Unless you live in a cave somewhere in Saskatchewan, you’ve probably noticed the recent trend of sushi restaurants popping up in major cities around the world (no offense to anyone living in Saskatchewan, of course). The raw fish craze has become the subject of countless restaurant reviews and super-trendy “it” places that give Japanese staples quite a bit of attention. These restaurants with elegant decor, dim lighting and intricately designed square-shaped plates charge a pretty penny for everything raw.

History

So what’s the problem with sushi? If you live in the Far East, sushi is nothing special. Its cultural staples of rice and fish make sushi an uncomplicated phenomenon. In fact, the concept of sushi dates back to a very practical purpose in 7th century China, when it was necessary to preserve fish for long periods of time. Previously, the fish was packed in salt, which helped ferment the fish for a few months. But who wants to wait months just to eat a piece of salt fish?

In time, it was discovered that fish could be preserved just as well by rolling it in vinegar-soaked rice. Not only was this more flavorful, but it allowed the fish to ferment in a matter of days instead of months. Once the fish was ready, the rice was usually discarded, but with the drought and food shortages, people started eating the rice and fish together for the nutrients.

Chef Yohei is credited with creating the first types of sushi in the 19th century, when he served fish wrapped in rice to his friends at a dinner party. He created two styles of sushi named after two cities in Japan: Edo (present-day Tokyo) and Osaka. The sushi that came from Osaka is more akin to what is served in a sushi restaurant today as they were known to mix rice with many different ingredients, especially fish, to form a decorative presentation. They also took advantage of the area’s rich variety of seafood and fish by placing a small piece of fish on a pad of seasoned rice to create nigirizushi. Sushi chefs today have come a long way since Yohei’s time, but they still use the same techniques and principles when building their rolls.

sushi sophistication

Even if you’ve heard of sushi and think it sounds interesting, it can be intimidating to visit a sushi restaurant without knowing how to order it. Let’s start with the menu:

You have a few options as to how you would like your sushi to look:

– Nigri: a small piece of fish placed on a mound of rice, often secured with a small band of nori or algae. Some restaurants put a little wasabi between the rice and the fish to give it more flavor.

– Maki – probably the most recognizable form of sushi, the ingredients are rolled up inside the rice and nori and cut into bite-size pieces.

– Temaki: cone-shaped hand rolls that include a large amount of fish and other ingredients wrapped in a large piece of nori. Because they are so large, they are eaten with the hands instead of chopsticks.

Once you’ve decided what form your sushi should take, it’s simply a matter of choosing the ingredients. Modern sushi restaurants in the United States pride themselves on creative rolls with interesting ingredients, so it pays to be adventurous. Below are some of the most popular types of nigri which will help you translate the menu from Japanese to English:

Magura = tuna

Tai = red snapper

Awabi = Abolone

Hirame = Halibut

Saba = Mackerel

Ikura = salmon roe

Bull = Fatty Tuna

Ika = Squid

Mirugai = giant clam

Hamachi = yellow tail

ebi = shrimp

United = sea urchin

Taco = octopus

Sake = Smoked Salmon

Unagi = He

Anago = sea eel

Kani = Crab

tomato = egg

Not a fan of fish? There are many vegetarian rolls and other dishes. A very popular vegetarian dish is inari, which consists of a thin piece of fried tofu stuffed with sushi rice. It is quite tasty and a great option for anyone.

While you wait for the food, you can prepare your chopsticks. Some restaurants may have reusable chopsticks, which require no preparation, but most places have wooden chopsticks that need to be broken. You may want to rub the sticks after they have been broken to remove any splinters. When you are not using the chopsticks, rest them on the provided chopstick holder or soy sauce dish. Are you still ordering the chopsticks for kids with the rubber that holds them on top? Check out the instructions at eHow.com and learn once and for all.

The sushi will arrive at the table on a kind of wooden board or long plate. You may want to pour some soy sauce onto your small plate (low sodium is usually available upon request) to serve as a dipping sauce for the sushi. Accompanying the sushi will be two small mounds of Japanese condiments:

– Wasabi: Known as Japanese horseradish, the green pasty lump is quite pungent and is made from the root of the wasabi plant. Many people mix it with their soy sauce to add a spicy kick to their sushi when dipped. A very small amount, usually a full toothpick, provides more than enough spice for a small bowl of soy sauce.

– Ginger: This sweet pickled condiment is used as a digestive aid or to cleanse the palate after a meal or between muffins.

There is no limit to the types of sushi that can be created, so take your time ordering and trying new things. Ask about specials or what the sushi chef recommends and you’ll get the best of the best.

I want to be a sushi chef

Sure, making sushi is an art, but roughly shaped rice rolls are supposed to be relatively easy to make. Impress dinner guests with your new talent, but do a few practice rounds before you hit the real thing. It takes a while to get the hit.

The process itself is not difficult, but it is difficult to explain without a visual aid. The best step-by-step instructions with pictures I could find were at IMakeSushi.com. His basic instructions for making sushi are simple and easy to follow, and include a standard roll, an upside-down roll, and nigri. The site also has instructions on how to make more complicated rolls if you get really adventurous.

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