Though many people consider "sushi" to be synonymous with "icky raw fish," the danger in eating it is low, and its variations can please even the finickiest eater. Contrary to popular belief, sushi does not mean raw seafood; instead, it refers to the vinegared rice that can be paired with raw seafood. So even vegetarians and those determined on having their meals cooked can be satisfied by sushi.
Sushi can be expensive, but don't be deterred by the prices, because it is a delicacy that warrants its cost.
Most sushi restaurants will give you two options: eat at a bar or at a table. If you're at the bar, check out the selections in the refrigerated display case. If you're at a table, the waiter will bring an a la carte menu. This is where things can start to get complicated, as there are many types of sushi. Fortunately, sushi can be categorized into two types: nigiri and maki.
Nigiri sushi puts everything in full sight for you: It's your selected protein on rice with a touch of wasabi between the two. The raw fish on top of the rice is called sashimi, and can be ordered without the rice on the bottom as an appetizer. This is not the kind of sushi wrapped in seaweed; nigiri sushi is just fish, egg or tofu on rice.
For your first sushi experience, order the tuna (maguro) or the salmon (sake; not the rice wine). These are the least "fishy" fish, and also the most popular among Americans. The salmon is deeply frozen and then slightly smoked or cured to kill any parasites, which can be present in freshwater seafood. Other common sashimi are the oily mackerel (saba), which is salted and marinated before being served; and hamachi (yellowtail), another type of tuna with a distinctive, bright yellow tone.
Sometimes, you can replace the sashimi with fish eggs instead. Salmon eggs are the most common, wrapped in a bit of seaweed to hold them on top of the traditional rice base. More popular in Japan are the little eggs, or roe, harvested from the inside of sea urchins (uni), which also double as the animal's gonads. In the U.S., uni is expensive but still a delicacy.
Surprisingly, much of nigiri sushi is not even raw. Shrimp (ebi) and crab (kani) are both cooked before they are laid to rest on the rice bed. At some point, try eel (unagi), which is grilled and then marinated in a sweet sauce for several days. Finally, a test of the chef is the tamago, an omelet of stacked, paper-thin egg slices strapped onto the rice with a band of seaweed.
Also called roll sushi, maki sushi is probably the first image of sushi that pops into your mind. Maki combines toppings and rice wrapped in sheets of seaweed, or nori, and served in six or eight slices. Typically, maki sushi has less raw fish and allows for more creativity. Some typical rolls are: tekka, or tuna, kappa, or cucumber; avocado; California, which is a combination of avocado, crab and cucumber; scallion, crab and salmon, known as a Boston roll; New York, which combines apple, avocado and salmon; Philadelphia, a combination of smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber; and Texas, which rolls up beef and cucumber. Another type of maki is temaki, or "handroll," which is a large, single cone-shaped roll that usually contains larger items, like pieces of vegetables and smoked salmon.
Sushi can be easily classified as a health food, being low in fat and calories while high in protein. Seaweed is extremely high in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6, C and Niacin. But you still must remember that you're eating raw fish. Sushi should never smell bad, so use your common sense and take a sniff before downing it.
