Sashimi Moriawase

The moriawase format grew out of the broader tradition of sashimi and of formal Japanese banquet service, where a 'mukozuke' course of sliced raw fish has long been part of kaiseki and honzen meals; arranging an assortment for visual and seasonal effect is part of that aesthetic. As refrigeration and rail transport spread fresh fish inland in the Meiji era and the modern wholesale markets developed in the 20th century, restaurants could reliably offer several species at once, and the assorted platter became a fixture of sushi counters, izakaya and ryotei. The selection is meant to follow the season, and the arrangement principles—balance of colour, placing lighter fish before richer—are codified in professional practice rather than tied to a single inventor.

Each piece eats differently: tuna is soft and faintly iron-rich, white fish is firmer and cleaner with a sweet finish, the oily fish is buttery, and a sweet prawn or scallop is slick and almost sugary. Eaten in order from lightest to richest, with a smear of real wasabi and a light dip of soy, the flavours build without one overwhelming the next; pickled ginger or a slice of daikon resets the palate between kinds. The fish should be cold, glossy and yield cleanly under the tooth—any sliminess, dullness or a fishy smell means it is past its best.

The dish is built on the cut and the cure. Each species is sliced by a method matched to its flesh—thick rectangular hira-zukuri for soft tuna, paper-thin usu-zukuri for firm white fish—using a single clean draw of a long yanagiba knife so the muscle fibres are severed rather than torn and the surface stays glassy. Sawing crushes the cells and the fish weeps onto the plate. The shredded-daikon tsuma is not mere decoration: it is cut into long fine threads and soaked in cold water to crisp it, and it keeps the slices separate, soaks up surface moisture and refreshes the palate. Arrangement places taller and richer items at the back and lighter ones in front, both for looks and for eating order.