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At Sydney Fish Market, we often get asked by consumers what the definition of 'sashimi-grade' is and why it affects price. What we do know is that consumers are keen to get their hands on sashimi-grade products, and are willing to pay the premium for quality.
'Sashimi-grade' refers to seafood that is suitable and safe to eat raw. But who determines this? And what makes some seafood products sashimi-grade and some not?
Today’s consumers have a better understanding of grading and quality through self-education, a changing food service sector, and a booming sushi industry where sashimi-grade products are prevalent and of high quality. Wholesale seafood buyers are looking to fill this need and are willing to pay a premium if the product quality matches the needs of their customers.
But What Gets Labelled Sashimi-Grade, and What Factors can Affect This?
Sashimi-grade comes down to a few different factors, all of which play a part in the end quality. In the end what buyers are looking for is product that the fisher has taken every opportunity to keep as fresh as possible.
Ensure that when using ice, it is an optimal amount. Although refrigerated trucks keep product at an optimal temperature, icing product is your insurance policy on keeping it as fresh as possible during transit.
Implementing the Ike-Jime method (Brain Spiking) on higher value species ensures a perfect and premium product as it reduces stress on the animal and therefore improves the quality of its flesh). It presents well, and typically provides additional shelf life. Getting the body temperature down as quickly as possible is the name of the game here. The process of bleeding out via a small cut behind the gills is key to this process.
If possible, store your catch in a saltwater ice slurry. A saltwater slurry will reduce its temperature dramatically. If your vessel is unable to use saltwater, an ice slurry is still going to provide a far better result for your catch than nothing at all. Buyers specifically look for this on product tickets when they’re inspecting products on the auction floor, or reviewing listings on SFMblue. Make sure you label this correctly.
Another factor that assists in fetching a higher price is product presentation. We’re all consumers and we all shop with our eyes. Everyone would agree that there’s nothing more satisfying than walking into an aisle at Woolworths and seeing all the fruit perfectly stacked and organised; visually, it’s euphoric. Seafood is no different! Wholesale buyers look for signs that the fisher has taken the utmost care in presenting and shipping their product, indicating that the quality and standards are higher than other product available.
Visually this looks more appealing to the eye and shows the wholesale buyer that you care for your catch from the moment it leaves the ocean.
Smaller crates not only present well, but it offers wholesale buyers who are after a smaller quantity the ability to purchase. The more buyer demand there is for your product, the greater the price.
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A real life example: Seller A sent in 20kg crates of Garfish to the SFM Auction (with poor presentation standards and a large crate). They received a total of $7 per kg. Seller B sent in Garfish using a smaller crate, a gusset bag and finger layered presentation, which resulted in a price of $12 per kg.
Use a slap sheet between the product and ice: Doing this ensures that chlorinated ice doesn’t damage the scales or eyes.
Although it isn’t necessarily a reflection of the freshness of your product, cloudy eyes or damaged scaled caused by direct contact with ice are a visual indicator that seafood consumers have been historically warned to avoid. If a wholesaler buyer can, they’ll avoid purchasing a scale damaged product.
All of these factors can help in increasing your products’ overall price at Sydney Fish Market.
