: How do food shows and gourmet menu serve semi cooked sea food and meat without risking diseases?
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Certain meats can be served raw safely
Highend restaraunts not only know how to serve it safely, they also have the kitchens to do it and can source the high quality meat required.
Some raw meat is actually submerged in boiling salt water for a few seconds to kill bacteria, while others are mixed with acids like vinegar and lemon juice. Some meats are seared only on the outside because the bacteria only lives on the surface.
It’s only when meat is cut, sliced, and diced (increasing the surface area) that it really because vulnerable to bacteria. This is why meat is prepared at the last possible minute. If you slice meat and leave it around, that’s when you have a problem. This is also why meat like cold cuts lasts so long, it’s sealed in an outer crust that prevents the bacteria from getting to the meat inside, but the moment you slice it the shelf life is greatly reduced.
Sushi for example is safe because Ocean fish is far less likely to have bacteria and parasites than river fish.
Raw tuna for example is perfectly safe so long as it’s stored and prepared properly.
A lot of sushi restaurants (particularly lower end ones, and those away from the coasts) will serve flash frozen Tuna instead. The fast freezing process kills any bacteria while (mostly) preserving the texture and allows them to store it safely in a fridge. So it appears raw, but it was previously frozen.
River fish like eel however has to be cooked to make it safe, which is why BBQ’d eel is a common form of sushi prep.
Chicken is one of the most notorious meats that shouldn’t be eaten raw because chickens are very likely to contain salmonella. That’s why Chicken is almost always served well done.
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