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The Japanese people’s favorite food is gaining more and more fans in the United States, Europe, and, by extension, Greece. It is a traditional Japanese dish based on rice that has absorbed a delicate rice vinegar dressing, combined with seafood and other ingredients. In most cases, it is served with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger.
The types of sushi
Sushi is prepared in various forms beyond sashimi, which is its simplest form, and is considered an excellent source of protein. The other types are:
- Nigiri made with rice and topped with a slice of raw fish or seafood, with crab, tuna, and shrimp being the most popular choices (without seaweed)
- Maki (meaning rolled sushi) where it is in the shape of a cylinder. The outside is usually wrapped with roasted seaweed (nori) and the inside along with rice may have vegetables, fruits (avocado and cucumber), raw fish, seafood (shrimp, crab).
- Uramaki, or “inside-out,” where the rice is on the outside of the roll and the nori is on the inside (the opposite of maki)
- Wuncan which resembles maki in form but has nothing to do with it as instead of rice, authentic Japanese caviar (ikura) is placed on top
- A hand-rolled, cone-shaped sushi meant to be eaten by hand. The wrapper is—what else?—toasted nori, followed by rice, and inside, various vegetables or raw fish.
Different variations of sushi
As traditional Japanese cuisine has become increasingly popular, chefs around the world have created (as is the case with most traditional cuisines) various variations. When it comes to sushi, there are six common types and many others that are less common.
The most popular variation is Shrimp Nigiri, where shrimp replaces the salmon. This results in an equally delicious flavor but with less fat. Essentially, it’s a lighter version of nigiri.
Another variation is the Spicy Tuna Roll, which is a sushi roll with tuna and spicy sauce. There’s also the California Roll (take a guess where it got its name) which is a maki roll filled exclusively with avocado, cucumber, and crab.
In a different version of sushi is the Dragon Roll where fish and any seafood replaces the eel! Very tasty!
Other well-known variations include Salmon Sashimi, where the salmon is completely raw, and the Tempura Roll, which is sushi with all the ingredients cooked for those who cannot eat raw fish or do not like it.
Accompaniments of sushi
As with most traditional dishes, sushi also has essential accompaniments that bring the flavors of the dish together.
Soy sauce – Sushi is a bland dish. It needs that certain something to really bring out its flavor. That something is soy sauce—a savory sauce in which we dip the sushi before eating it.
Slicedginger witha very strong and intense flavor that complements sushi in a variety of flavor combinations. These are marinated, moist ginger slices ready to delight even the most discerning sushi enthusiasts. They are primarily used to cleanse the palate.
Wasabi – A very hot species of Japanese wild mushroom, green in colour. Traditional Japanese horseradish is used to bring out the flavours.