sashimi

American  

[sah-shee-mee, sah-shee-mee] / sɑˈʃi mi, ˈsɑ ʃiˌmi /

noun

Japanese Cooking.

1. raw fish cut into very thin slices.

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sashimi British  

/ ˈsæʃɪmɪ /

noun

1. a Japanese dish of thin fillets of raw fish

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Usage

What’s the difference between sashimi and sushi? Sashimi and sushi are both dishes you’ll find on the menu of a Japanese restaurant, and you might even order both at once, but they’re not the same thing. Sashimi is raw fish cut into thin slices. Sushi consists of bite-sized pieces of cold, boiled rice, stuffed or topped with various ingredients. The variety of sushi perhaps best-known outside of Japan is called maki (or maki-zushi). It’s made by forming a roll of rice around various fillings, especially vegetables, raw seafood, or a combination, and then wrapping the roll in seaweed and slicing it into small, bite-sized rounds. Another variety, nigiri (or nigiri-zushi), consists of bite-sized pieces of rice topped with raw seafood or something else. In Japanese, the word sushi means “sour rice” (the rice is traditionally moistened with rice vinegar). The word sashimi comes from the Japanese sashi, meaning “pierce” or “stabbing,” and mi, “flesh” or “body.”Many people associate sushi with a raw fish or seafood element, and it often includes these, but not always. It can be filled or topped with many other things—its essential ingredient is rice. Sashimi, on the other hand, is simply thinly sliced raw fish (often accompanied with soy sauce or wasabi). (You may see some non-fish dishes prepared sashimi-style, which typically means they’re sliced thin like sashimi is.)Here’s an example of sashimi and sushi used correctly in a sentence. Example: I love ordering sushi with unusual combinations of ingredients, but sometimes I prefer the simplicity of sashimi. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between sashimi and sushi.

Etymology

Origin of sashimi

1875–80; < Japanese sashi stabbing + mi ( y ) body (< *mui )

Explanation

Sashimi is a Japanese dish consisting of small pieces of raw fish. If you order sashimi in a restaurant, it will be served with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. Sashimi is basically sushi without the rice and seaweed; it's simply high-quality morsels of raw fish. This delicacy is made with salmon, tuna, mackerel, and many other types of fish, cut into precise slices. The word sashimi comes from Japanese sashi, "to pierce," and mi, "flesh." Some experts think it was coined during an era when kiru, "to cut," was considered inauspicious for anyone other than a Samurai to use.

Example Sentences

Instead of damaging the coral reefs, these mohawked creatures end up on a plate later that day in ceviche or sashimi form.

From Salon • Mar. 14, 2026

"Demand is being driven by consumers looking for premium, high-quality seafood they can trust, with Scottish salmon particularly valued in high-end dining and sashimi markets for its quality, provenance, and consistency," the spokesperson said.

From BBC • Feb. 12, 2026

This three-tiered showstopper arrives stacked with 12 pieces of nigiri, 12 pieces of sashimi and two maki rolls, all spotlighting premium fish.

From Salon • Sep. 29, 2025

When Thomas Tao was a student in New York in the 2010s, he says he rarely came across Chinese fine-dining, but Americans were very willing to pay for, say, Japanese sashimi.

From BBC • Aug. 16, 2025

I had a sashimi dish last night that was positively delightful.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller