Sashimi

Sashimi (刺身) is a Japanese delicacy consisting of the freshest seafoods served with only a dipping sauce (like shoyu with wasabi, or ponzu sauce) and a simple garnish (like shredded daikon). Some sashimi ingredients, like octopus and shrimp, are are usually served cooked, but most, like yellowtail, tuna, and other fishes are served raw. Eaten with chopsticks.

Sashimi is almost always the first course in a formal Japanese meal. Many people believe that sashimi, traditionally considered the finest dish in Japanese cuisine, should be eaten before other strong flavors affect the palette.

Sashimi is not served with sushi rice. Japanese people often mix wasabi directly into shoyu when preparing dipping sauces for sashimi, while this is generally not done when eating sushi.