Cooking Fundamentals in Teaching Sushi Courses
Sushi is a culinary art form. Sushi masters study for years to learn the art of sushi making. When teaching a sushi course, it is important that students walk away with a grip on the basic fundamentals of preparing sushi, from choosing the ingredients to making the rice and hand rolling. With detailed instruction and the proper tools, students will emerge from sushi courses with the knowledge to prepare their own sushi at home. Does this Spark an idea?
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Basics
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Some people have the misconception that sushi is exclusively made with raw fish. It is important that students know that sushi can be prepared with raw or cooked fish. Vegetarian versions are also available. One of the basic fundamentals of preparing sushi is that each roll be prepared with the finest ingredients. Sushi is 60 percent visual, making presentation extremely important. Teachers should provide students with the proper tools, including cutting boards, bamboo rolling mats and an eight-inch sushi knife.
Choosing Ingredients
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Teachers will help students choose the perfect ingredients to ensure their sushi is fresh and delicious. It is important that the fish market know the fish is going to be eaten raw, therefore it can provide the freshest fish for the specific intent of making sushi. Teachers will show students how to smell the fish and look for visual signs of freshness. Fishy or unpleasant odors will indicate that the fish is not good. In addition to fish, students will learn about the other essential elements of sushi, including nori, which are the thin, dried seaweed sheets that sushi is wrapped in. Pickled ginger is used as a palate cleanser, and dried horseradish, called wasabi, is used to make sushi spicy.
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Rice
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Rice is a fundamental element of sushi. Teachers will ensure that students use the correct rice when preparing sushi so it holds together. Matured Japanese or California short-grained rice will provide the right consistency for rolling sushi. Short grained rice has the right balance of starches that allow sushi to stick together. Once rinsed, students can prepare rice in a rice cooker or in a pot, using equal parts of rice and water. The rice is then seasoned with rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt.
Rolling Sushi
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It is essential that student understand that touching the ingredients can alter the flavor and appearance of the sushi; therefore, it is important to handle the ingredients as little as possible. Teaching students to roll sushi will take practice before it is perfected. Students should wet their hands so the rice does not stick to their hands. A bed of rice is placed onto the nori, along with vegetables and thin slices of fish. Students will likely try to overfill their sushi rolls in the beginning, making them more difficult to roll. Sushi is rolled using the bamboo mat to guide the roll and to hold everything together. An extremely sharp knife will ensure the blade does not squash the creation when students cut their sushi rolls.
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