Sashimi (刺身) is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of the freshest seafoods thinly sliced 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, are usually served cooked, but most, like yellowtail, tuna, and other fishes are served raw. Less common but not unusual sashimi ingredients are vegetarian items such as yuba and raw red meats such as beef or horse.
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. Sashimi is traditionally eaten with chopsticks.
