sashimi
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: enpr: sə-shēʹ-mē
ipa: /səˈʃiːmi/
rhymes: -iːmi
enpr: săʹ-shĭ-mē
ipa: /ˈsæʃɪmi/
rhymes: -ɪmi
Forms: form: sashimis
form: sashimi
Etymology: Borrowed from Japanese 刺身 (sashimi, literally “sticking into; slicing + flesh, meat”, from the way the flesh of the fish is sliced).
Senses: examples: text: “I want three sashimis and one large squid tempura. And get the man another drink.” The geisha bowed.
ref: 1979, Jim Harrison, chapter 4, in Legends of the Fall, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 2016, →ISBN, page 178:
text: A sashimi of beef—thin peppered strips seared to a point just past rawness—was served with a frothy dressing of egg whites whipped with mustard and herbs, including tarragon and chives. The two sashimis may be the only dishes I enjoyed at La Petite Chaya that are still on the menu, […]
ref: 1983 November, Caroline Bates, “Spécialités de la Maison—California: Bernard’s, The Grand House, La Petite Chaya”, in Jane Montant, editor, Gourmet: The Magazine of Good Living, volume XLIII, number 11, New York, N.Y.: Gourmet, Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 90, column 2:
text: “Two Caesars to begin, mine with extra anchovies,” Carlsson says, “then, let’s see, Miss Preston’s a fish lover, so do the tuna and sand dab sashimi as a main for her, and I’ll have the free-range as usual.” / “One sashimi, one chicken. Very good, sir.”
ref: 1996, Michael M[ackenzie] Thomas, “Part Two: A Baker’s Dozen”, in Baker’s Dozen: A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Farrar Straus Giroux, →ISBN, section II, page 88:
glosses: A dish consisting of thin slices or pieces of raw fish or meat.
examples: text: The display and garnishing of the sashimi is an important testing ground for the chef’s artistic originality. After all, the fish are raw, and beyond making sure that they are fresh and of high quality, there is little to be done about the flavor. Therefore the chef must become an artist if the sashimi are to be memorable.
ref: 1977, Thomas Hoover, “Private Zen: Flowers and Food”, in Zen Culture, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →ISBN, part III (The Rise of Popular Zen Culture: 1573 to the Present), page 221:
text: You will recall that, contrary to the relative appearance of the words, the sashimi are the simple raw fish slices and the sushi are the rolls of rice and raw fish.
ref: 1983 May 31, Robert Nadeau, “Restaurant: Gyuhama of Japan: Suit yourself with sushi”, in Richard M. Gaines, editor, The Boston Phoenix, volume XII, number 22, Boston, Mass.: Boston Phoenix Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, section 2, page 10, column 3:
text: The remarkable news is that all the sashimi were quite fresh — hard to achieve in a small restaurant.
ref: 1983 December 27, Robert Nadeau, “Restaurant: Edo Restaurant: Not Zen but simple”, in Richard M. Gaines, editor, The Boston Phoenix, volume XII, number 52, Boston, Mass.: Boston Phoenix Inc., →ISSN, →OCLC, section 2, page 10, column 4:
text: It is customary to serve sashimi in odd numbers, which are considered lucky, and servings of five sashimi are common. Thus, the small flat dish in which the soy sauce comes is large enough, but not too large, for one sashimi at a time.
ref: 2009, Lucien Ellington, “Food as Art”, in Japan (Asia in Focus), Santa Barbara, Calif.: ABC-CLIO, →ISBN, chapter 6 (Culture), “Food” section, page 294:
text: “Maybe I will have one of these sashimi,” I said, reaching for a slimy pink glob.
ref: 2012, Laura Levine, chapter 13, in Death of a Neighborhood Witch (A Jaine Austen Mystery; 11), New York, N.Y.: Kensington Books, →ISBN, page 119:
text: Nudge the photo over (using keyboard arrow keys if you like) so that the sashimi are well situated in the frame.
ref: 2020, Joyce Walsh, “Design + Software Skills 5.1: InDesign Place Image and Path Layout”, in Graphic Design Essentials: With Adobe Software, 2nd edition, New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury Visual Arts, →ISBN, chapter 5 (Layouts), page 143:
glosses: A thin slice or piece of raw fish or meat.
Derived terms: sashimi grade
Related terms: kuai