Cuban-Japanese fusion recipe

Tuna Sashimi with Sour Orange Ponzu and Avocado

Name: Tuna Sashimi with Sour Orange Ponzu and Avocado
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 400 g cleaned tuna loin, skinless and boneless, suitable for raw consumption; 1 medium avocado; 5 g chives; 40 ml strained sour orange juice; 25 ml soy sauce; 15 ml cold water; 3 g grated fresh ginger

Slices of raw tuna with avocado and a citrusy sour orange ponzu: a fresh contemporary Cuban-Japanese fusion appetizer.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation20 min
Total time20 min
Servings4 appetizer servings
DifficultyMedium

This appetizer brings together two pantries: raw tuna cut into slices, prepared using a Japanese technique, and sour orange, the tart citrus used in mojo and marinades that is so evocative of Cuban cooking. The result is a homemade citrusy, salty ponzu that complements the fish without overpowering it.

This is a contemporary fusion dish, not a traditional Cuban or Japanese recipe. It is designed as a light appetizer for a special dinner, with creamy avocado and fresh chives as a contrast. It contains no rice and is not sushi; the tuna is the star.

With raw fish, the most important step comes before slicing: the fish must come from a reliable supplier, be expressly intended for raw consumption and have undergone appropriate parasite control. Read the notes carefully before preparing the dish.

Ingredients

Check off the ingredients you have.

For the sashimi

400 g cleaned tuna loin, skinless and boneless, suitable for raw consumption
1 medium avocado
5 g chives

For the sour orange ponzu

40 ml strained sour orange juice
25 ml soy sauce
15 ml cold water
3 g grated fresh ginger

Method

Ponzu

Mix the strained sour orange juice, soy sauce, cold water and grated ginger in a small bowl. Taste before adding anything else: it should be citrusy and salty, without excessive sweetness. Do not add salt without tasting.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Cover the ponzu and keep it in the refrigerator at 4 °C or below until serving.

Tuna and assembly

Take out the tuna loin, already treated and thawed in the refrigerator, only when you are ready to slice it. Pat it dry with a clean paper towel and work with a clean cutting board and knife used only for the fish.
Using a very sharp knife, cut the cold tuna across the grain into slices 5 to 7 mm thick, using long, clean strokes. If it warms up, chill it again in the refrigerator.
Just before assembling, peel the avocado and cut it into thin slices.
Arrange the tuna in fans on four cold plates, add the avocado slices and sprinkle with the chopped chives.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Serve immediately with the ponzu on the side or add a few teaspoons just before eating. Avoid prolonged marinating to preserve the tuna's color and texture. Do not keep leftovers of dressed fish.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Tips and variations

Raw fish safety (read before cooking).

Buy the tuna from a reliable supplier and specifically ask for fish intended for raw consumption. Confirm with the supplier that they have applied parasite control appropriate to the species and origin, normally through freezing validated by the supplier when applicable. Freshness alone is never a guarantee.
Start with fish that has already been treated and thawed in the refrigerator. The recipe times start with the fish ready to use and do not include preventive freezing or thawing.
Keep the tuna, sauce and all raw preparations at 4 °C or below until serving. Use a clean cutting board, knife and utensils reserved for the fish to avoid cross-contamination with other foods.
Serve freshly prepared and do not keep leftovers of dressed fish.
Citrus juice, soy sauce, miso, kombu or searing or lightly grilling only the outside do not make the raw center safe. Proper freezing controls parasites but does not eliminate all harmful microorganisms; there is no such thing as zero risk.

Fully cooked alternative (for pregnant people, children, older adults and immunocompromised people): cook the tuna until the center reaches 63 °C, measured with a thermometer, and serve it warm or cold with the avocado and ponzu. This completely changes the result: the texture is firm and dry, and the dish is no longer sashimi.

Tips. Cut with a very sharp knife using a single long stroke, without sawing. Taste the ponzu before adding any salt: the soy sauce already contributes plenty. If the sour orange tastes too intense, add another teaspoon of cold water. Cut the avocado at the last moment so it does not darken.

Gluten. Soy sauce usually contains wheat; if you need a gluten-free version, use soy sauce specifically certified gluten-free.