Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish of vinegar rice with added sugar and salt accompanied by various ingredients such as raw seafood and vegetables. Although sushi styles vary widely, the main ingredient is sushi rice, also known as Shari or Sumeshi.
It was traditionally prepared with medium-grain white rice, brown rice, or short-grain rice. Moreover, it is often prepared with seafood such as: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, eel, squid, or imitation crab meat. The other option is vegetarian sushi which is often served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce.
So, can you eat day old sushi? Yes, as long as it is stored in the refrigerator. If refrigerated, your sushi will still be good to consume within 24 hours. But if stored at room temperature, it might have already growing bacteria.
Is Eating Day Old Sushi Bad for You?
It depends on how you store it. It’s not bad if you keep it in your refrigerator and consume your leftover sushi before 24 hours. If stored at room temperature, bacteria can grow on your sushi since it contains raw meat components such as tuna rolls and sashimi.
The taste and texture of your sushi are bound to change if not eaten fresh. For instance, the sashimi might be softer, the seaweed paper becomes limp, and the rice can become harder. In some cases, you might have been caught up and realized your sushi had hit the 25-hour mark, and you still don’t want to throw it away.
Do not panic since you can still check if it is edible. Be keen on the color and the smell of the sushi and if you detect the slightest fishy or off-putting smell, throw it away immediately. As for the color, you may notice it turning dull or having a different color from what you remember when you ordered. You may see some slime or mold too. If this happens, do not hesitate to discard it.
To keep your sushi fresh for a while without bacteria contamination, you should store it in tight plastic wraps and place it in an airtight container. Ensure there is no water present in your sushi rolls since it can catalyze bacteria growth.
Moreover, ensure you refrigerate at 41 degrees to ensure no warmth is available to make your sushi go bad.
How to Tell Your Sushi is Fresh
Eating bad sushi can be the most traumatizing experience that will make you despise sushi for the rest of your culinary life. You might suffer foodborne diseases such as diarrhea, upset stomach, vomiting, and in the worst case, you might find yourself in the ER. To avoid such issues, it is crucial to have some tricks up your sleeve if you are a first-time sushi eater.
The following are several ways that can help you distinguish fresh sushi from the not-so-fresh one:
Step 1: Smell the Sushi
The main and immediate way to detect fresh sushi is the smell. Besides having fish pieces, sushi should not have a fishy smell. When fresh, it should smell like watermelon or cucumber.
High-quality sushi is usually flash-frozen and stored properly hence not emitting a fishy smell. If you order Sushi and happen to get a fishy smell, it means your Sushi is not fresh, and you should not eat it.
Step 2: Look at the Sushi’s Appearance
The freshness of your sushi is indicated by looking bright, shiny, and translucent. Although some restaurants use frozen fish, fresh frozen fish remains stay bright and uniform without blotches or discoloration.
Ensure you avoid any fish that has a milky residue on it or looks dull in color. If your Sushi has seaweed on the outside, it should be crispy without being mushy, which might indicate that it has taken on moisture from the rice.
Step 3: Use Your Hands
Use your finger and press the fish’s flesh, which should be flexible but not leaving a fingerprint or a dentation.
Therefore, you can use the above tips to ensure that your sushi is fresh and safe to eat.
What is the Nutritional Value of Sushi?
Sushi is a popular and loved cuisine that most consumers do not know its nutritional value. There is no cause for alarm since Sushi is considered low-calorie food that serves craving purposes without adding weight. However, some ingredients you can take advantage of, such as raw fish without rice, contain low calories and are very nutritious.
The following are different types of Sushi made in different styles that you can enjoy without worrying about adding on weight:
- Tuna roll contains 24 grams of protein, 184 calories, 27 grams of carbs, and 2.0 grams of fat.
- Cucumber roll contains 30 grams of carbs, 136 calories, 0.0 grams of fat, and 6.0 grams of protein.
- California roll contains 7.0 grams of fat, 255 calories, 38 grams of carbs , and 9.0 grams of protein.
- Salmon avocado roll contains 304 calories, 8.7 grams of fat, 13 grams of protein, and 42 grams of carbs.
- Shrimp tempura roll contains 21.0 grams of fat, 508 calories, 64 grams of carbs, and 20 grams of protein.
- Avocado roll contains 140 calories, 5.7 grams of fat, 28 grams of carbs, and 2.1 grams of protein.
- Spicy tuna roll contains 290 calories, 11.0 grams of fat, 26 grams of carbs, and 24 grams of protein.
Note that some types of Sushi contain extra add-ons, which makes it unhealthy. Extra mayonnaise in tuna rolls up the calorie count to the roof. Also, tempura sushi means it is fried, thus adding fat and calories, deeming it unhealthy if you are trying to lose weight.
Final Thoughts
- Eating day-old sushi is good if only you store it properly. If you notice some mold, sliminess, or a fishy smell, you should not consume it since it can cause foodborne diseases.
- Your Sushi should be fresh, with no indication of going bad.
- Sushi contains high nutritional value since it has low calories and less fat. Those with extra add-ons are unhealthy, especially if you are on your weight loss journey.
- You can tell if your Sushi is fresh by looking, smelling, and using your fingers to press on it.