Welcome

Tsu in Japanese means a person who has a lot of knowledge in doing one certain thing; therefore a Sushi-Tsu is an expert concerning Sushi. This document is meant to be a good start on the long way to become a Sushi-Tsu.

Sushi?

Junichi Matsura, a Japanese Sushi-master living in Düsseldorf, once told me with a wink that Sushi would be some kind of Japanese fast food. Indeed, Sushi are small tidbits, always combined with rice and nearly always, but not exclusively combined with raw fish - and before you can say Jack Robinson, the tidbits are gone.

Once grabbed by the passion for Sushi, I now go to the next Sushi-bar whenever I can find the time and let the Sushi-Chef spoil me with his delicacies. And more and more I tried to prepare Sushi myself.

I gathered a lot of knowledge about Sushi for quite some time that I summarized in this document. I hope that Sushi-lovers - and readers who are about to become ones - are interested in the available information.

Have fun while reading, cooking and eating...

SUSHI & SASHIMI

Japan

You may assume that in Japan, being a land surrounded by the sea, plenty of fish is eaten. Indeed, the Japanese eat lots of fish in many variations: baked, cooked, grilled, fried and last but not least raw. In addition, the Japanese island is very mountainous. The little land that can be used in an agricultural way serves the cultivation of rice. These two facts make it logic that the combination of rice and raw fish is a very loved meal in Japan - Sushi. Among other things, the Japanese eat raw fish completely without any side dishes. This is called Sashimi.

SUSHI

Sushi are covered or filled bite-size portions of rice that is spiced with vinegar before. Mostly the tidbits are covered or filled with raw fish, but there are variations of Sushi with vegetables, eggs and many other things. In past times, the raw fish was made edible by using vinegared rice. This is the basis for the way of preparation today. Sushi exists in many shapes. The two best known and most popular shapes are Nigiri-zushi and Maki-zushi. Nigiri-zushi are formed out of rice by hand and covered with the fish. For making Maki-zushi, you spread out rice on a bamboo mat, cover it with the fish and roll it. Sushi usually serves as a full meal.

SASHIMI

Sashimi is raw fish carved in thin slices. It is prepared elaborately and is eaten without any side dishes. Sashimi normally is a starter.

History

Funa

Japanese Sushi developed some hundred years ago by trying to prevent fresh fish from perishing. The real origin of this method however was not in Japan but in other South-East Asian regions. To preserve the fresh raw fish by using fermentation it was salted and pressed in layers of rice. A heavy stone was used as weight to achieve the needed pressure. It was possible to eat the fish, fermented like this, even months later. First the rice was thrown away, later on eaten with the fish. This is the oldest form of Sushi existing today and is called Nare-zushi.

Only in the middle of the seventeenth century the Japanese discovered that the fermentation of the ingredients could be accelerated by adding vinegar to the rice. This knowledge is the basis for all modern types of preparation where the stone as weight is no more used.

Today like in former times there are mainly two styles of Sushi: The Kansai-style from Osaka situated in the region of Kansai and the Edo-style from Tokyo.

The more popular type of preparation for Sushi developed around the region of Edo (the name of Tokyo until 1868). Just catched in the bay of Edo, slices of fresh fish were taken as cover for rice tidbits that were pressed and formed by hand. This kind of Sushi is called Nigiri-zushi and today is spread throughout the whole world.

Less know than the Edo-style today is a form of preparation that developed in the region of Kansai around Osaka, the economic center of Japan. Therefore you press the fish together with the rice in a trough and afterwards cut it in pieces. You call this Oshi-zushi.

Kanji

The first Kanji (letters from China, adopted by the Japanese in the 5th century) for Sushi already existed 200 to 300 years b. c. in China. The Japanese today use different versions. The composition of the Kanji for Su and the Kanji for Shi is about three fourths concerning its range of use. Both letters literally do not have any connection to Sushi, rice or fish but do mean "luck" and "to preside over":

In use frequently is as well an older Kanji for Sushi. The left side of the Kanji means "fish", the right side "delicious":

The Japanese own writing system Kana, consisting of its syllable writings Hiragana and Katakana, also knows corresponding letters for Sushi:

Hiragana

Katakana

Interesting facts

Health

For more than one reason, Sushi is a very healthy meal:

• Sushi contains nearly the same nutrients like other food, but considerably less fat.
• The high share of insatiated fatty acids in fish helps to prevent from strokes and heart attacks.
• Because of the rice the blood sugar level mounts less fast. The feeling of satiety stays longer.

Sushi is a low-calorie meal. First, the rice contains approximately 100 calories per 100 gram. The calories for a whole Sushi-roll vary depending on size and covering. One whole Kappa-Maki (cucumber-roll) contains approximately 100 calories, one piece of a California-roll (30 gram) about 35 - 40 calories. A typical small Sushi-meal with 8 different Nigiri and two pieces of a thin roll (e. g. Kappa-Maki, Tekka-Maki) contains about 450 calories.

Tips

Etiquette

To relish Sushi the traditional way, you will need the fitting accessories.

Hashi

First there are the Hashi, the Japanese chopsticks. You will find them in front of you on the table. While you do not use them, you lay them down parallel to the edge of the table. Together with the chopsticks comes a small ceramic bench, Hashi oki, where you put the tops of the chopsticks on. Also you will have a small ceramic dish to put soy sauce in later on. At the beginning of the Sushi-meal you will usually get a hot towel, an Oshibori, to wipe over your face and hands.

You can eat Sushi with your hands or the chopsticks. No matter how, in both cases you take the Sushi piece, usually a mouthful, and put it in the provided soy sauce. Take care just to dip the fish part in and not the rice that could fall apart (and this is said to be very indelicate). Besides, the rice absorbs the soy sauce too fast and covers the fine taste of the fish completely. After dipping the piece is eaten with one bite.

While eating with chopsticks there may occur some misunderstandings in Japan. It is very impolite to point with the chopsticks at persons; also the passing on of a piece of Sushi from one chopstick to another will at least incur displeasure because this reminds of a Japanese tradition at funerals.

Beverages

Kirin Bier

Traditionally you have green tea or Japanese rice wine with Sushi. But a beer or a glass of wine will also fit perfectly.

If you want to have green tea with Sushi, you can resort without hesitation to the common Japanese types like Bancha or Sencha. Their sweet flavor suits the raw fish very fine. To prepare the green tea you take about 1½ to 2 teaspoons of tea per cup. Bancha then is brewed per pot, Sencha per cup with boiling water.

Japanese rice wine is called Sake. It is made of fermented rice, malt and water. Sake has an alcoholic content of 16 % to 19 % and its taste varies from sweet to dry. You should store it in a dry and cool place. You may drink it warm or cold. When drinking rice wine to Sushi, you usually warm it up to body temperature.

Soups

The ideal beginning for the Sushi pleasure is a soup. Possibly a clear stock, Suimono, or a Miso-soup (Misoshiru), made of fermented soybean paste. In Japan soups are always served boiling hot and drunken out of a cup. You reduce the temperature to a bearable mark by sipping.

Ingredients

The list of ingredients for Sushi is very manifold and extensive. Therefore in this chapter you are presented the ingredients most often used for Sushi. The text should be interesting for all of you who want to know what they are eating and who want to prepare their shopping list for home-made Sushi.

The basis for the preparation of Sushi is rice. You will find everything worth knowing about rice in the first section. Although there is Sushi without fish, the fish - mostly used raw - remains one of the most important ingredients. The different types of fish are therefore presented in an own paragraph. Next is further seafood, used often for Sushi, and last but not least a list of all other but not less important ingredients.

The most important ingredients (except for fish and vegetables) from top left to bottom right: Vinegar (Su), Rice (Kome), Soy sauce (Shoyu), Sesame (Goma), Seaweed (Nori), Ginger (Gari), Horseradish (Wasabi).

Rice

Kome

The Japanese name for rice is Kome. You will find Sushi without fish but never without rice. The taste and the condition of the rice are of crucial meaning to the quality of Sushi. Rice, being cultivated in many regions on earth, is available in countless variations. The most suitable rice for Sushi is white, peeled short-grained rice. In no case you should use unpeeled rice. Often you see Japanese rice specially marked as rice to be used for Sushi. Not suitable is the Asian sticky rice for containing loads of starch.

Fish

Mostly used and eaten raw, fish you want to use for Sushi needs to be fresh above all. Using deep frozen fish is possible, but because of fresh fish tasting better it is not absolutely recommended. So how recognize fresh fish? To tell it with the words of a well-known German television cook: "If you shake it and the bones fall down, you should not buy it." However, it is not that easy to recognize fresh fish.

The freshness of fish, if bought as a whole, shows among other things on clear, not dull and not blood shot eyes. The flesh should be firm and elastic, meaning if pressed by your fingers it should give way and, after letting go, find back in his original shape. The scales of fresh fish are shining and the gills are red. Fresh fish under no circumstances smells like fish.

Fresh fish is to be used as soon as possible, in case of needing it for Sushi that means gutting and filetting. The so prepared fish should be kept cool and be eaten soon. If you wish to store it longer than half a day you should wrap it into polythene sheet, protecting it from drying up.

In principle, nearly every fish can be used for the preparation of Sushi. Some sorts of fish indeed have turned out to be especially suited and tasty. These will be presented in the following.

Tuna (Maguro)

Tuna

Tuna is a fish related to the mackerels. It is mainly catched in the warm waters of the Atlantic and Pacific down in 200 meters depth. Nearly every part of the fish may be eaten raw. The pieces color is dark red, reminding one of beef. Tuna is the most popular Sushi filling.

Experts prefer the fatter pieces of tuna, taken from the belly side, because of the more intensive taste. As a rule, you may say, the fatter the piece of tuna is, the better it tastes. Therefore the fat tuna flesh is subdivided into three parts: fat (toro), fatter (chu toro) and very fat (otoro). The fatter the flesh, the less dark the color is.

Tuna belongs to the fat fishes and contains up to 260 calories per 100 gram. Apart from iodine and vitamin A it is above all a supplier of valuable essential fatty acids.

Mackerel (Saba)

Mackerel

The mackerel is an oily fish with soft flesh. Best time for the mackerel is October or November, when the flesh is especially fat and tasting intensively.
Although mackerel and tuna belong to the same family, they do not have very much in common regarding to the taste. In contrast to the light, unobtrusive taste of the tuna, the mackerel tastes much more intensively.

Yellowtail (Buri/Hamachi)

Yellowtail

The Japanese yellowtail belongs to the spine mackerels and is closely related to the tuna. Buri, the grown-up fish, and Hamachi, the young fish, are of golden color and raised in Japan in special fish farms. Outside of Japan it is quite difficult to get real Japanese yellowtail.

Sea bass (Suzuki)

Sea bass

The full-grown Japanese sea bass is called Suzuki and over 60 cm long. His white flesh is especially tasty in the summer months.

Red Snapper (Tai)

Red Snapper

There are known more than 100 variations of this carp-similar fish. Some Japanese types are Mai-dai, Chi-dai, Kuro-dai, Ishi-dai and Renko-dai. Among the use as fish for Sushi, the Snapper is also very tasty when grilled.

Salmon (Sake)

Today salmon is found mostly in the Pacific. A long time in his life the fish stays in the sea, finally searching his way against the current of a river to spawn. Normally the salmon is not used raw for Sushi but slightly smoked or marinated. The flesh is of a pale-red to orange color and tastes lightly sweet.

Freshwater eel (Unagi)

In Japan, freshwater eel is very popular in various ways of preparation and is also used as an ingredient for Sushi. Unagi is never eaten raw, but first grilled and then put into marinade. The freshwater eel is full of taste and its color is nut-brown. Being already marinated, you do not put the freshwater eel into soy sauce.

Sea eel (Anago)

Sea eel is, similar to the freshwater eel, not used raw, but first cooked, then grilled and also marinated. Eel is a very rich source for animal fats.

Further seafood

Apart from fish there is much further seafood used gladly for Sushi. Among them are shellfish and fish roe. Just like the fish the seafood should be as fresh as possible. Especially mussels should absolutely be used alive. You will know if a mussel is still alive if it is shaped evenly, does not have clefts and is closed properly. If lifted, the mussel should seem heavy. It is on no account supposed to float in the water.

In general, it is best to get the ingredients only from a merchant of whom you know sells them absolutely fresh.

Abalone (Awabi)

The abalone is a sea-snail of the Haliotidae-family with greyish flesh that may be eaten raw. Because the flesh of the male abalone is more firmly it is preferred for making Sushi. Eaten is the suction muscle which is, like other muscle meat, very firm.

Squid (Ika)

Squids are shellfish without muscles but tentacles and swim freely in the sea. They occur in different sizes, starting at a few centimeters up to several meters length. More than 80 percent of their white, shining flesh is eatable. Parts of their body are used as a layer for Sushi (Ika). In former times squids were only used cooked for Sushi or Sashimi. Modern cooling methods make it possible today to use squids also raw. The tentacles (Geso) may be grilled or used as an addition for salad.

Octopus (Tako)

The octopus is found in the Pacific and its scarlet tentacles contain much protein. The octopus is always cooked before you cut its tentacles into thin slices. His white flesh is firm if you chew it, its taste unobtrusive.

Crab (Kani)

The flesh of crab is not used raw but cooked. Usually, the king crabs from Alaska are used for Sushi. For crab being a real delicacy it is often replaced by a substitute, Surimi. The Surimi sticks are made by tradition for centuries in Japan, consisting of fish flesh, spices and starch.

Prawn (Ebi/Ama ebi)

Prawns are used for Sushi either cooked (Ebi) or raw (Ama ebi). Especially the raw Ama ebi are agreed to be a delicacy.

Salmon roe (Ikura)

The big, orange salmon eggs are sometimes called red caviar and are often used for Sushi. You will know if salmon roe is fresh by his orange color and even surface.

Sea urchin roe (Uni)

The sea urchin is a shellfish. His roe is a delicacy. The urchin is opened at the bottom and the insides are taken out. Resting at the inner top of the shell is the roe that is eaten. The yellowish roe has a fresh, nut-like taste.

Flying fish roe (Tobiko)

Tobiko are the small orange eggs of the flying fish, tasting mainly salty. Tobiko is also likely to be used for decorating.

Further ingredients

Vinegar (Su)

Su

Rice vinegar undoubtedly is the most important spice concerning the preparation of Sushi. You should absolutely use rice vinegar, for wine vinegar or apple vinegar is much too intensive in taste - they would conceal every other taste. The rice vinegar is used to spice the cooked rice. You may also disinfect the raw fish with it.

Ginger (Gari)

Gari

In the whole Japanese cooking, ginger plays an important role, also in preparing Sushi. Pickled ginger is always served with Sushi and normally eaten between the single bites to neutralize the taste in your mouth so that every mouthful shows to advantage.

The pickled ginger is cut in very thin slices, having a good effect on digestion and being very stimulating.

Horseradish (Wasabi)

Wasabi

Japanese horseradish is green and much more aromatic than the European one. Therefore it is not possible to replace Wasabi by European horseradish. It is nearly impossible to get fresh Wasabi here, which is rubbed delicately with a grater before using. You may find it in the form of powder or in tubes. The powder is stirred with water to a thickened paste, Wasabi being in tubes can be used instantly without further treatment. If you make Nigiri-zushi you will absolutely need Wasabi. Many people appreciate it if it is put additionally into soy sauce. Therefore you stir a small amount of Wasabi into soy sauce before serving it to Sushi. However, you should be careful with using Wasabi as it, like the European horseradish, does not leave much to be desired concerning its pungency.

Rice wine (Mirin)

Mirin is a sweet wine, consisting of different sorts of rice, being often used in the kitchen for marinades. There are two types of rice wine, hon mirin and shin mirin, slightly different in taste. For the preparation of Sushi you may use both.

Seaweed (Nori/Kombu)

You will need Nori for rolled Sushi. Nori sheets are pressed from dried seaweed, cut into small pieces. They are lightly roasted, tasting discreetly salty. Nori is also used to build a cup for the different sorts of fish eggs (Gunkan-style).

Kombu on the other hand is a special sort of seaweed which is dried in whole pieces before being used for cooking. Kombu is rich in calcium, iodine and iron and also containing natural glutamate which intensifies the taste. You should not wash Kombu but only wipe it with a damp tea towel, as the white powder on the surface is responsible for a substantial part of the taste.

Sesame (Goma)

Sesame seed is used as a refinement for some Sushi. It is used above all with the different types of Maki-zushi. Together with ice cream tasting vanilla or green tea it will make a simple, delicious dessert.

Soy sauce (Shoyu)

Shoyu

Soy sauce exists in two variations, being light or dark. For Sushi you take the dark sauce. At the beginning of the meal you put soy sauce in a small bowl, possibly mix it with some Wasabi, and use it to dip the separate Sushi bites in.

Flat cake of tofu (Abura-age)

You need flat cakes of tofu for Inari-zushi. Therefore you sweeten the cakes and fill it with the vinegared rice.

Chili (Togarashi)

The main part of these very spicy mixed herbs is chili-pepper. Added are orange peel, seaweed and sesame seed. Togarashi is a seasoning used at the table. It gives soups and noodles a piquant touch.

Bonito flakes (Katsuo-bushi)

Bonito is a fish related to the tuna. Because of its very individual taste it is hardly used for Sushi. In Japanese cooking there are the so-called bonito flakes (Katsuo-bushi) used as a spice. For making them the bonito is cooked at first. Next it is smoked and dried several times until it has become very stiff. With a special tool the flakes are then cut off the fish. The flakes are among other things one of the two main ingredients for Dashi stock.

Accessories

The accessories needed for the preparation of Sushi look very special at first sight. But most of the tools can be replaced with things already found in a good furnished kitchen. Two aspects need to be taken into account: As far as possible, do not use tools made out of metal. The vinegar and the metal brought together will change the taste of the prepared meal substantially. And the tools made out of wood or bamboo should be new or been used up to now only for the preparation of Sushi. Both materials adopt the taste and smell of the used ingredients and have negative influence on the final taste.

In the following, several tools for the handling of rice and fish are presented and listed you will find all other utilities needed for the successful preparation of Sushi.

Rice

Bowl (Hangiri)

Hangiri

A big, flat bowl made of cedar wood is used in Japan to mingle the cooked rice with the vinegar mixture. The big surface makes the rice cool down fast and the wood takes in the surplus liquidity. You should wipe the wood with a mixture of vinegar and water before using to prevent the rice from sticking to the bowl.

Spatula (Shamoji)

Shamoji

A flat, big wooden spoon is useful to stir the rice after cooking. As for all other wooden tools, a mixture of vinegar and water will prevent the rice from sticking onto it.

Fan (Uchiwa)

To fasten the cooling of the cooked rice it is fanned out. The Japanese traditionally use a round paper fan, the Uchiwa.

Fish

Knife (Yanagi)

Yanagi

For the treatment of Sushi and Sashimi the Japanese chefs use a special knife. The shape is called Yanagi. The blade is approximately 20 to 25 cm long and thin, grinded only on one side. Therefore these knives always come in a right- or left-handed version.

Chopping board

To cut up the fish and to cut the vegetable and the prepared Sushi you will need a chopping board. Best suited are of course wooden chopping boards.

Supplementary accessories

Knives (Hocho)

For the preparation at home two or three different knives will be enough, although professional Sushi chefs own a great number of knives and almost use a special one for one certain purpose. It is recommended to have a long, thin knife for the cutting up of the fish and a shorter one with a broad blade for all other cutting.

Bamboo mat (Makisu)

Makisu

The mat made of thin bamboo-sticks is needed for the preparation of Maki-zushi. The mat is essential to roll all ingredients together with the rice into a Nori-sheet.

Preparation

The preparation of Sushi needs as much creativity as craftsmanship. You will need a lot of exercise to learn the main techniques so that the Sushi taste excellent and furthermore look wonderful. Even if you will not succeed in the beginning - after enough attempts the rice will be pressed with the right pressure, the Nigiri-zushi will be oval and even and the Maki-zushi will be round instead of square.

In the first paragraph of this chapter you will find all needed knacks for the preparation of the additions like Wasabi, Gari or Goma. It continues with the right technique for cutting up fish and the important preparation of rice.

Afterwards the production of the different kinds of Sushi - Nigiri-zushi, Maki-zushi, Temaki-zushi, Chirashi-zushi - is described.

What to do first

I advise you to prepare some of the basic ingredients so that the actual making of Sushi works smoothly.

Ginger (Gari)

Gari

We can easily prepare pickled ginger by ourselves, as shows the following recipe. The pickled ginger keeps about six months in the refrigerator.

Horseradish (Wasabi)

Wasabi

Peel the fresh Japanese horseradish and rub it into mush with a fine grater. Horseradish powder is stirred with water to a thick paste. Green horseradish out of a tube is ready to be used instantly.

Seaweed (Nori)

The seaweed sheets gain taste if roasted. In doing so they also get less tenacious. It is best to pull the Nori briskly over a hot hotplate or open flame. Alternatively you can put the sheets into a hot stove for a moment. The roasted seaweed has a noticeably brighter color than the untreated sheets.

Sesame (Goma)

Goma

The very aromatic sesame seed gains taste by easily roasting as well. Containing much fat and oil, you can roast it in a pan without further fat. As soon as it turns golden-brown in color, you have to take it out of the pan immediately.

Fish

The Japanese distinguish between two methods to divide fish: sanmai oroshi cuts it into three parts, gomai oroshi into five parts. The second method is only suitable for flat or very big fishes. Being a possibility for us, the first method is described here.

To get rid of the scales, take the fish by its end. Put the knife flat to the fish and scrape off the scales in direction to its head. Do not hold the fish by its body to maintain the stability of its flesh. While scraping, rub the fish with salted water from time to time.

Cutting into three parts (Sanmai oroshi)

Using this method, we have left three fish parts: One fillet left, one right and the skeleton.

Maguro-nigiri

Eel/Freshwater eel (Unagi/Anago)

Eel is best bought as fillet. You will only need to marinade and grill the eel as described in the following recipe.

Anago-nigiri

Other seafood

Abalone (Awabi)

In contrast to many other mussels that are only eaten at certain seasons, the Abalone may be eaten throughout the whole year. Make sure that the Abalone is alive just before you prepare it. It is the only way to use it raw for Sushi. If you touch the mussels's flesh and it contracts, you can be sure it is alive.

The suction foot of the Abalone is the eatable part. Detach it from the shell and clean it with a brush and much salt. Rinse it off with running water. Take a sharp knife and remove the dark edges around the flesh. In the following, cut the suction foot in angular slices.

Squid (Ika)

In order to remove the tentacles and intestines of the squid, we seize the tentacles firmly with one hand at their basis, pulling the body strongly with the other hand. After separating the tentacles we carefully remove the fins. Finally you have to get rid of the outside skin of the squid's body. We do not use the intestines, fins and skin. Wash the squid's body and dry it off a little before you cut it in slices.

Ika-nigiri

Shrimps (Ebi/Ama ebi)

The size of the shrimps for Sushi should be about 5 to 6 centimeters without head. First we remove the heads of the shrimps and wash the bodies off very thoroughly. Detach the intestines and spear the shrimp between shell and joint on a small skewer so that it remains straight when cooking. Boil water in a pot and put the shrimps in. The shrimps are done if they rise to the surface. Rinse with ice-cold water immediately and detach the skewers. Remove shell from around body, but not tail. Cut the shrimps open along belly only going halfway in. Open out and flatten the shrimps with your fingers.

Ebi-nigiri

Amaebi-nigiri

Rice

The rice concerning Sushi has a completely special meaning and therefore its preparation, too. The well-done Sushi rice should be sticking easily so that you can form small bites that do not fall apart immediately. On the other hand, the rice should melt in one's mouth without having to be crushed, or worse, bitten to pieces.

The best way to reach this is to prepare Sushi rice traditionally: We steam the rice, blend it afterwards with spiced vinegar and cool it down as fast as possible to body temperature.

Begin about one hour before you want to cook the rice with washing it. Put cold water in a bowl and add the rice. By stirring, any residues come off the rice corns. Pour off the clouded water and replace it with fresh water. Repeat this procedure until the water comes clear. Subsequently, pour off the water and let drain and rest the rice at least half an hour.

Now we need a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put the washed rice together with water and a Kombu-stripe in the pot and bring it with closed lid to the boil over a medium heat. For one cup of rice use about one and one fifth cup of water. Remove the seaweed just before the boiling point. As soon as the rice is cooking, let simmer and steam the rice for about 10 minutes. During the whole procedure you should not lift the lid of the pot.

Meanwhile you can prepare the spiced vinegar. A good basis for spiced vinegar is the following recipe. It is sufficient for approximately five cups uncooked rice.

When the rice was steaming for about 10 minutes, take the pot and leave the rice untouched for another 10 minutes, still with closed cover, without heat.

The rice is ready after 25 minutes altogether and should be mixed with the spiced vinegar immediately. Therefore fill the cooked rice into a flat wooden bowl. Add the prepared spiced vinegar and blend with a wooden spatula.

In order to obtain the cooling of the rice as fast as possible you need to cool it during seasoning with a fan.

Nigiri-zushi

Nigiri-zushi

For Nigiri-zushi, form the rice by hand to a small oval dumpling, spread on Wasabi and put on fish. It is particularly important to pay attention that the quantity of fish and rice is well balanced.

You need rice, fish and Wasabi; furthermore a chopping board and a sharp knife. Have a bowl of a mixture of vinegar and cold water ready.

First, cut off some slices of the fish fillet. Lay the fillet across to you on the chopping board. Put the knife on straight, about one and a half centimeters away form the edge. Cut the slice diagonally to the edge.

Now you can form the Nigiri-zushi:

During this procedure, it all depends on the facts that you do not form the rice too firmly and hold the fish too long in your hand.

Nigiri-zushi are always served in pairs.

Gunkan style

Ikura-nigiri

The Gunkan style makes it possible to prepare Nigiri-zushi with a filling like sea urchin, various sorts of mussels or fish roe. Therefore you wind a stripe of seaweed round the rice dumpling. The so created cup is stuffed with the filling:

Maki-zushi

Maki-zushi

For preparing Maki-zushi you need the bamboo mat, the chopping board and a sharp knife. The ingredients are rice, stuffing, seaweed and Wasabi.

First roast the seaweed sheets from one side and afterwards cut it into half. Cut the ingredients for the stuffing in strips. Now you can form the Maki-zushi:

	Lay the bamboo mat in front of you on the chopping board. Place half of a seaweed sheet onto it, shining side down. The edge of the sheet should end with the edge of the bamboo mat on your side.
	Moisture your hands sufficiently with the mixture of vinegar and water. Take some rice and put it evenly on the seaweed sheet, about half a centimeter in height. Leave a margin of one centimeter in front and at the back.
	Spread Wasabi across the middle of the rice. Put the ingredients for the stuffing across the rice, too.
	To form the roll, hold the mat at your side with both hands. Fix with your thumb and index finger the right and left corner of the seaweed. Roll the mat away from you with even pressure.
	Now compress the roll - still with the mat - firmly with both hands. Fix the ends.

Cut the finished roll with a sharp knife into six or eight equal parts. Therefore cut the roll in half, put the halves side by side and cut them again two or three times.

Tip For cutting the Maki-zushi I advise you to dip the knife into a mixture of vinegar and cold water before each cut.

Arrange the Maki-zushi on front side, having the smooth side at the top.

Ura-Maki

This special kind of Maki-zushi is formed like this that the rice sticks outside the seaweed sheet. Therefore spread the rice like described over the seaweed sheet. Then turn the covered seaweed sheet upside down. It is necessary to protect the bamboo mat against the sticky rice by using a cling film. After stuffing and rolling you can carefully remove the cling film.

Other Sushi

There are other kinds of Sushi apart from the well-known and traditional Nigiri-zushi and Maki-zushi:

Temaki-zushi

Temaki-zushi

These hand-rolled Sushi are very well suited for the self-preparation at the table. Therefore you prepare the rice and make seaweed, Wasabi and various ingredients for the stuffing available.

While eating, every one makes his own Sushi. Take a half-sized seaweed sheet and spread half a spoon of rice on it. Put a stuffing of your own choice in the middle. After spreading some Wasabi on, roll the seaweed carefully to a cone.

Temaki-zushi should be eaten immediately. Otherwise the seaweed sheet becomes soggy and the Sushi might fall apart.

Chirashi-zushi

The easiest form of Sushi is Chirashi-zushi: mixed ingredients on top of a bowl of rice. No matter where you eat it, the taste will always be totally different because there are at least as many variations of Chirashi-zushi as there are people preparing it.

One possible variation is: two slices of tuna, salmon and swordfish, two pieces of squid (cooked), one prawn, a piece of omelet, three slices of cucumber, one shiitake mushroom. Prepare ingredients on top of a bowl of rice decoratively.

Recipes

This chapter is an index of all recipes used in this document. Additionally, you will find here the instructions for other well-known and special Sushi.

One helping of Sushi rice corresponds with about 200 milliliters of uncooked rice.

Overview

Sushi California-Maki, Kappa-Maki, Tuna-Maki (spicy), Inari Fish Eel (grilled), Red Snapper (cooked) Starters Skewered chicken (grilled) Desserts Red Bean-Sauce, Green Tea-Ice Soups Miso-Soup Side dishes Spinach with sesame sauce Other recipes Dashi-stock, Ginger (pickled), Omelet, Shiitake mushrooms, Spiced vinegar Sushi made out of marzipan Nigiri, Maki, Miscellaneous

Sushi

California-Maki

The California-Maki is not a classical Sushi. But it is very popular, not least because of its successfull combination of ingredients: crab meat, avocado and cucumber. A vegetarian variation can be prepared with cucumber, cooked pumpkin, cooked carrots, sugar peas and cream cheese.

Being an Inside-Out-roll with rice on the outside you normally make a helping somewhat larger. The following recipe will be enough for three rolls.

Kappa-Maki

This Maki-zushi was given its name from small, gracile water goblins of Japanese mythology. Their favorite meal is cucumber. The goblins normally live in water. A conical depression in the head makes it possible for them to haunt ashore, as long as the depression is filled with water (therefore a good tip: Bow to an attacking Kappa. Thinking of formal traditions, he might also bow to you and lose the water out of the depression in his head).

The roll with cucumber is also ideal for vegetarians.

Tuna-Maki (spicy)

The spicy touch of this roll comes from Togarashi, Japanese mixed herbs consisting of chili pepper, sesame, seaweed and skin of oranges. Furthermore, there is Sriracha used, a Vietnamese chili sauce. In order to take the pungency away, the herbs are mixed with Japanese mayonnaise.

Inari

The fox in Japan is accepted as messenger of Inari, the God of agriculture and harvest. One of the foxes' favorite meals are filled flat cakes of tofu, this is why these Sushi are also called Inari-zushi. You sweeten the cakes and fill it with the Sushi rice. The rice can be mixed as you like with further ingredients like sesame, carrot pieces or mushroom pieces.

Fish

The recipes in this chapter are for the preparation of fish that is afterwards used for Sushi.

Eel (grilled)

In Japan, eel is a delicacy and eaten there very gladly. As you cannot eat eel raw it is grilled. The following recipe shows a simple possibility to do so.

Red Snapper (cooked)

Red Snapper can - as an alternative to prepare it raw - also be cooked briefly.

Starters

Skewered chicken (grilled)

Yakitori is grilled chicken speared on sticks.

Desserts

Desserts are often made simply from sweetened fruit. Some more refined are presented here.

Red Bean-Sauce

The production of Red Bean-Sauce is a time-consuming thing to do since the beans get mellow slowly.

You'll like vanilla ice cream or Mochi with the Red Bean-Sauce. Mochi is steamed, strained Japanese sweet rice with many nutrients and is easy to digest. The Mochi are therefore roasted in a flat pan without fat.

Green Tea-Ice

You can strew sesame onto the finished ice or serve it with fruit sauce:

Soups

Miso-Soup

A Miso-soup is fast and simply prepared and nevertheless an ideal start into the Sushi pleasure.

Side dishes

Spinach with sesame sauce

This salad containing spinach and sesame is called Horenso Gomae in Japan.

Other recipes

Dashi-stock

Dashi-stock contains water, Kombu and Bonito flakes. The stock is the basis for many Japanese dishes with soups. The Kombu and the Bonito flakes can be re-used after the preparation of the stock.

Ginger (pickled)

Pickled ginger is always served with Sushi and normally eaten between the single bits. The pickled ginger keeps about six months in the refrigerator.

Omelet

Omelet can be used in many ways for Sushi. A thin slice, fixed with a slender stripe of Nori to a bit of Sushi rice; thin slices as stuffing for a Maki-roll or just a thick pure slice as colorful addition to a Sushi plate.

The omelets are best baked in a special rectangular pan. The preparation needs some practice and you should not reduce the quantities indicated here even if you prepare smaller portions.

Shiitake mushrooms

Shiitake mushrooms grow in the roots of the chestnut tree and different oak trees. This very aromatic mushroom is only used dried for the preparation of Sushi because it is then even of more taste. It is used basically for Chirashi-zushi.

Shiitake mushrooms are cooked and spiced before using.

Spiced vinegar

For the preparation of Sushi rice you use a mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt. The following recipe is sufficient for approximately five cups uncooked rice.

Sushi made out of marzipan

A funny idea is Sushi made out of marzipan and the preparation is not that difficult.

For Sushi made out of marzipan you need raw marzipan mass, caster sugar and food colors.

First, we prepare some marzipan rice. Therefore roll a part of the non-colored marzipan by hand to a long, thin roll or press the marzipan with, for example, a garlic press. Cut small pieces of rice corn size with a knife from the marzipan. This is a lengthy procedure so you better use the marzipan rice only at Sushi spots that can be seen. For unseen spots we work with the untreated marzipan.

To fabric Nori out of marzipan take some of the red, green and blue marzipan and knead it. We get a piece of dark brown marzipan that we roll out as flat as possible.

Nigiri

First, we form some of the non-colored marzipan to a longish roll. Subsequently take pieces of the before prepared marzipan rice and press it to the sides of the roll. You might leave out the upper side and the bottom. Take the red marzipan and form a longish slice, somewhat longer than the roll, and put it on the roll so that the slice overlaps on both ends.

Maguro-nigiri

Tamago-nigiri

Different colors result in different Nigiri: Red stands for Maguro-Nigiri (tuna), orange (red and yellow) for Sake-Nigiri (salmon) or yellow for Tamago-Nigiri (omelet).

Ikura-nigiri

For Nigiri in Gunkan style we begin again with a longish roll made out of the non-colored marzipan. From the rolled out marzipan Nori cut out a longish stripe (about twice as wide like our roll is high and two and a half times long). Apply the stripe fitting to the roll and wind it round the roll. Now you can stuff the Gunkan-Nigiri, e. g. with small balls made from red marzipan for an Ikura-Nigiri.

Maki

Maki

Form a roll out of the non-colored marzipan of about six cm length and about two cm in diameter. Cut this roll into four pieces of the same length. This is the basis for our four Maki-zushi. Now wind stripe of marzipan Nori, two cm in width, around each piece so that the strip projects only on a side and is concise on the other one.

In the resulting cup you put a piece of red and green marzipan that represents the stuffing. Fill out the remaining area with our marzipan rice.

Miscellaneous

We can bring the rest of our marzipan into the most diverse forms. You may develop for example Gari (pickled ginger) or a Baran (an artful cut decoration sheet).

Notes

Thanks

Thanks are due above all to my dear sister Anja who put up patiently with my long lasting monologs concerning Sushi. She searched this document before publication for syntactic and semantic errors. Furthermore my dear colleague Kristina substantially contributed to the creation of this document by her always lasting hunger for Sushi.

Sources

"Sushi"  

Mia Detrick, 1982, Chronicle Books
ISBN: 0-87701-238-5

"Sushi Made Easy"  

Nobuko Tsuda, 1982, Weatherhill
ISBN: 0-8348-0173-6

"Das Sushi Kochbuch"  

Katsuji Yamamoto, Roger Hicks, 2000, Gräfe und Unzer Verlag
ISBN: 3-7742-4949-0

"Sushi. Über 70 unwiderstehliche Rezepte aus Japan."  

Katsuji Yamamoto, Roger Hicks, 2000, Könemann
ISBN: 3-8290-4806-8

"Wissenswertes über Sushi (worth knowing about Sushi)" (broschure)  

Kirin Europe GmbH

"Sushi Encyclopedism"  

URL: offline

"The Sushi Guide"  

Martin Ragnevad
URL: offline

Pictures from the brochure "Wissenwertes über Sushi (worth knowing about Sushi)" are used with the friendly permission of Kirin Europe GmbH, Duesseldorf.

Liability

This document is neither entitled to completeness nor on accuracy. The author does not accept liability for damage that is due to wrong or wrongly understood descriptions in this document.

There cannot be accepted liability especially for damage by spoiled fish or fish infested by parasites.

Risks and side effects

Sushi and Sashimi are meals prepared with raw fish. Since fish can be infested by parasites of most different kinds (and some of these parasites are not harmless to humans also), it is necessary that you take greatest pains over the selection of the ingredients.

Further there are cases known where the consumption of Sushi leaded to addiction :-)

Technical background

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