Red Snapper Vs Tilapia Sushi Difference

You might want to know the difference between red snapper vs tilapia sushi as both of them are made using different type of fish thus the taste is different. As you know sushi is favored because you can taste the real flavor that the fish meat has which will mostly gone once you cook them. However, not all people love the strong flavor that the fish has, which is why you might want to try and taste sushi which made using red snapper instead. This type of sushi is still delicious so you should not have to worry when trying and tasting it.

The Difference between Red Snapper Vs Tilapia Sushi

You should know that the red snapper itself is dub as “King” in the fish kingdom as it is considered as delicacy if you have the chance to consume this fish. Another reason why Japanese people love to eat the red snapper is because it is said that the fish will bring you good luck. This is why; people love to eat the fish as sushi and it is very popular sushi choice that you can find.

But in America, if you find a red snapper sushi that is sold by typical restaurant and not an authentic one, they actually use tilapia meat instead of red snapper meat. Indeed, tilapia meat is similar in appearance with red snapper meat especially if you never know about red snapper beforehand. But actually looking closer both of the meat are different from one another. This makes the sushi which created using both of the meat to be different, thus they should not be sold in the same name. If you want to know, let us dig further about the difference between those two meats. So next time you will know more whether it is red snapper meat that you eat or tilapia meat.

The first difference between the red snapper vs tilapia sushi can be seen from the origin of the fishes themselves. Actually the red snapper is a fish that comes from the sea, in Japan they are mostly caught in the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile the tilapia is usually raised inside farm using fresh water even though there are also some that grows naturally in the sea water and even brackish water. Because of most tilapia that is sold in America is farmed using fresh water then they are different, even though from the first sight they might appear similar.

The tilapia sushi is actually called as izumi dai by the Japanese restaurant and they use a special sushi grade tilapia to make the sushi. Meanwhile the red snapper meat that is used in Japan called as ma dai which means it is the true snapper. This true name came because there are various other snapper which also known in Japan such as kuro dai which is the black snapper, there is also ishi dai which is the rock snapper, and lastly the ama dai which is the sweet snapper. Actually there is no real known origin from the usage of this name in Japan. But when we take a look into the record that is taken from ancient ruin, it was actually called as tahi. Then during the spread out, the word change into Tai instead, even though the Tai word is also use to call all kind of snapper fishes.

That is why; to know the difference between red snapper vs tilapia sushi when you purchase any of the sushi in the restaurant, you can ask whether the sushi they serve is Tai sushi or the izumi dai sushi. However, there are also occurrence especially in America where a common tilapia is sold as izumi dai even though they are not made using sushi grade tilapia. The reason is because the common tilapia has cheaper price compared to the sushi grade tilapia.

But the tilapia which is used in Japan is very different from the tilapia used in America. They are tilapia that is already sushi grade thus the taste and the texture itself is different from the one sold in America. The tilapia meat that has sushi grade is the one that grows in sea water and even brackish water that we mention before. This tilapia meat is different from those that are raised using fresh water. The reason is because they have sea water fish flavor which is different from fresh water fish flavor.

Another difference between red snapper vs tilapia sushi is on the taste and texture of the meat itself. The meat on the tilapia has very mild flavor which make it similar to the red snapper meat flavor which is also not very strong. Furthermore the tilapia meat itself is very lean without too much fat content which make it taste fresh. Meanwhile on the red snapper, it has more fat content especially on the male fish.

However the texture that both fishes have is actually very different. The tilapia meat has a moderate texture which is not too hard and easy to enjoy for those who only first time eating sushi. However, the red snapper meat has more muscle on the meat which makes the texture turgid and different. And since the meat also has more fat content, this type of meat is considered to be delicacies to eat since it taste very delicious even though it is not too strong.

Those are several things that you need to know to differentiate the red snapper vs tilapia sushi at the restaurant that served them. At first sight, the appearance might be similar since both as white color meat. But actually if you take a look at them closer, then you would know the difference between the two. Now after you know the difference then you would be able to differentiate the two sushi type a lot easier. Do not forget that if you want to eat tilapia sushi, choose one that uses sushi grade tilapia as the meat is firmer and the taste is also more delicious so you can taste the real izumi dai sushi.