Did you know that Citric Acid...

Fish Ceviche

To expand and broaden my blog, I've decided to start a "Did you know that..." series where I post random facts that pertain to foods that might be interesting.  Often, I come across amazing recipes, helpful tips on cooking/baking, and unconventional ways of doing things that are much more simpler than the old conventional ways, so why not share them with you? 

Tuna Tartare

As I was reviewing the Waterbar's salmon tartare, I instantly thought of my conversation I had with someone.  Can't remember who exactly, but we talked about raw sea foods "cooking" in citric acids.  A foreign concept, I looked to validate the truth.

As odd as it sounds, it is true. 

People normally think of cooking through the use of heat because the process changes the nature of the molecules and properties of whatever is being cooked.  Like heat, the citric acid also changes the physical and chemical properties even though it doesn't seem that way to the naked eye.  So even though the salmon tartare was in it's raw form, it was technically bathed and cooked in lime juice.  Hence why the taste was remarkably different from that of sushi.  However, I'm not quite sure if the salmon from Waterbar is the same grade as the ones served at sushi-specific restaurants.  That I would have to research more into.

Salmon Tartare

As far as cooking with citric acids, it is recommended to dice the raw sea foods into small cubes.  This is so that there is more surface area that the citric acid can effectively cook.  Try to marinate the sea foods from 15 minutes to about an hour, depending on the type of seafood.  Note:  Cooking with citric acids doesn't kill bacteria like heat would which means that there is a higher chance of getting food-borne illnesses and parasites.  Otherwise, it is a tasty alternative to cooking foods besides heat.

And now you know.

If you are interested in learning more about this, click here for a more detailed explanation.




<3 Lina Chen