How Much do YOU Know About Sushi?

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A lot of people interested in Japanese culture or even just anime are well versed in the concept of Sushi. Whether it is a California Roll, or something more exotic like Uni (raw sea urchin) wrapped in seaweed, people obviously have come to recognize that Sushi is an interesting option for a meal or snack, and that it is rather healthy. But just how much do you know about your Sushi?

History

Despite many arguments about where Sushi originated, the original concept seems to have been developed in Southeast Asia around the second century A.D. People would take fish and meat and cure it before wrapping it in rice, not only helping to ferment it, but also to keep it fresh enough to eat as it would last longer than normal, cured meat and fish. When the time came, the rice was discarded but the meat and fish that had been inside it would be eaten. This technique eventually spread all throughout China and was then brought to Japan. The Japanese took a different approach though, adding rice wine (Sake) to their Sushi.

Nice one Japan!

It did take about ten more centuries though for people to realize that if they put vinegar into the Sushi, it sped up fermentation process drastically.

Needless to say, the real idea of "Sushi" that we know did not come around until the 1820's in Japan, which is when Japanese chefs started to go and use raw fish in their Sushi. This is later becomes known as Edo-style Sushi, which is what our California and Manhattan rolls are based on.

In turn, take it another 100 years ahead, and you have the Nigiri-style Sushi; a slice of fish on top of a small bed of rice. This became the dominant style of Sushi in the Tokyo food stalls and restaurants. And while the sushi industry struggled for a while after World War II with the rebuilding of Japan, Sushi has now spread throughout the world and become one incredibly popular way of eating.

Always remember too that a great form of Sushi is also Sashimi; simply a slice of the raw fish, with no rice to compliment it. It's a good chance to get a real taste of the fish you're eating!

Types of Ingredients Used in Sushi

Of course it seems endless the type of fish you may have for Sushi, or ingredients period. Everyone knows of Tuna, Yellowfin, Salmon, Trout, Eel, Shrimp, or Crab meat and how one may be in their favorite rolls. However, when it comes to fish, only the Sushi-Grade fish should be used in your Sushi. This is because Sushi-Grade has been pretreated in ways to prevent food borne illnesses. Also note, that this in once sense means the fish has been frozen at one point in time, at incredibly low temperatures, save for any form of Tuna. 

If you are concerned about levels of Mercury, realize first that all fish has Mercury in it. However, some fish have higher levels than others. For instance, King Mackerel and Swordfish have some of the highest levels of Mercury in them. Most Mackerel, Blue Marlin, Sea Bass, Tuna, and Yellowfin have high levels of Mercury in them.

Worried about conservation of our fish? There's a wonderful app for Android and Apple products called "Seafood Watch," which allows you to look up the type of fish you are having and check to see if you know where the fish comes from, whether it's good to eat, or if your fish may be one in danger.

 

How to Find a Good Sushi joint

It's easy to know the simple things with finding a place for your Sushi. Or so you think...here are some tips that many people pick up.

The Place of Purchase

  • From personal experience, Sushi from a supermarket, gas station, or really anywhere that isn't a restaurant is always a bad decision. This is because it's always risky of how they have it stored for purchase, how old it is, fish quality, etc.
  • Look for a place that actually displays the products they will be using to make your Sushi, the workstation of the Sushi chef, and note if they are keeping it cold somehow. Most of the bars for a Sushi place have a sort of refrigerator with a way of viewing the cuts of fish and other ingredients. If you cannot see the cuts of fish, that bar of Tamago (egg), or even the Seaweed used for wrapping, it might be best if you leave.
  • The place definitely needs to not smell like fish. Not only does that mean the fish may not be well taken care of or prepared well, it's also off putting (who wants to sit in a fishy smelling place after all?).
  • Price really should somewhat matter. If you eat at an all-you-can-eat-Sushi place, with a set price, it is almost certain they do not spend the money on good quality fish. Good fish costs money, so realize that if you're not willing to spend a little bit extra for better quality, you should be willing to accept that the fish you eat in less expensive places may not be the best out there.
  • Realize that you should be able to ask about what fish is being used, and the quality. They should be able to answer your questions and not seem uncomfortable with them.

The Actual Sushi Itself

  • A really big key is that anything that you eat should not at all taste overly fishy or smell fishy. Some things of course will be fishy; Mackerel or Saba for instance. However, most fish with a bit of fat in it, such as Salmon, Yellowtail, or Toro (the fatty cut of Tuna) should have a more buttery taste and smooth to the palette. This also includes a sour taste at the end of the Sushi you eat. If it lingers after a few moments, there is something wrong.
  • Color is most definitely important! Never should you see your Salmon with edges that might be brownish, your regular Tuna cuts (Maguro) should be a vibrant blood red color, and your Toro should be a nice pink shade with some marbling.
  • Rice should be firm and sticky, with a sort of sweet taste to it. If it lacks the taste, there's a chance your chef is using the cheaper Chinese rice.
  • When you get Sushi, try it first without Soy Sauce, Wasabi, or Ginger. You should give your fish a chance with your palette plain, rather than cover the flavors. After all, fish can taste the same when masked with Soy Sauce, Wasabi, or Ginger.
  • If using Wasabi, make sure it's real if you want a good experience. Real Wasabi should be gritty for the most part, as it's grated from a root, rather than pasty like green Horseradish is. You can also use less real Wasabi for a more potent flavor. Note though that the real thing may cost extra; real Wasabi is fairly expensive to get.
  • Your Ginger should never be overly bright pink; a nice soft pink shade is good.
  • Be careful with rolls and their extras to it. Oftentimes extra things like sauces, tempura, and inserts like cream cheese are used to cover up flavors and hide lower quality fish by having a whole different flavor to it. With a good roll, the main flavor should be the fish, then whatever else in it extra.
  • Your cuts of fish should be smooth and have absolutely no jagged or ripped parts to it. Cuts also should not be incredibly thin.
Sushi from a local place where one pays an all you can eat price; notice there is a lot of extra sauces and flavors added to probably hide poorer quality fish. Plating is also incredibly sloppy.

Sushi from a local place where one pays an all you can eat price; notice there is a lot of extra sauces and flavors added to probably hide poorer quality fish. Plating is also incredibly sloppy.

My family's Appetizer plate from Daikichi Japanese Bistro in Chesapeake, VA. Notice that there's no sauce on any of the rolls, except one; a specialty house roll of the restaurant. The toro (large pink fish roll) is a healthy pink color.

My family's Appetizer plate from Daikichi Japanese Bistro in Chesapeake, VA. Notice that there's no sauce on any of the rolls, except one; a specialty house roll of the restaurant. The toro (large pink fish roll) is a healthy pink color.

My "Sushi Sampler" Entree from Daikichi Japanese BIstro. My Tuna is blood red in both the Nigiri and the Roll and there is no signs of any older fish. That evening, they had a specialty of Rockfish! Yum yum!

My "Sushi Sampler" Entree from Daikichi Japanese BIstro. My Tuna is blood red in both the Nigiri and the Roll and there is no signs of any older fish. That evening, they had a specialty of Rockfish! Yum yum!

The Price

Price is always something interesting to talk about when it comes to Sushi. Most of the time, it seems that the less you pay for it, the cheaper quality it is. For instance, one restaurant in the area I know of charges an all you can eat lunch fee of only $12.99; mostly people order many rolls here because of it, but it also includes entrees, appetizers, soups, and salads. However, my personal favorite spot to go to, a place called Daikichi Japanese Bistro in Chesapeake, Virginia, is a prime example of how you pay affects the quality. Toro, which is a special cut of fish, is seasonal at Daikichi, and if one gets a Toro or Spicy Toro roll, you expect to pay about $8 per roll. Considering how the fish is brought in from the local fish markets or specially shipped from overseas to this restaurant, prices are going to be expensive. A normal meal there may run from $50-60 for two, if buying multiple rolls or pieces of Sushi as an appetizer, entrees (which also come with two appetizers of pickled bean sprouts and miso soup), and possibly a dessert or two.

People do preach quality and price over quantity. For instance, the most expensive Sushi restaurant in the world is Sukiyabashi Jiro (すきやばし次郎), owned by Jiro Ono. While his meals only last thirty minutes a session, people who seem to think that this is the best sushi in the world are willing to drop 30,000¥ (an equivalent to $300!) for a taste of the best. Even President Obama considers Jiro's Sushi to be the best he's ever tasted!

Overall, I would say Sushi is beyond anything an art, and if one expects it to be a top quality masterpiece, then one needs to know to look for the best. Many factors make up the taste you get in the end, so figure out each part that you want to specifically be in your masterpiece!

いただきます! (Itadakimasu!)

Quick Japanese Names For Fish Used In Sushi

  • Akagai (あかがい) - Arc Shell, a type of Red Clam

  • Anago (あなご) - Salt Water Eel

  • Awabi (あわび) - Abalone

  • Ebi (えび) - Shrimp (Note: Shrimp in Japan are actually called Prawns);  often times you eat Nama Ebi , or Raw Shrimp, or Amaebi (あまいえび), or Sweet Shrimp

  • Hamachi (ハマチ) - Yellowtail; Generally that is the young, adult Yellowtail are called Buri (ぶり)

  • Hirame (ヒラメ) - Halibut

  • Hotategai (ホタテガイ) - Scallops

  • Ika (イカ) - Squid; the Squid's tentacles are called Ika geso (いかげそ)

  • Ikura (イクラ) - Salmon roe (fish eggs)

  • Kajiki (カジキ) - Swordfish or Marlin

  • Kani (カニ) - Crab Meat

  • Maguro (マグロ) - Tuna. However, there is mutliple grades of tuna. Akami (あかみ) is the lean back part of the fish, Chutoro (ちゅうとろ) is a fatty piece from the upper underbelly of the Tuna, and Otoro ( オオトロ) is the most expensive cut and is near the head on the underbelly. It is the most fat-filled of the three cuts of Tuna.

  • Masu (マス) - Trout

  • Saba (サバ) - Mackerel

  • Sake (サケ) - In Sushi, this is not the drink ,but actually Salmon

  • Shiro Maguro (しろマグロ) - Albacore Tuna

  • Tamago/Tamagoyaki (卵焼き) - Japanese egg omelet that sometimes is sweet and used as a nigiri style topping.

  • Tako (タコ) - Octopus

  • Tobiko (とびこ) - Flying Fish roe (fish eggs)

  • Toro (とろ) - Fatty Tuna

  • Unagi (うなぎ) - Freshwater Eel

  • Uni (うに) - Sea Urchin

Gari (ガリ) - Pickled Ginger used for cleansing the palette after having one type of fish and then going to the next.
Shoyu (しょうゆ) - Soy Sauce
Wasabi (わさび) - A plant whose stem produces a spicy paste used in sushi

Special thanks to Chef Hiro at Daikichi Japanese Bistro in Chesapeake, Viriginia for helping me with this article by talking with me and demonstrating his art for me and this blog. ありがとうございます!