2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, as well as one of the most popular among the Japanese themselves, who must prepare it for special occasions and national holidays. Traditionally, sushi is prepared with seasoned sushi rice, on rolls or balls, usually garnished with fish or other seafood, but sushi can also be prepared with fruits and vegetables only, without adding fish.
In most countries, as in our country, the term sushi often refers to the whole dish, but in Japan it is not. The Japanese clearly distinguish between sushi, which refers only to rice, and pieces of raw fish are called sashimi, and although they are close in pronunciation, they have almost nothing to do with sushi. The word sushi in Japanese it is pronounced with the letter C, and in phonetic languages it is written with C. However, when used with a prefix denoting a certain type of sushi, C is replaced by H, as in nigiri-zushi, for example.
The history of sushi dates back to ancient times. Sushi roots are hidden in Southeast Asia and in the tradition of canning fish through fermentation and rice. This type of dish is still served in Thailand, Laos and Burma. The first mention of sushi is in a Chinese dictionary from the 2nd century. For millennia, Japanese cuisine has been rich mainly in seafood, fish and seaweed.
During the Edo period, "sushi" referred to marinated fish in vinegar. The need for proper and permanent storage of seafood arose and the Japanese began to store freshly caught and cleaned fish in a unique way. They arranged it in large wooden containers. Each row of fish was sprinkled with salt and sometimes rice, which prevented the fish from rotting.
The fish, pressed with a heavy lid, stayed like this for several months, and over the centuries the processing period became shorter and shorter. Finally, in the 19th century, chef Yohei made the innovation of offering fish raw. The fish was seasoned with rice, rice vinegar, which gave it a better taste and further shortened the time for making sushi. Thus, the dish came very close to the patterns known today. In the following centuries, technology evolved and changed significantly until today's concept of sushi was reached.
Preparation of sushi
Nowadays, sushi can be defined as a dish that contains rice prepared with vinegar. Today, sushi has very little in common with its ancestor. Its main ingredients are again fish and rice, but the way it is prepared and consumed is quite different. Rice vinegar is added directly to the rice, fresh fish is used and the fermentation process is completely absent.
Sushi is taken either with fingers or with sticks, and there are special tools that are invariably associated with the preparation of sushi. Makisu is a mat made of bamboo and cotton cords that is used to prepare various types of food. The size is 25 x 25 cm, but can vary. The thinner type of mats are used to make maki sushi.
After use, the maquis should be very well dried to prevent the appearance of bacteria. It is often covered with a thin transparent household foil before use to avoid laborious cleaning afterwards. This is especially necessary in the preparation of uramaki.
Sushi rice is white, fine-grained rice mixed with a dressing of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, kombu (edible and dried brown seaweed) and possibly sake. The rice must be cooled to room temperature before use. In some places, fine-grained brown rice and wild rice are also used. Sushi rice has a certain stickiness. If your rice is too sticky it will have a very soft texture, if it is not sticky enough it will look dry.
Nori leaves are dried, edible seaweed traditionally grown in Japanese ports. Nori leaves are factory made and sold in standard shape and size 18 x 21 cm. A sign of the quality of nori leaves is the great thickness, and in addition they are smooth, shiny, black and have no holes. Japanese children eat nori as a snack.
Wasabia (Wasabia japonica) is another mandatory supplement of sushi. Often called Japanese horseradish. It is used as a spice and has an extremely strong taste. Spicy paste is made from the roots of the wasabi plant. True wasabi has anti-bacterial action and can reduce the risk of food poisoning. It is not the amount of wasabi consumed, but the amount of vapors released that determines the extent of the discomfort. There is sinus pain that starts quickly and suddenly and will also go away quickly.
Sushi storage
Fish for sushi must be stored according to established norms. European Regulation № 853/2004 prohibits the use of fresh raw fish. Whole fish must be frozen for at least 24 hours at a temperature of not more than -20 ° C. According to the requirements of the Russian sanitary authorities, the fish for sushi should stand frozen to -18 ° C for 36 hours.
Types of sushi
The main ingredient in all types of sushi is sushi rice. The different recipes for sushi vary in the filling and sprinkles, spices and method of preparation. The same ingredients can be combined in a traditional or modern way, which can lead to very different results.
Among the most popular types of sushi are:
Inari - Inari-zushi is a simple and inexpensive species sushi. It is fried bags of tofu (aburage) stuffed with rice.
Nigiri - small rice "fingers" covered with fish or other. There are countless combinations of nigi-zushi. Some of them have tuna, shrimp, eel, cuttlefish, octopus and omelet.
Gunkan - small cups made of mixtures and nori stuffed with various seafood. Among the countless combinations of gunkan-zushi, the most famous are those with sea urchins and various types of caviar.
Maki-zushi - rolls of rice and wrapped in pressed dried seaweed (nori leaves) with fish and / or vegetables. There are different types of maki-zushi, depending on how they are prepared:
Futo-maki - thick rolls
Hoso-maki - thin rolls
Hooray-maki - a roll turned outwards
Temaki - cones of rice, fish and vegetables, wrapped in seaweed / (nori).
Oshi-zushi - pressed sushi, in which the fish is pressed on the rice in a wooden box
Chirashi - a dish in which seafood, mushrooms and vegetables are spread on mixtures
Sashimi - raw fish, served in pieces. It is often cut in different ways to emphasize the appearance of the fish. Hira Zukuri is a standard square piece, the thinner one is called Ito Zukuri, and at least Kaku Zukuri is almost as thin as paper.
Serving sushi
Tradition requires sushi to be served in Japanese minimalist style - trays with geometric shapes, one-color or two-color, made of natural or lacquered wood, in accordance with the aesthetic qualities of the kitchen. To sushi Serve soy sauce, wasabi (horseradish) pasta and pickled Gary (Japanese ginger).
Soy sauce should be served in a separate small bowl. The traditional label requires the sushi to be turned with the filling to the sauce, which is why the rice is loose and when immersed, the sushi may fall apart, leaving rice grains in the sauce bowl. This turning of the sushi with chopsticks is not an easy task and the soy sauce can be spread on the sushi, using the ginger as a brush. Mixing wasabi paste with soy sauce is a practice when consuming sashimi and is considered unacceptable by the label when consuming sushi.
Many restaurants offer specifically less sushi with a fixed price. They are often called sho-chiku-bai and include three levels - sho / matsu (pine), chiku / take (bamboo) and bai / ume (Japanese fruit between apricot and plum), where matsu is the most expensive and ume is the most -the cheapest.
Sushi is now served all over the world on kaiten, also known as sushi train). Containers of different colors move on a conveyor belt, each of which contains a different combination of sushi. When sushi dishes pass customers, they choose which one to take. The bill is calculated according to the number of plates of each color, and the menu must indicate which color plate at what price.
Nigiri-zushi is traditionally eaten with the fingers, because sushi rice is loose and sushi breaks down the moment it gets into the mouth. Eating nigiri-zushi with hands is allowed even during a formal dinner, but nevertheless, it is rarely practiced today. That's why today most Japanese people eat sushi with chopsticks.
Benefits of sushi
Sushi improves the work of the stomach, heart and blood vessels, stimulates brain activity. Wasabi in sushi has antiseptic properties. Rice, in turn, improves digestion thanks to the cellulose it contains. Regular consumption of sushi helps to lose weight and prevents depression. All the benefits of rice and fish can be attributed to the small charming sushi bites. Of course, sushi should not be consumed with low-quality soy sauce, which does not belong to healthy foods.
Harm from sushi
Sushi is not completely harmless to human health, which is often due to improper preparation. Some large fish, such as tuna, contain large amounts of mercury because tuna is at the top of the food chain among marine creatures. Thus, the consumption of large amounts of tuna can cause mercury poisoning. The US Food and Drug Administration recommends that no more than 170-340 grams of large fish and shellfish be consumed per week.
Rare but still parasitic infections from raw fish occur - less than 40 cases per year in the United States. They occur with three types of parasites - Clonorchis sinensis (flukes / liver leeches), Anisakis (nematodes / roundworms) and Diphyllobothrium (common / tapeworms). The risk of infection with anisakis is greatest with the consumption of river fish such as salmon (salmon fish), as well as trout.
If the fish with which the sushi is prepared is pre-cooked, the infection can be minimized. In addition, it can be roasted, marinated with salt and vinegar or deep-frozen overnight. Nematodes are worms that can even cause death.
They cause acute ulcers and can lead to necrosis and perforation of the stomach wall and colon. The incubation period is from several hours to 7 days. They experience nausea, vomiting, stomach pain, fever, rash, diarrhea.
Some types of sushi are made with Fugu balloon fish or shellfish. They can cause severe poisoning if not cooked properly. The entrails of a balloon fish usually contain a lethal amount of the poison tetrodotoxin. Therefore, in Japan it is allowed to prepare only by master chefs who have passed a special exam in front of the prefecture.
Here is a nice recipe for sushi.
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Subtleties In The Preparation Of Sushi
Japanese cuisine is unique and attractive to all who love the exquisite unusual taste. Tasty and appetizing sushi you can also prepare at home. The traditional components for sushi are salmon, nori seaweed leaves, which are pressed, in addition - shrimp, sushi rice, caviar grains, wasabi, pickled ginger, shrimp rolls, soft cheese, soy sauce.
The Most Popular Types Of Sushi
There is hardly anything more typical of Japanese cuisine than the preparation of the world-famous sushi. It has thousands of varieties not only depending on what is put in it, but also in the way of shaping and taste. If you have not resided in Japan, it will be difficult to learn to get used to the diversity of sushi world, but it is important to know the more important species.
Sushi Products
Sushi can be prepared in all shapes and variations. To prepare it, you need several basic basic products, as well as the necessary knowledge. The most important thing when making sushi is choosing the right products. Here they are: Sushi rice (Sushi Rice) - Sushi-meshi rice is specially made from white rice, cooked and flavored with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, kombu (special seaweed) and sometimes sake (weak Japanese brandy).
The Secret Of The Perfect Sushi
Only a few decades ago in Bulgaria we had never heard of sushi, and the lucky ones who tried this unique Japanese specialty consumed it only abroad or were looking forward to acquaintances to send it to them by plane. Yes, today this sounds quite funny, but the truth is that even after the opening of the first sushi bars or restaurants in our country, their prices were so high that few people have the luxury of consuming sushi in them.
Instead Of Your Favorite Sushi! Make A Delicious Sushi Salad
Do you like to eat sushi, but you don't always go out to a restaurant or you don't care about long rolls? We have a solution for you and your culinary desires and it's called sushi salad . The best thing about this recipe is that you get an authentic taste by saving the annoying part of making sushi itself - just mix everything in a bowl and enjoy an Asian evening at home.
