We live in a more and more connected world . This supposes a lot of advantages, since stories, recipes, foods and traditions that used to be on the other side of the world can now be enjoyed without leaving our city. We can do it above all with gastronomy, finding in a city many restaurants with Arab, Peruvian, Argentinean or Japanese food.
Japanese food is one of the best known in the world and, taking advantage of the fact that June 18 is International sushi Day , we are going to talk today about this delicious traditional Japanese dish. If you want to know the origin of sushi, its history, its curiosities and how to prepare it at home, don’t miss anything and keep reading to become a true chef expert in sushi.
What is sushi?
Lets start by the beginning. Sushi is a traditional Japanese meal consisting of rice marinated with vinegar, sugar, salt, and fish, shellfish, or vegetables . The word sushi comes from two Japanese words. Su , which means vinegar, and shi , which comes from meshi , rice in Spanish. The ingredients can be served raw or cooked, depending on the type of sushi it is. There are different types of sushi:
- Maki : It is the best known type of sushi in the West. It consists of rice and raw fish with other vegetable ingredients wrapped in noru seaweed. The maki allows combinations of ingredients that cannot be found in other formats such as nigiri, since the dried seaweed that surrounds everything keeps the interior compact and static. This type of sushi allows for many experiments. We can fill their interior with an omelette, make them vegetarian or even add fried chicken, if we are innovative.
- Uramaki: It’s an upside down maki . The rice wraps the noru seaweed and the ingredients for the filling. This type of sushi is usually coated with sesame seeds. Uramaki is very popular among young people due to the very famous classic California Roll from the United States.
- Nigiri: Nigiri is Japanese cuisine taken to the utmost simplicity. It is a “rice croquette” with a piece of loin on top, which is usually seafood or raw fish, although we can find nigiris with other ingredients such as meat or tortilla.
- Temaki: Temaki consists of noru seaweed cones filled with rice and other ingredients such as fish, shellfish and vegetables. It is one of the most satisfying and powerful makis there is , since there is enough space in the cone for the cook to add ingredients looking for specific flavors, but it is not a sushi that can be eaten in one bite. In addition, its size of between 8 and 10 cm means that it can only be eaten with the hands, which is always good if we do not master the chopstick technique too much.
- Gunkan: In the gunkan the rice is served wrapped in a thick strip of seaweed forming a small bowl , and on top it has fish roe, raw fish, sea urchin or other delicacies worthy of a delicacy. It is a true wonder that, if we choose those that contain roe, they will cause an explosion of flavor in the mouth that is only suitable for the brave.
- Sashimi: Sashimi is a piece of fish , usually tuna or salmon, which is cut in a certain way and is served plain .
- Futomaki: The futomaki is the cousin of the maki zumosol. An XL maki of about 4 or 5 centimeters in diameter , which in the end allows more ingredients to be added to the central part , creating new flavors and a colorful and attractive vision, combining two fish with fruits and vegetables without a problem. It is a perfect sushi for lovers of Japanese food, but it can be very filling.
- Hosomaki: If the futomaki is the XL version, the hosomaki is the XS version of the maki . A smaller maki, where only one ingredient fits , usually tuna or cucumber. We shouldn’t trust its size, it’s small but a bully, since we won’t be able to eat just one of how rich they are.