Holiday Ayo - Who among you likes Japanese cuisine? Japanese cuisine in Indonesia is very famous and has its own fans. There are lots of Japanese culinary delights that Indonesian people really like. Apart from sushi and ramen, there is also sashimi which is one of the favorite Japanese culinary delights of Indonesian people. 

Sashimi is seafood served raw with soy sauce, grated ginger and wasabi. Usually the seafood served is mostly sea fish. Of the many sea fish, those that are familiar in Indonesia for sashimi are salmon and tuna. But did you know that in their country of origin there are five other types of sea fish that are also often used as sashimi, namely:

1. Pufferfish

source: Live Japan

The first is the puffer fish or fugu fish . This fish is actually a type of poisonous fish which, if not processed properly, can be dangerous for the body. But if prepared by the right hands, puffer fish can be a delicious sashimi dish that is rich in protein. Unlike tuna and salmon which are served in quite thick slices, this pufferfish is served in very thin slices like paper. 

2. Stone Fish

source: The Journal

Turning to rock fish, which is a type of sea fish that is often used as a sashimi dish in its home country. Stone fish, aka stone fish, are actually better known as okoze. So if you ever find a sashimi menu that contains the name okoze, then the sashimi contains stone fish. Just like puffer fish, this stone fish can actually be poisonous if not prepared properly, so only a professional chef must be able to serve it. Stonefish will be served without skin because the skin contains toxins that are dangerous for the body.

3. Parrot Fish

source: Amazon.com

Switch to parrot fish which are often found in areas around Okinawa. This parrotfish actually has a beautiful appearance because of its colorful skin. But behind its beautiful skin, parrot fish is also very delicious when made into sashimi. However, to eat it, you have to dig deep into your pockets because the price is very expensive. On average, parrot fish are sold for around IDR 2 million per fish.

4. Lophius fish

source: hotcore.info

Lophius fish or monk fish is a type of sea fish that looks very unattractive. In contrast to parrot fish which look beautiful, this lophius fish has grayish black skin with wide snout lips so it looks a bit scary. But if it has been processed into sashimi, then you will feel its very delicious taste. Lophius fish is usually made into sashimi in the form of thin slices.  

5. Aka Yagara fish

source: apatheic

Finally, there is the fish, aka yagara or red cornetfish , which cannot be found in Indonesia because it only exists in the waters of the Japanese ocean. This aka yagara fish has a long shape with a long mouth measuring 10-12 cm. You could say that its shape is similar to an eel because the surface of the skin is also very slippery so it requires special skills to process it into sashimi. The taste of this aka yagara fish has a slightly sweet taste with a soft texture and melts in the mouth.