Reddit Is Divided On This Oddly Satisfying 'Sashimi Roll'

The popular subreddit r/oddlysatisfying, which has over 6 million members, is an online group that devotes itself to finding and celebrating "those little things that are inexplicably satisfying." But while that may sound like a soothing, wholesome environment, that doesn't mean that r/oddlysatisfying is completely drama-free. In fact, certain posts can be pretty polarizing, as a new post made by Reddit user u/AgeanAir recently made clear.

Initially, there might not seem to be anything to dislike about the post, which featured a colorful, beautiful arrangement of what appeared to be raw fish wrapped in seaweed plated on a simple white dish, with the caption "This Sashimi roll!" The fish was carefully shaped in a neat cube, with what looked like sliced avocado and roe delicately placed on top. And while no fellow Reddit users had anything negative to say about the aesthetics of the pretty food display, the post set off a heated debate in the comments nonetheless.

Tensions broke out over the terminology for the type of dish that was pictured. "Sashimi," which translates to "pierced fish," is a raw fish, typically some sort of salmon or tuna, that is thinly sliced and served without rice, according to Lionfish. Many people might mistake the food for sushi (one Redditor called it "Americanized sushi"). However, "sushi" refers to vinegared rice that can be served with various foods in bite-sized portions, per Benihana.

Reddit users were quick to point out the error in referring to the pictured dish as sashimi, which is not typically served in a roll. However, since the meal had no rice, it does not strictly meet the criteria for sushi, either. "If it is a roll it is by definition not sashimi," replied u/PurplePineapple3000. But one user compared the idea of a "sashimi roll" to pizza rolls, saying, "Isn't that why they added the 'roll?' ... Like how pizza rolls aren't pizza." "I think that's the point of the name. It's saying, this is essentially just fish, but in roll form ... it's a hybrid roll with an intentionally hybrid name, to help convey its hybrid-ness," u/BitterLikeAHop suggested. However, someone else seemingly took issue with the use of "roll," calling it a "sashimi cube."

Others expressed their skepticism that the dish, however aesthetically pleasing it may be, would actually taste good. "Having all different kinds of fish mixed like that would mean you couldn't appreciate any of them, great to look at not great to eat," posted u/Zaphod424. And u/goldeyesamurai agreed: "The point of sashimi is to be the best cutting and most subtle [flavor]. Mixing it all together completely defeats the point!" That doesn't necessarily make the display any less satisfying to look at.