This article is about Japanese cuisine. For other uses, see Sushi (disambiguation).
Sushi chef preparing Nigirizushi, Kyoto, Japan.
In Japan, and increasingly abroad, conveyor belt sushi/sushi train (kaiten zushi) restaurants are a popular, cost effective way of eating sushi. At these restaurants, the sushi is served on color-coded plates, with each color denoting the cost of the sushi serving. The plates are placed on a conveyor belt or boats floating in a moat. As the belt or boat passes, the customers choose their desired plates. After finishing, the bill is tallied by counting how many plates of each color have been taken. Some kaiten sushi restaurants in Japan operate on a fixed price system, with each plate, consisting usually of two pieces of sushi, generally costing between ¥100 and ¥200.
More traditionally, sushi is served on minimalist Japanese-style, geometric, wood or lacquer plates which are mono- or duo-tone in color, in keeping with the aesthetic qualities of this cuisine. Many small sushi restaurants actually use no plates — the sushi is eaten directly off of the wooden counter, usually with one's hands.
Modern fusion presentation has given sushi a European sensibility, taking Japanese minimalism and garnishing it with Western gestures such as the colorful arrangement of edible ingredients, the use of differently flavored sauces, and the mixing of foreign flavors. Highly suggestive of French cuisine, this deviates somewhat from the more traditional, austere style of Japanese sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
28/02/2008 Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish." (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Introduction to Sushi
Beginning as a method of pickling fish centuries ago, sushi has evolved into an artful, unique dining experience. In its earliest form, fish was placed between two wads of rice, producing a moderately complex chemical reaction as the fish fermented helping preserve it. Sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries, rice vinegar started to be added to the rice to help speed up the process which took several months. Around this time the rice also started to be consumed with the fish it was used to preserve. Nori (red algae seaweed paper) was added about this period as a way to keep one's fingers from getting sticky, thus creating the first ancestor of modern 'makizushi', or rolled sushi.
Sometime in the mid to late 18th century a restaurant in Edo (modern Tokyo) started serving sushi rice alone with thinly sliced fresh fish pressed into it. This was the start of Edo-Mae sushi, which is also known as 'nigirizushi', or pressed sushi.
Sometime after this, some chef took this one step further and eliminated the sushi rice all together, the birth of sashimi. It is important to note that sashimi specifically refers to thinly sliced raw or mostly raw fish and shellfish.
It is hard to tell when exactly the wasabi and pickled ginger were added, but it is probable they came in with the Edo-Mae sushi, as this was when the focus of sushi became enjoying the taste of the exceedingly fresh fish, and the condiments heighten the experience.
Technically, the word "sushi" refers to the vinegared rice, but, colloquially, the term is used to describe a finger-size piece of raw fish or shellfish on a bed of vinegared rice. This can be eaten as is or dipped into shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and then eaten. Much care is put into the creation of the dish and the many methods of preparing the food indicate the importance of appearance to the educated consumer.
Types of Sushi
Sushi types include makizushi, nigirizushi, oshizushi, and inarizushi.
Makizushi (rolled sushi), or maki for short, is the kind that is most common to North American consumers (see California Rolls) as it is basically sushi layered on top of nori, rolled into a tube, and cut into thick slices. Easy to make and even easier to mass produce, it has found a wide proliferation as a new form of fast food, but still manages to be found in Japanese restaurants that still respect the tradition.
Nigirizushi (hand formed sushi), or nigiri for short, is, as stated above, a hand-formed small bed of rice with an ingredient on top (ranging from tuna or salmon to eel or egg). Nigiri sushi that is served without the rice is called sashimi. Gunkanmaki (battleship roll or boat sushi) is a nigirizushi where an oval piece of sushi rice is surrounded by nori and topped with a topping such as fish eggs.
Oshizushi (pressed sushi) is similar to nigirizushi but it is formed by pressing with the aid of an oshibako, a wooden mold. Generally, the topping is placed in the oshibako first, the rice is added on top, then the combination is pressed together with the oshibako top or lid. After pressing, the sushi is removed and cut to serving sizes.
Inarizushi (stuffed sushi) is generally a pocket or pouch containing the rice and other ingredients. Materials used to make the pocket include tofu, egg, and cabbage leaves.
Sashimi (basically "sliced raw fish without any rice") is often the most artistic form, with thin slices of fish and shellfish being formed into a range of diffrent shapes, especially flowers. While technically not sushi, sashimi is often grouped together with the different types of sushi.
Saikuzushi is an artistic type of sushi, which makes a beautiful image. It is quite difficult to make this, and also quite expensive when bought. Rice is tinted with different colors and later sliced to make an image.
Chirashizushi, or scattered sushi has rice in a box or bowl and seaweed on top. Different kinds of seafood and fish is placed on top, including octopus, squid, tuna, alongside with chopped cucumbers and green onion.
Edomae - or Temakizushi - is one of the most common sushi, with rice and fish rolled up in seaweed. Crab, octopus, tuna, shrimp, and several other types of seafood is rolled up inside the rice. It is even found in convenience stores in Japan.
How to try sushi for the first time
For an authentic experience, make sure your order is a complete sushi experience that, at minimum, includes miso soup, makizushi (sushi rolls), sashimi (pieces of fish with no rice), nigirizushi, and garnishes of wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Hot, fresh, green tea is an excellent beverage to drink with your meal, as is plain water.
Although many Westerners mix the wasabi and soy sauce together in the provided dish, this is not authentic, and is not recommended because it dulls the taste of the wasabi. Instead, add a little soy sauce to the small dish, and if wasabi is desired, add it to the sushi directly. Note: In Japan, sushi chefs will apply a small amount of wasabi to the appropriate types of sushi during preparation. For example, sushi that features its own unique sauce will be prepared sans wasabi so as not to compromise the flavor. Western sushi chefs may do this, but some may not apply wasabi to any sushi.
Sushi can be eaten with chopsticks or by hand; nigiri sushi in particular may be eaten by hand because the rice is packed lightly and may fall apart if eaten with chopsticks. When dipping nigiri sushi in sauce, the best method is to dip the fish, which is what the soy sauce is supposed to flavor, and not the rice, which would absorb too much soy sauce.
Start your meal with simple miso soup but do not spend too much time on any one item as this is the proper Japanese etiquette, instead rotate through your meal to appreciate the quality of each aspect. Many people start with a mild sushi, such as tamago — a sweet, cold omelette — and end with a stronger taste at the end of the meal, like darker fish. Between different items it is recommended that a piece of pickled ginger be eaten to cleanse the palate and ensure that none of the subtle flavor of the sushi is missed.
Enjoy!
Serving Sushi
There are different types of seafood used for sushi, and the most common ones are tuna, salmon, squid and octopus. Using expensive seaweed makes sushi taste much better. Expensive seaweed is darker in color, and is less likely to break when folded or rolled. Cheap seaweed is usually greenish in color. The type of soy sauce (shoyu) used also affects the taste of the sushi; the most commonly used brands are Kikkoman and Yamasa. Many people like to mix wasabi with their shoyu, which makes it quite spicy and wakening.
Ingredients
Various nigiri sushi in an ice sculpture.
All sushi has a base of specially prepared rice, and complemented with other ingredients.
Sushi rice
Sushi is made with white, short-grained, Japanese rice mixed with a dressing made of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, kombu, and occasionally sake. It is usually cooled to room temperature before being used for a filling in a sushi. In some fusion cuisine restaurants, short grain brown rice and wild rice are also used.
Sushi rice (sushi-meshi) is prepared with short-grain Japanese rice, which has a consistency that differs from long-grain strains such as India. The essential quality is its stickiness. Rice that is too sticky has a mushy texture; if not sticky enough, it feels dry. Freshly harvested rice (shinmai) typically has too much water, and requires extra time to drain the rice cooker after washing.
There are regional variations in sushi rice and, of course, individual chefs have their individual methods. Most of the variations are in the rice vinegar dressing: "the Tokyo version of the dressing commonly uses more salt; in Osaka, the dressing has more sugar".
The Wiki Cookbook has a simple recipe for sush
Sushi chef preparing Nigirizushi, Kyoto, Japan.
In Japan, and increasingly abroad, conveyor belt sushi/sushi train (kaiten zushi) restaurants are a popular, cost effective way of eating sushi. At these restaurants, the sushi is served on color-coded plates, with each color denoting the cost of the sushi serving. The plates are placed on a conveyor belt or boats floating in a moat. As the belt or boat passes, the customers choose their desired plates. After finishing, the bill is tallied by counting how many plates of each color have been taken. Some kaiten sushi restaurants in Japan operate on a fixed price system, with each plate, consisting usually of two pieces of sushi, generally costing between ¥100 and ¥200.
More traditionally, sushi is served on minimalist Japanese-style, geometric, wood or lacquer plates which are mono- or duo-tone in color, in keeping with the aesthetic qualities of this cuisine. Many small sushi restaurants actually use no plates — the sushi is eaten directly off of the wooden counter, usually with one's hands.
Modern fusion presentation has given sushi a European sensibility, taking Japanese minimalism and garnishing it with Western gestures such as the colorful arrangement of edible ingredients, the use of differently flavored sauces, and the mixing of foreign flavors. Highly suggestive of French cuisine, this deviates somewhat from the more traditional, austere style of Japanese sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Sushi can be eaten either by hand or using chopsticks, although traditionally nigiri is eaten with the fingers because the rice is packed loosely so as to fall apart in ones mouth, and would disintegrate on chopsticks.[15] Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish."[16] (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
28/02/2008 Traditionally, one should start with white-fleshed or milder-tasting items and proceed into darker, stronger-flavored varieties later. Condiments (soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger) may be used as desired. However, consider the following recommendations:
The soy sauce is to flavor the fish, not the rice, and should be used sparingly so as to not overwhelm the flavor of the fish.
As one connoisseur counsels, "adding wasabi to soy sauce is a disaster. It reduces the spiciness dramatically and masks the taste of the fish." (Likewise, the pickled ginger should be eaten by itself as a palate cleanser between types of sushi, not dipped in soy sauce.) This, however, may be a matter of personal taste as the two are sometimes mixed to form a single dipping sauce known as Wasabi-joyu. In top-end sushi restaurants, it is also considered bad form to request or add extra wasabi when the chef has (or should have) already placed a suitable amount in each morsel.
Also contrary to popular belief in the west, sake is not considered a natural pairing of sushi, since the flavor is too similar to rice to enrich the meal. Beer is usually preferred choice of drink for accompanying sushi
Introduction to Sushi
Beginning as a method of pickling fish centuries ago, sushi has evolved into an artful, unique dining experience. In its earliest form, fish was placed between two wads of rice, producing a moderately complex chemical reaction as the fish fermented helping preserve it. Sometime between the 14th and 16th centuries, rice vinegar started to be added to the rice to help speed up the process which took several months. Around this time the rice also started to be consumed with the fish it was used to preserve. Nori (red algae seaweed paper) was added about this period as a way to keep one's fingers from getting sticky, thus creating the first ancestor of modern 'makizushi', or rolled sushi.
Sometime in the mid to late 18th century a restaurant in Edo (modern Tokyo) started serving sushi rice alone with thinly sliced fresh fish pressed into it. This was the start of Edo-Mae sushi, which is also known as 'nigirizushi', or pressed sushi.
Sometime after this, some chef took this one step further and eliminated the sushi rice all together, the birth of sashimi. It is important to note that sashimi specifically refers to thinly sliced raw or mostly raw fish and shellfish.
It is hard to tell when exactly the wasabi and pickled ginger were added, but it is probable they came in with the Edo-Mae sushi, as this was when the focus of sushi became enjoying the taste of the exceedingly fresh fish, and the condiments heighten the experience.
Technically, the word "sushi" refers to the vinegared rice, but, colloquially, the term is used to describe a finger-size piece of raw fish or shellfish on a bed of vinegared rice. This can be eaten as is or dipped into shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and then eaten. Much care is put into the creation of the dish and the many methods of preparing the food indicate the importance of appearance to the educated consumer.
Types of Sushi
Sushi types include makizushi, nigirizushi, oshizushi, and inarizushi.
Makizushi (rolled sushi), or maki for short, is the kind that is most common to North American consumers (see California Rolls) as it is basically sushi layered on top of nori, rolled into a tube, and cut into thick slices. Easy to make and even easier to mass produce, it has found a wide proliferation as a new form of fast food, but still manages to be found in Japanese restaurants that still respect the tradition.
Nigirizushi (hand formed sushi), or nigiri for short, is, as stated above, a hand-formed small bed of rice with an ingredient on top (ranging from tuna or salmon to eel or egg). Nigiri sushi that is served without the rice is called sashimi. Gunkanmaki (battleship roll or boat sushi) is a nigirizushi where an oval piece of sushi rice is surrounded by nori and topped with a topping such as fish eggs.
Oshizushi (pressed sushi) is similar to nigirizushi but it is formed by pressing with the aid of an oshibako, a wooden mold. Generally, the topping is placed in the oshibako first, the rice is added on top, then the combination is pressed together with the oshibako top or lid. After pressing, the sushi is removed and cut to serving sizes.
Inarizushi (stuffed sushi) is generally a pocket or pouch containing the rice and other ingredients. Materials used to make the pocket include tofu, egg, and cabbage leaves.
Sashimi (basically "sliced raw fish without any rice") is often the most artistic form, with thin slices of fish and shellfish being formed into a range of diffrent shapes, especially flowers. While technically not sushi, sashimi is often grouped together with the different types of sushi.
Saikuzushi is an artistic type of sushi, which makes a beautiful image. It is quite difficult to make this, and also quite expensive when bought. Rice is tinted with different colors and later sliced to make an image.
Chirashizushi, or scattered sushi has rice in a box or bowl and seaweed on top. Different kinds of seafood and fish is placed on top, including octopus, squid, tuna, alongside with chopped cucumbers and green onion.
Edomae - or Temakizushi - is one of the most common sushi, with rice and fish rolled up in seaweed. Crab, octopus, tuna, shrimp, and several other types of seafood is rolled up inside the rice. It is even found in convenience stores in Japan.
How to try sushi for the first time
For an authentic experience, make sure your order is a complete sushi experience that, at minimum, includes miso soup, makizushi (sushi rolls), sashimi (pieces of fish with no rice), nigirizushi, and garnishes of wasabi, soy sauce, and pickled ginger. Hot, fresh, green tea is an excellent beverage to drink with your meal, as is plain water.
Although many Westerners mix the wasabi and soy sauce together in the provided dish, this is not authentic, and is not recommended because it dulls the taste of the wasabi. Instead, add a little soy sauce to the small dish, and if wasabi is desired, add it to the sushi directly. Note: In Japan, sushi chefs will apply a small amount of wasabi to the appropriate types of sushi during preparation. For example, sushi that features its own unique sauce will be prepared sans wasabi so as not to compromise the flavor. Western sushi chefs may do this, but some may not apply wasabi to any sushi.
Sushi can be eaten with chopsticks or by hand; nigiri sushi in particular may be eaten by hand because the rice is packed lightly and may fall apart if eaten with chopsticks. When dipping nigiri sushi in sauce, the best method is to dip the fish, which is what the soy sauce is supposed to flavor, and not the rice, which would absorb too much soy sauce.
Start your meal with simple miso soup but do not spend too much time on any one item as this is the proper Japanese etiquette, instead rotate through your meal to appreciate the quality of each aspect. Many people start with a mild sushi, such as tamago — a sweet, cold omelette — and end with a stronger taste at the end of the meal, like darker fish. Between different items it is recommended that a piece of pickled ginger be eaten to cleanse the palate and ensure that none of the subtle flavor of the sushi is missed.
Enjoy!
Serving Sushi
There are different types of seafood used for sushi, and the most common ones are tuna, salmon, squid and octopus. Using expensive seaweed makes sushi taste much better. Expensive seaweed is darker in color, and is less likely to break when folded or rolled. Cheap seaweed is usually greenish in color. The type of soy sauce (shoyu) used also affects the taste of the sushi; the most commonly used brands are Kikkoman and Yamasa. Many people like to mix wasabi with their shoyu, which makes it quite spicy and wakening.
Ingredients
Various nigiri sushi in an ice sculpture.
All sushi has a base of specially prepared rice, and complemented with other ingredients.
Sushi rice
Sushi is made with white, short-grained, Japanese rice mixed with a dressing made of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, kombu, and occasionally sake. It is usually cooled to room temperature before being used for a filling in a sushi. In some fusion cuisine restaurants, short grain brown rice and wild rice are also used.
Sushi rice (sushi-meshi) is prepared with short-grain Japanese rice, which has a consistency that differs from long-grain strains such as India. The essential quality is its stickiness. Rice that is too sticky has a mushy texture; if not sticky enough, it feels dry. Freshly harvested rice (shinmai) typically has too much water, and requires extra time to drain the rice cooker after washing.
There are regional variations in sushi rice and, of course, individual chefs have their individual methods. Most of the variations are in the rice vinegar dressing: "the Tokyo version of the dressing commonly uses more salt; in Osaka, the dressing has more sugar".
The Wiki Cookbook has a simple recipe for sush
