time we go out to dinner with other couples/rels someone tries to talk me into sushi.
At first, it was just an aversion to the idea of eating bait, now it’s like a matter of principle. I intend to go to my grave having never eaten raw fish.
Oysters on the other hand, I won’t have any other way.

Not all sushi is raw, and not all sushi has fish in it. Most places offer various fried or vegetarian fillings.

Proximity to the ocean makes a big difference. We’re in the heart of the Midwest, and sushi around here, while good, isn’t going to be winning any awards anytime soon. When we visited the Olympic Peninsula in Washington a couple of years ago, though, the crappiest drive-through sushi joint (yes, they have those out there) beat the best sushi I’ve had locally by miles. It doesn’t hurt, I suppose, that there is a large Asian immigrant population in that area, either.

My personal favorite around here is sushi made with fried freshwater eel.

Unfortunately, even though we border the Great Lakes, freshwater fish has issues with parasites. Saltwater fish doesn’t seem to have these issues - I know parasitologists who will eat sushi without hesitation, but who run screaming at the idea of using, say, pickerel or fresh-water salmon in place of something out of the ocean.