Fundamental Hows-Tos

  • How to Thaw

    See below about our recommendations on thawing techniques. It will cover how long it takes, best practice, and long vs short techniques.

    See Below 

  • How to Cut

    Techniques made easy for uncomplicated Umami eating. We've already done the hard part, now see how you might prefer the final cut!

    See Below 

  • How to Raw Product Care

    Our strict process provides sushi-grade raw eating experience at home. Don't be intimidated, we are here to dispel misconceptions!

    See Below 
Short Vid. Instructionals

All About Thawing

All products should go immediately into the freezer after receiving, thaw only when preparing to serve.

For Tuna, Salmon, Suzuki, Scallop, Squid:

  • Fill a large bowl or container with cold water.
  • Check packaging of fish to make sure there are no punctures or tears.
  • Place the vacuum sealed packs in the cold water and leave for 30-60 mins to thaw.
  • Remove fish from packaging and pat dry with a paper towel to absorb moisture.

For Ebi:

  • Thaw in original packaging inside the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

For Uni:

  • Remove the Uni from vacuum packaging and thaw inside the refrigerator for 24 hours. Recommend to place on a dish with a paper towel under the tray to absorb moisture.

For Ikura:

  • Thaw in original packaging inside the refrigerator for 24 hours. 
  • Once thawed, very gently rinse and strain the Ikura in cold water until the water becomes clear. 

While you can refreeze fish, please note that fish loses its flavour and texture when refrozen.

Way of the House-Samurai

See Videos

Salmon: Beneficial to cut perpendicular to grain, but not detrimental to salmon.

Suzuki / Sea Bass: Skin can be removed for sashimi, or torched for additional flavour. Cut straight perpendicular to the length of the fish.

Bluefin Tuna (Akami): Tuna should always be cut perpendicular to grain, this will prevent the meat from ripping or having too much sinew per bite.

Bluefin Tuna (Toro): Same as Akami, cut perpendicular to grain. Take special care to have the sharpest knife possible as the sinew and fat content can make it challenging to cut. Extra special technique called “Kakushi Bocho” can be done, scoring the surface perpendicular to the sinew lines to break up the sinew further and make it softer to chew.

Raw Best Practice

As soon as you receive our products, it is best to keep it in frozen temperature until it is ready for thawing. Refreezing is never recommended if you want to preserve the best quality and retain the most flavor. Thaw the portion you need for that day and refrigerate any leftovers to consume the day after. 

Our Fresh Fish Products:

  1. If left frozen after delivery: best to eat within 2 weeks, all Tuna products best within 10 days.
  2. After the first thaw: best to eat within 2 days refrigerated. For Tuna products, it is recommended you eat the day it is thawed.
  3. If refrozen after thawing: best to eat within 1 week (it will slowly lose texture/flavour after the first thaw). For Tuna products, refreezing is not recommended as it will discolour and lose flavour (only thaw what you need).
  4. Tuna and oxidization: Tuna can brown quickly but it doesn't mean its gone bad! Try dabbing the moisture out and letting it oxidize, the red colour may actually return as it thaws.

Uni, Ebi, Scallop, Squid, and Ikura:

  1. If left frozen after delivery: best to eat within 4 weeks. For Uni, best to eat within 10 days.
  2. After the first thaw: best to eat within 2 days refrigerated. For Uni, it is recommended to eat the day it is thawed for max. flavour and texture.
  3. If refrozen after thawing: best to eat within 2 weeks (it will slowly lose texture/flavour after the first thaw). For Uni, refreezing is not recommended as it loses too much flavour and texture integrity.

Start Your Umami Journey

  • FAQs and Delivery Info.

    Want to learn more about our food care, processes, and delivery methods?
    Read here 

  • Recipe Ideas

    See our Chef collaborations and recipe ideas!
    Get inspired 

  • Umami Support Products

    Need essentials? Ponzu, Wasabi, tea pairing? See our recommendations...
    See products 
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