What is Kosher Sushi?

There is still a very widely held view that sushi means just raw fish. But this simply is not true. Sushi does not mean raw fish, but rather refers to a dish made with a special type of vinegar dressed rice. While it is true that sushi can contain raw forms of fish, this is not always the case.

If you keep kosher by maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle, making and enjoying kosher sushi will be quite easy for you. Delicious vegetable sushi can range from single ingredient cucumber rolls to multi-ingredient wonders that feature richly flavored simmered vegetables. Even if you don’t maintain a vegetarian lifestyle, providing a selection of vegetable sushi along with fish based sushi items is a great way to heighten your sushi experience.

There is some question over whether or not it is kosher to eat kosher fish raw. In my recipe pages I will include recipes for sushi that use raw kosher fish as this has been an accepted practice in Memphis, TN. If there is doubt, please consult with your area’s most reliable source on the topic.  Also, please be advised that eating uncooked fish always carries a risk of food bourne illness. Anyone with a compromised immune system should avoid eating raw fish.

If you’re not comfortable with eating raw fish for reasons of kashrut or for personal reasons (i.e. the idea of raw fish just isn’t appealing), delicious kosher sushi can be made with cooked fish. Delicious kosher sushi can also be made with kosher meat such as beef and duck.