THE CONDIMENTS
Typically your Sushi will be served with three different condiments which come in separate containers or small bowls:
Firstly there will be a green paste. This is traditionally grated Wasabi which goes with Sushi pretty much like ketchup goes on your fries. The Wasabi plant grows in the Japanese Alps and is quite scarce. It is related to horseradish so this is often used – mixed with some other ingredients including mustard seed – as a Wasabi substitute, especially in here in the UK. When used in its pure form it is the stem of the Wasabi plant (which grows submerged in water) that is ground up as a condiment. The flavour of Wasabi is extremely strong and intensely pungent – like super-hot mustard. It will probably make your nose run! It is more likely that your Wasabi in the UK will have been made from a powder, mixed with water. It is also available as a paste in a tube in some specialist grocery stores. If your sushi has been professionally made, the maki and nigiri selections will probably already contain a touch of Wasabi, but you will still be given the option of having more, to turn up the heat!
- The next accompaniment will be a little bit of soy sauce in a shallow dish for dipping. Most of us in the UK are very familiar with soy … made from fermented soya beans, salt, water and barley or wheat flour, it is a basic ingredient in oriental cuisine. When it comes to sushi, it is essential to bring out the flavour, but there are some rules of etiquette to bear in mind before you start swamping your sushi with soy. The main thing to remember is never to mix the wasabi with the soy sauce! All you’ll get is a muddy looking mess. It’s not only bad manners Japanese style, but it won’t do anything to enhance your enjoyment of the sushi. Another rule is that only the fishy part of your sushi rolls should be treated to a dip of soy sauce – never the rice. A soy soaking will make the texture of the rice awkward to hold and eat and ruin the fragrant flavour the sushi chef will have imparted to the rice. Less is more when it comes to using soy: in Japan wasting it is very bad etiquette, and putting too much on your fish is an insult, suggesting that the chef used fish that was less than fresh and the taste needs disguising!
- The final condiment you will receive with your sushi is a small serving of pickled ginger, recognisable as thin pink, white or orange slices. The purpose of the ginger is to clean the palate between bites. It is not to be added to the sushi or eaten with it.
WHAT TO DRINK WITH SUSHI:
To avoid overpowering the flavour of the fish, the recommended beverages to accompany Sushi are Green Tea, Sake, Beer or Water.
HOW TO EAT SUSHI
Traditionally Sushi is eaten with the fingers, although it is acceptable to eat it with chopsticks. Sashimi is always eaten with chopsticks.- Etiquette (and hygiene) dictates that you clean your hands before you eat (if you are in a sushi bar or restaurant a wet towel will be provided).
- Add a tiny bit of wasabi to your piece of Sushi, to taste (best sample without any condiments at first if you are not sure), and if eating a piece of Nigiri dip only the fish delicately into the soy sauce. If you are deft at using chopsticks, you can pick up a sliver of the ginger, dip that into the soy sauce, and then use it to gently brush a touch of the soy sauce onto the fish, giving it a hint of ginger. As previously mentioned, if the rice is soaked in soy it will likely fall out of your fingers or chopsticks, making for a messy meal!
- The best Sushi should be sized so that you can eat each piece in one bite – at the most two. Chew slowly and savour the flavours and textures, for these are the essence of Sushi.
- In between bites of Sushi – particularly between different types of sushi – you can refresh your mouth by chewing a slice of the ginger while resting your chopsticks on the holder beside your plate.
- Like everything Japanese, you should endeavour to eat politely and slowly, particularly if you are eating in front of a trained sushi chef. He/she will not appreciate you putting dollops of wasabi and/or shavings of ginger on the fresh fish he has probably already delicately seasoned. If in doubt about dipping and using the condiments, don’t be afraid to ask for advice.
A GLOSSARY OF SUSHI RELATED WORDS & PHRASES
Aji – mackerel
Ama-ebi – sweet shrimp
Awqabi – Abalone
Ayoyagi – yellow clam
Bara sushi – Rice salad
California Roll – US style sushi containing crab meat and avocado.
Daikon – Radish
Edamame – Soybeans, served in the pod as an appetizer.
Gari – pickled ginger
Geta – wooden block sushi plate
Goma – sesame seeds
Hamachi – Yellowtail
Hashi – Chopsticks
Hijiki – Black seaweed in tiny threads.
Hikari-mono – Fish sliced with the silver skin left on.
Hirame – Halibut
Hocho – knives
Hotatagai – Scallops
Ika – Squid
Ikura – Salmon roe
Iwashi – Sardine
Kamaboko – Fish Cake
Kani – Crab meat
Kappa – Cucumber
Katsuo – Bonito fish
Koi – Saltwater carp
Kombu – kelp
Maguro – Tuna
Masu – Trout
Nanami togarashi – hot spices
Nasu – Aubergine (eggplant)
Negi – Onion
Oshinko – pickled vegetables
Philadelphia Roll – US style sushi filled with salmon, cream cheese and vegetable.
Sake – Salmon
Shiso – mint
Shiitake – A type of Japanese mushroom.
Takenoko – bamboo shoots
Tamago – eggs
Tarako – Cod Roe
Unagi – Eel
ITADAKIMASU (Enjoy Your Meal!)
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