Sushi of Local Styles
Sushi is a world-popular food? I am not sure. But at least in North America it is, maybe.
Nigiri and rolls seem to be the most popular type there. Is this correct?
In Tokyo today, Nigiri is the most popular style, too. Nigiri was basically the local Edo style, and it was served at street stands before.
In Japan each area has a different local style of sushi; I will introduce a few of them first.
Wrapped with Fish Type
Akita Pref.- Ayu no kimi-Sushi : Wrapped with pickled sweetfish.
Kyoto Pref.- Saba Sushi : Wrapped with pickled mackerel.
Wrapped with leaf type
Fukuoka Pref.- Kakinoha Sushi : Wrapped with persimmon leaf.
Ishikawa Pref.- Sasa Sushi : Wrapped with bamboo leaf.
Kochi Pref.- Bamboo Sushi : Use cooked Bamboo with soup.
Pushed, Steamed, Stuffed, Etc.
Tokyo - Chirashi Sushi : Use the same fish as the Nigiri type.
Tochigi Pref. - Tawara Sushi(Inari Sushi) : When you visit Inari Temple, you will see a fox on the gate. The color of deep-fried bean curd looks like the fur of a fox. So we call sushi wrapped with deep-fried bean curd Inari sushi.
Toyama Pref. - Kabura Sushi : Stuffed into pickle turnips.
Toyama Pref. - Masu Sushi : This is the most popular Ekiben in Japan.
Kyoto Pref. - Mushi Sushi : Steamed rice seasoned with vinegar.
Various Sushi Throughout the World?!
Each country seems to create their own arrangement of sushi. Sometimes it gives us a little surprise. For example, this is the San Jose Sushi Report from Nifty Z. I really like this site and its reports from San Jose.
I am not sure how close it will be, but please try to read it with this Internet translation site. It will make you laugh.
By the way, they say that the first pictured sushi is named "Intel Roll". Yeah, "Inside Intel". In the second picture, the left one is named "Apple Roll". Pretty, looks like a Mac?. Then the brown one is IBM. IBM? Okay, that would be their image of IBM.
For People in India, our Japanese curry will be far from REAL curry, and Italian people might be disappointed to see that we eat Nattou Pasta with Umeboshi and Nori!. (This site has over a hundred pasta recipes. Some of them might be unacceptable to Italians? :-S ) Actually, when an Italian guy saw a delivery menu for Pizza, (there are pizzas with pineapple. Korean BBQ, crab, etc. What are USA recipes?), he shook his head without saying anything. So even though I am surprised to see this sloppy and rough sushi, of course it is just FUN!
We also enjoy making pretty, fun-style sushi. Maki-Sushi(Sushi-Roll) has a nice design. Here is Pokemon, Anpanman, Panda, etc., for kids.
Let's Eat Sushi
In Japan, we buy sushi in the supermarket and convenience store, or at a take-out sushi shop. Sushi looks easy and simple to cook, but it has deep worlds of complexity. Real sushi is so different from such ready-made ones. It is very easy to tell once you eat at a nice sushi place. But I must tell you, good sushi places are expensive. At such places, they do not tell you the value of the item, so we have to eat sushi without knowing the price. If you do it in Ginza, it would be scary, like a test of your own courage. If you want to enjoy sushi casually, I recommend rotating sushi(JP) bars. I can tell you that recently rotating sushi bars are getting better and better. Near my work, they are two nice bars.
This is the catalogue of good sushi places, from a food magazine: Delicious. Looks very nice.
Let's Cook Sushi
I was able to find some sushi goods at foreign online shops. It seems geared towards cooking nigiri and rolls. But even without such sushi goods, we can enjoy sushi easily
at home.
Sushi rice : Basic recipe is here.
It would be much easier to use sushi vinegar or sushi vinegar powder.
Easy cook : No need to think that sushi is difficult. Make sushi rice and ready the materials which you like, such as tuna, cucumber, or fish sausage. Avocado, roast chicken, anything is okay.
Chirashi sushi
Chirashizushi is a dish in which seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables are spread over sushi rice. Layer the rice into small bowls or plates, then top with any number of ingredients.
Wrapped sushi
Prepare nori (seaweed paper) or lettuce.
Then roll it like this when you eat. We call this Temaki sushi. This is easy and good for a party. Here is the site, they enjoy a temaki sushi party!
Sushi Seasoning
We have sushi seasoning like sushitaro, or gomoku zushi no tane. If you can find this at a shop near your home, please try it. All that is needed to make the sushi is mixing.
This is a great Sushi recipe site. You can check professional sushi cook's methods there. Sushi Tatsuro has a 24 hour web camera.
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