Want to know more about sushi?

I received an e-mail from a reader saying he was embarrassed when, as a guest of his clients at a Japanese restaurant, he couldn’t tell the difference between sushi, sashimi and other Japanese food.

Much as this column is about food with local relevance, there are enough Japanese restaurants around to warrant looking at sushi and encouraging readers to try something new.

Sushi is the one of the most popular dishes among the Japanese, and the most famous Japanese dish outside that country. In Japan, it is usually served on special occasions. In theory, it is cooked rice that is either topped with, rolled with or stuffed with different ingredients.

One of the ingredients may be raw fish, hence the impression that Japanese fare is raw fish, which is not accurate even when it comes to sushi.

The origins of sushi are different from what we now find at Japanese restaurants. It was a combined form of fish and rice pickled with vinegar and salt in order to break the fish down to amino acids, producing a popular taste. Known as nazershushi, this form of sushi is still popular in some areas.

However, only the fish was eaten and the rice discarded.

The current form of sushi evolved from all the previous variations and has largely been attributed to one Hanaya Yohei, who invented it in the late 18th Century.

This sushi is almost a fast-food form of sushi, requiring no fermentation.

Types of sushi

The common ingredient in the different kinds of sushi is sushi rice. The variety in sushi arises from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these ingredients are put together.

The same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, creating a very different final result. A true Japanese restaurant only serves the freshest of fish, especially when the fish topping is raw, so don’t expect any fishy smell or taste.

Here are some of the types of sushi you are bound to encounter at Japanese restaurants in Kenya:

Nigiri

This is the most common form of sushi, and what is referred to generally as sushi. Nigiri is a mound of sticky rice with a topping. The topping is typically fish such as salmon, tuna or other seafood.

Ordered separately, nigiri is generally served in pairs. A sushi set might contain only one piece of each topping. First-timers should note that most sushi comes dabbed with a touch of wasabi (horse radish paste with a hotness akin to mustard) under the topping that is very pungent.

Makimono

Makimono are cylindrical rolls of sushi rice and fillings held together with a piece of seaweed paper called nori. They are usually long, slim, and cut into six or eight pieces.

Since they are made together, they are usually served together — that is, all pieces make one serving.

Futomaki

This is like a makimono, but the roll is much wider and shorter. They are often made with two or three fillings that are chosen for their complementary tastes and colours.

Futomaki is often vegetarian, but might include non-vegetarian toppings such as tiny fish roe and chopped tuna.

Temaki

Temaki is a large, cone-shaped piece of nori on the outside with the ingredients spilling out the wide end. A typical temaki measures about 10 centimetres and is eaten with the hands because it is too awkward to pick it up with chopsticks.

For optimal taste and texture, Temaki must be eaten quickly after being made because the nori cone soon absorbs moisture from the filling and loses its crispness, making it somewhat difficult to bite.

Sashimi

Although not in the general sushi section of Japanese fare, sashimi appears almost everywhere that sushi does.

It is a Japanese delicacy primarily consisting of very fresh raw seafood cut into thin pieces and served with only a dipping sauce (soy sauce with wasabi paste or other condiments such as grated fresh ginger, or ponzu), depending on the fish, and simple garnishes.

How to eat sushi

• In a restaurant, sushi has to be prepared fresh and eaten soon thereafter, say within an hour. In Western countries, a lot of sushi is now available in the refrigerated section of supermarkets as take-away; even these must be eaten the same day.

• Sushi is served cold or at room temperature, never warm. This is to ensure that the raw fish stays fresh.

• It is customary to serve sushi with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger slivers. Sushi is usually dipped in a shallow bowl of soy sauce before eating. Those who can stand the pungent taste of wasabi may add a small dab of wasabi to their mouthful (although many sushi types come already with some wasabi).

• Most types of sushi must be placed eaten as a mouthful. Biting through or cutting it will make it disintegrate.

Next week: more locally available Japanese dishes as well some of the popular Western versions.

gastrodenome@hotmail.com