Traditional Japanese Cuisine: Sushi

Sushi is basically vinegared rice served with sea fish on top, or a mixture of both. It is now popular all over the world and is seen as a Japanese specialty. The most common type is “Nigiri”, or hand-rolled sushi, which is rice rolled into bite-sized pieces, called “Shari”, and topped with a piece of sea fish, called “Neta”. You can add a little "wasabi" (radish) and a little shoyu (soy sauce) to enhance the taste of the sushi.

History of Sushi

Sushi may have started with the custom of preserving food by fermenting raw fish pickled with salt and rice, called "Narezushi". It is said to have started in the Edo period (old Tokyo) in the early 19th century. In the days before refrigeration technology existed, people would boil and pickle fish in soy sauce as a way of preservation. Although hand-rolled sushi started out serving the general public and was sold cheaply at roadside stalls, it has risen in class over time, and today you can even find sushi served at specialty high-end restaurants at sky-high prices.

Hand Rolled Sushi

Red fish, such as tuna or bonito, are called “akami”, and the fat belly of the tuna called “toro” is very popular. White fish (Shiromi), such as red or yellow snapper, have a smoother taste. Fish with shiny skin, such as sardines or mackerel, it is called “hikari-mono” which literally translates to “shiny thing.” There is even a way of cooking with vinegar that hides the strong “fishy” smell. In addition to the usual "Neta", you may also find sea eel or fried eggs, this shows that not all sushi is based on fish alone.

Sushi Variety

There are several types of sushi, for example, “Maki-zushi” cone-shaped rice and seafood wrapped in a hand-rolled piece of “nori” seaweed, and “Chirashi-zushi” which is a layer of sushi on top of a bowl of vinegared rice. Then there is “Inari-zushi”, rice wrapped in a thin layer of fried tofu, and the taste is spicy-sweet. And there is “Oshi-zushi”, where the ingredients of rice and sushi are put in a box and hardened by pressure. This type is often made in Osaka and Toyama Province.

The Right Way to Eat Sushi

First, place a small amount of soy sauce on a small plate, so you can dip the sushi (not the rice) quickly. Don't dunk the sushi in the soy sauce - just a little. Many people ask if it's OK to eat sushi with your hands or if you should use chopsticks to be polite. The answer is that it is acceptable to pick up sushi with your hands, dip the sushi a little in soy sauce, and eat.
The sushi restaurant also serves thin slices of vinegared ginger called “Gari”, and a cup of green tea. People who really enjoy sushi often start with the more bland-tasting “Neta” (like Shiromi) and then the more fishy-flavored variety. Periodically, you can use a little "Gari" or green tea to freshen your mouth.

A Place Where You Can Enjoy Sushi

Today there are many places to enjoy sushi dishes. For example, there are the usual sushi restaurants where you sit at the counter in front of the sushi chef, "conveyor-belt sushi" restaurants where all kinds of sushi plates move on a moving belt and you are free to choose whatever you want, and also sushi. delivery," where you order sushi from your home and it will be delivered straight to your door. Prices start under 1,000 yen for packaged sushi sold at convenience stores and a few thousand yen at a sushi restaurant, up to several tens of thousands of yen for upscale sushi restaurants onsite. -place like in Ginza.