About Sushi
Sushi is as appealing to look at as it is to eat. This food comes to us from Japan, and has come to represent Japanese cuisine in the minds of many people. The fresh, tasty ingredients and interesting, bite-sized pieces contribute to its worldwide popularity. Eating sushi is an experience to savor, not just another meal to be ingested. Does this Spark an idea?
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History
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A simple method of preserving fish was invented in China in the second century AD. The Chinese placed fish in rice and allowed it to ferment, keeping the fish edible for a long time. Only the fish was eaten; the fermented rice was discarded. This method spread to the Japanese, who began eating the fermented rice as well as the fish. Sushi began to be sold on the street as a type of fast food, and vinegar was added to eliminate the need for lengthy fermentation times. This was the beginning of what would later develop into the sushi we know and love today.
Geography
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Japan invented modern sushi and is still the indisputable king of sushi-dom. But today, sushi has become hugely popular, and you can find it almost anywhere in the world. Most major cities have at least one excellent sushi bar, as well as several mediocre ones. Even grocery stores carry trays of premade sushi rolls.
Western culture has had a large impact on sushi making, adding new ingredients and methods such as the inside-out roll and the California roll. -
Features
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Many different ingredients are used in making sushi, and the only limits are the creativity of the chef. It is essential that the sushi ingredients be of the highest quality. Special sushi-grade fish and seafood must be used and carefully prepared. This fish, served cooked or raw, is served with a special sticky type of rice, a spicy, horseradish-like root called wasabi, pickled ginger and vegetables such as daikon radish.
Types
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There are many types of sushi, and choosing from a menu can be intimidating to the beginning sushi eater. Try a few types each time you go, until you have enough experience to develop favorites. Here are the basic types:
Chirashi-zushi: This is a simple bowl of sushi rice with the fish and other ingredients scattered on top.
Inari-zushi: Sushi rice and other ingredients are deep-fried in a tofu, omelet, or cabbage leaf pouch.
Maki-zushi: This is the most common type of sushi served in the West. It consists of rice and vegetables rolled in rice, with an outer layer of nori seaweed. There are many variations on this type of roll.
Nigiri-zushi: A pressed block of rice is topped with a dab of wasabi and covered with a thin slice of fish.
Temaki-zushi: This is a large cone-shaped roll of nori with rice, fish and other ingredients stuffed inside.
Benefits
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Sushi is delicious and fun to eat, but these are not the only benefits sushi has to offer. The fish and seafood in sushi is a rich source of low fat protein and omega-3 fatty acids. Wasabi and ginger are antibacterial and will aid your digestion. The nori and other seaweeds used are rich in vitamins and minerals.
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