What Salmon Should You Use for Sushi at Home?

One of the most common questions we get at the counter: “Can I just use any salmon for sushi?” The honest answer: it depends on the type — and it matters for your safety, not just the taste. Good news is, we carry two options at the counter that both work well, for different reasons.

Option 1 — Our Fresh Atlantic Salmon: Raw fish can carry parasites that cooking normally kills, and for most fish, that risk is managed through proper freezing. But farmed salmon is the exception: it's raised on a controlled, heat-treated feed with no access to wild prey, which means it doesn't carry the same parasite risk as wild-caught fish. Because of this, our fresh Atlantic salmon — which is farmed — is a genuinely safe choice for sushi, sashimi, or poke bowls at home, without needing a special “sushi-grade” label.

Option 2 — Our Frozen Sushi Salmon (Atlantic): Prefer the classic sashimi-style texture, or want an option that's already handled specifically for raw prep? Our Frozen Sushi Salmon (Atlantic) is flash-frozen to the standard that kills parasites in any salmon. This is the traditional route most sushi restaurants use, and it's a great pick if you want that deep color and firm, silky texture people associate with restaurant-quality sashimi.

So which should you choose? Want convenience and don't want to plan ahead for thawing? Grab the fresh Atlantic salmon — it's ready to slice as-is. Want the classic sashimi texture? Go with the Frozen Sushi Salmon (Atlantic).

One important note: this applies specifically to farmed salmon. If you're ever working with a wild-caught fish for raw preparation (sockeye, Pacific varieties, etc.), it needs to be properly frozen first regardless of how fresh it looks — farming is what removes the parasite risk here, not freshness alone. If you're ever unsure what you're working with, just ask us at the counter.

Bottom line: you've got two safe, solid choices for sushi night at home — no guesswork needed.