Any way you slice it, that's a big fish

Unlike sausage, people really should see how sushi is made.

It's a rare event here since fresh fish used to make sushi and sashimi are usually carved up immediately after they are caught. Mitsuwa Marketplace will offer an unusual -- and large -- glimpse of the process Dec. 1.

The Japanese market in Arlington Heights will host a free Giant Bluefish Tuna Carving Demonstration where a 400-pound tuna will be carved up into sashimi pieces and sold.

That's right, a 400-pound tuna.

"This is a very rare event, something most Japanese people have never seen," Mitsuwa spokesman Atsu Tatsuki said. "It's very dramatic to see such a large fish reduced to sashimi."

Sashimi is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood, sliced into thin pieces. The word "sashimi" means "pierced body."

Carving up the giant fish will take about an hour. All parts of the tuna will be used. Mitsuwa Marketplace hasn't hosted such a carving event in the past four years.

The bluefin tuna and the special chefs who will use long, samurai-like swords to carve it will be flown in special for the event, Tatsuki said.

"The fish can never be frozen, and it's cut from one end all the way to the other," he said.

The demonstration is not particularly gross; there isn't a lot of blood, Tatsuki said.

"It's not like butchering a cow, where there is blood everywhere," he said. "If you have a goldfish at home, you might be a little squeamish. But if you like sushi, it will be very interesting."

Years ago sushi and sashimi were delicacies mainly enjoyed by people of Japanese descent. In recent years, sushi has gotten trendy and today, fast-food sushi restaurants are everywhere.

"The timing of this event is perfect," Tatsuki said.

The demonstration will take place at noon Dec. 1 at the marketplace, 100 E. Algonquin Road in Arlington Heights. Parking is free. Mitsuwa Marketplace is billed as the largest Japanese grocery store in the Midwest.