Parinaz_M
07-22-2006, 10:07 AM
Sushi is both a modern culinary treat and a Japanese tradition dating back hundreds of years. But there are a lot of misconceptions about sushi. For example, sushi isn't just raw fish. Fish is merely one of the many possible ingredients that can be added to sushi.
In this article, we'll learn where sushi came from, find out about the different kinds of sushi, and explore what it's like to visit a sushi bar. We'll also learn how to make sushi at home.
Sushi Basics
The most common misconception about sushi is that it is simply raw fish, or that raw fish is an integral part of sushi. When raw fish is served by itself it is called sashimi. Although sushi originally included raw fish, it can be made with a variety of ingredients.
The importance of fish as an ingredient depends on where the sushi is being prepared. In Tokyo, a city that contains the world's largest fish market, nigiri-zushi usually takes the form of a morsel of rice with a carefully sliced piece of fish on top of it, while sushi from the Osaka region might contain cucumbers and other vegetables or herbs rolled in rice and crisp seaweed, or nori.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-24.jpg
In the United States, maki zushi is the most common form of sushi. This form involves rice and nori rolled up with the toppings on a bamboo mat, then sliced into small bite-size rolls. The popular California roll is an inside-out roll with crab meat, avocado and cucumber as the ingredients.
Rice is the key ingredient in all sushi. Short or medium grain is cooked carefully and blended with a special mix of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The texture and consistency of the rice are both vital to making proper sushi - it should be a bit sticky, not gooey or clumpy. The vinegar used should not overpower the natural flavor of the rice. So sushi is simply specially prepared rice served with various toppings in a variety of shapes and sizes. In fact, chirashizushi, sometimes called rice salad in the United States, is simply a bowl of sushi rice with toppings.
Sushi dates back almost one thousand years, when raw fish was preserved by storing it between layers of rice. Over a period of weeks, the rice fermented, and the chemicals produced kept the fish from going bad. Once the fermentation process was complete, the fish was ready to eat. Eventually, the Japanese began eating the rice and fish together. A form of this traditional sushi, known as narezushi, is still eaten in Japan, although its taste is said to be rather pungent. It is still made by layering salt, fish and rice in a wooden barrel and topping it with a heavy stone for a few weeks. The invention of rice vinegar made the fermentation process unnecessary, and chefs in the Osaka region began molding rice and toppings in small wooden molds, creating oshizushi. Sushi became popular the Edo region, which is known today as Tokyo, where chefs invented nigiri-zushi by forming the rice into small pockets by hand and pressing the topping into it.
Traditional Toppings
If you're making sushi at home, you're free to put whatever you like in your sushi. However, certain ingredients are considered "classics," due to the traditions and tastes of Japanese cuisine.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-28.jpg
Salmon roe
Although raw fish isn't required, some of the best sushi is made with this ingredient. Saltwater fish are less prone to bacteria and parasites than freshwater fish. Keep in mind that species and nomenclature differs between Japan and the United States, and that similar varieties are often substituted for each other depending on location and the season. Several varieties of tuna are among the most famous sushi ingredients, including bluefin, big-eye and yellow fin tuna. The higher the fat content, the more prized the meat, with the belly meat of the bluefin tuna, known as toro, at the top of the list. Raw tuna meat comes in varying shades of pink, and has a rich, almost buttery flavor. Mackerel is also common. Salmon, caught at sea, is a sushi favorite. Raw, the flesh is a startling orange color, and it has a strong flavor. Other seafood sushi toppings include shrimp, squid, octopus, eel, clams, and roe (fresh fish eggs).
Tamago is a specially prepared omelet made by adding thin layers of egg until they form a dense, inch-thick slice. This is then fastened to a morsel of sushi rice with a band of nori. Avocado is a favorite ingredient in Japan, where its name roughly means "tuna of the land." Cucumbers and mushrooms are also high on the list of non-seafood sushi ingredients, but you can use virtually any vegetable.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-27.jpg
Wasabi powder
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-30.jpg
Gari
Some of the most important sushi ingredients aren't actually part of the sushi at all. Shoyu, a type of soy sauce, is used for dipping pieces of sushi. Eating pickled ginger, or gari, cleanses the palate between sushi servings. Wasabi, a pungent green cousin of horseradish, is made into a paste and either used directly in sushi or added just before eating for a little extra kick. Real wasabi is rare in the United States -- often a horseradish and mustard paste (dyed green) is used as a substitute. At The Sushi Bar
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-26.jpg
Saba (mackerel) nigiri-zushi
Eating at a sushi bar is a little different from eating at a regular restaurant. Newcomers don't have to worry, though -- sushi bar staff are known for being helpful.
The bar itself surrounds the area where the sushi chefs operate. When you sit at the bar, you will get to talk to the chefs and see them in action. Your chef might have suggestions regarding what is in season or what he thinks you might enjoy, so don't be afraid to ask. You can also let him know if you don't want fish. Sushi is ordered directly from the chef, while drinks and other foods, like soup, are ordered from servers. The wait staff can also answer any questions you might have about the sushi bar.
Sake is a traditional sushi bar drink, but sake and sushi are not consumed at the same time - they are both rice-based, so the flavors are not considered complimentary. Light beer (Japanese or domestic) or green tea are considered good drinks to have with sushi. Water or sparkling water works too. If you choose to drink sake, don't forget to pour for the person you are eating with, and allow them to pour sake for you. It's considered impolite to pour for yourself.
When you order a type of sushi, you may not recieve just one piece. Nigiri-zushi, for example, usually arrives in pairs. Sashimi, which is often served at sushi bars, is always eaten with chopsticks. Sushi can be eaten with chopsticks, but it is also acceptable to eat it as a finger food. Soy sauce should be used sparingly, and only the edge of the topping should be dipped, never the rice. Soaking the sushi in soy sauce is an insult to the chef.
Next, we'll explain how to make sushi at home. Sushi Bar Lingo
Itamae-san - head chef
Irrashai mase - You might hear the chef shout this. It means, "Come in, welcome."
Gari - pickled ginger
Ohashi - chopsticks
Shoyu - soy sauce
Sushi-Suki? - Do you like sushi?
Wasabi - horseradish-like condiment
In this article, we'll learn where sushi came from, find out about the different kinds of sushi, and explore what it's like to visit a sushi bar. We'll also learn how to make sushi at home.
Sushi Basics
The most common misconception about sushi is that it is simply raw fish, or that raw fish is an integral part of sushi. When raw fish is served by itself it is called sashimi. Although sushi originally included raw fish, it can be made with a variety of ingredients.
The importance of fish as an ingredient depends on where the sushi is being prepared. In Tokyo, a city that contains the world's largest fish market, nigiri-zushi usually takes the form of a morsel of rice with a carefully sliced piece of fish on top of it, while sushi from the Osaka region might contain cucumbers and other vegetables or herbs rolled in rice and crisp seaweed, or nori.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-24.jpg
In the United States, maki zushi is the most common form of sushi. This form involves rice and nori rolled up with the toppings on a bamboo mat, then sliced into small bite-size rolls. The popular California roll is an inside-out roll with crab meat, avocado and cucumber as the ingredients.
Rice is the key ingredient in all sushi. Short or medium grain is cooked carefully and blended with a special mix of rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The texture and consistency of the rice are both vital to making proper sushi - it should be a bit sticky, not gooey or clumpy. The vinegar used should not overpower the natural flavor of the rice. So sushi is simply specially prepared rice served with various toppings in a variety of shapes and sizes. In fact, chirashizushi, sometimes called rice salad in the United States, is simply a bowl of sushi rice with toppings.
Sushi dates back almost one thousand years, when raw fish was preserved by storing it between layers of rice. Over a period of weeks, the rice fermented, and the chemicals produced kept the fish from going bad. Once the fermentation process was complete, the fish was ready to eat. Eventually, the Japanese began eating the rice and fish together. A form of this traditional sushi, known as narezushi, is still eaten in Japan, although its taste is said to be rather pungent. It is still made by layering salt, fish and rice in a wooden barrel and topping it with a heavy stone for a few weeks. The invention of rice vinegar made the fermentation process unnecessary, and chefs in the Osaka region began molding rice and toppings in small wooden molds, creating oshizushi. Sushi became popular the Edo region, which is known today as Tokyo, where chefs invented nigiri-zushi by forming the rice into small pockets by hand and pressing the topping into it.
Traditional Toppings
If you're making sushi at home, you're free to put whatever you like in your sushi. However, certain ingredients are considered "classics," due to the traditions and tastes of Japanese cuisine.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-28.jpg
Salmon roe
Although raw fish isn't required, some of the best sushi is made with this ingredient. Saltwater fish are less prone to bacteria and parasites than freshwater fish. Keep in mind that species and nomenclature differs between Japan and the United States, and that similar varieties are often substituted for each other depending on location and the season. Several varieties of tuna are among the most famous sushi ingredients, including bluefin, big-eye and yellow fin tuna. The higher the fat content, the more prized the meat, with the belly meat of the bluefin tuna, known as toro, at the top of the list. Raw tuna meat comes in varying shades of pink, and has a rich, almost buttery flavor. Mackerel is also common. Salmon, caught at sea, is a sushi favorite. Raw, the flesh is a startling orange color, and it has a strong flavor. Other seafood sushi toppings include shrimp, squid, octopus, eel, clams, and roe (fresh fish eggs).
Tamago is a specially prepared omelet made by adding thin layers of egg until they form a dense, inch-thick slice. This is then fastened to a morsel of sushi rice with a band of nori. Avocado is a favorite ingredient in Japan, where its name roughly means "tuna of the land." Cucumbers and mushrooms are also high on the list of non-seafood sushi ingredients, but you can use virtually any vegetable.
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-27.jpg
Wasabi powder
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-30.jpg
Gari
Some of the most important sushi ingredients aren't actually part of the sushi at all. Shoyu, a type of soy sauce, is used for dipping pieces of sushi. Eating pickled ginger, or gari, cleanses the palate between sushi servings. Wasabi, a pungent green cousin of horseradish, is made into a paste and either used directly in sushi or added just before eating for a little extra kick. Real wasabi is rare in the United States -- often a horseradish and mustard paste (dyed green) is used as a substitute. At The Sushi Bar
http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/sushi-26.jpg
Saba (mackerel) nigiri-zushi
Eating at a sushi bar is a little different from eating at a regular restaurant. Newcomers don't have to worry, though -- sushi bar staff are known for being helpful.
The bar itself surrounds the area where the sushi chefs operate. When you sit at the bar, you will get to talk to the chefs and see them in action. Your chef might have suggestions regarding what is in season or what he thinks you might enjoy, so don't be afraid to ask. You can also let him know if you don't want fish. Sushi is ordered directly from the chef, while drinks and other foods, like soup, are ordered from servers. The wait staff can also answer any questions you might have about the sushi bar.
Sake is a traditional sushi bar drink, but sake and sushi are not consumed at the same time - they are both rice-based, so the flavors are not considered complimentary. Light beer (Japanese or domestic) or green tea are considered good drinks to have with sushi. Water or sparkling water works too. If you choose to drink sake, don't forget to pour for the person you are eating with, and allow them to pour sake for you. It's considered impolite to pour for yourself.
When you order a type of sushi, you may not recieve just one piece. Nigiri-zushi, for example, usually arrives in pairs. Sashimi, which is often served at sushi bars, is always eaten with chopsticks. Sushi can be eaten with chopsticks, but it is also acceptable to eat it as a finger food. Soy sauce should be used sparingly, and only the edge of the topping should be dipped, never the rice. Soaking the sushi in soy sauce is an insult to the chef.
Next, we'll explain how to make sushi at home. Sushi Bar Lingo
Itamae-san - head chef
Irrashai mase - You might hear the chef shout this. It means, "Come in, welcome."
Gari - pickled ginger
Ohashi - chopsticks
Shoyu - soy sauce
Sushi-Suki? - Do you like sushi?
Wasabi - horseradish-like condiment