Those practices are low risk. An experienced sushi chef can look at fish and tell if is safe to eat by texture smell etc. I have never eaten steak tartar however I think it is thin strips of meat with some kind of acid fruit sauce that reduces bacteria. Again it is all about calculated risk -David > I wish I > did! I guess I look at it the other way sometimes, why have certain > raw meat-eating practices been handed down through the centuries, and > why do so many cultures have raw food dishes, such as sushi, sashimi, > steak tartar, raw oysters, etc.