Sushi Needs Dry Ice

To get the "freshest" sushi, fresh-caught fish are flash frozen to very cold temperatures using dry ice.  In fact, the Food and Drug Administration requires that fish to be eaten raw be frozen first, to kill parasites.  Only tuna is exempt, but seafood experts believe flash freezing tuna to 70 degrees below zero immediately upon catching it, preserves the flavor best.  In fact, leading sushi chefs prefer fish frozen and kept at 70 below, rather than the commercial 10 below standard.  They believe the fresh flavor is preserved better at 70 below.

The super-cold freezing method was developed about 15 years ago by Japanese fishermen, who wanted to preserve their catch on long fishing trips.  It takes about a day and a half to completely freeze a 500-pound tuna using dry ice and liquid nitrogen.  The frozen fish then can be kept for as long as two years.  It is then sawed into pieces which are thawed in warm water just before serving.  Bon appetit!

Call Continental Carbonic toll-free at 800-DRY-ICE2. Visit our News Archive to find out about more ways to use dry ice.