Interesting facts about sushi and rolls. Interesting facts about sushi (24 photos)

1. Rolls and sushi, as well as all others national dishes Japanese, very healthy and low-calorie.

2. Among the rolls there is one called “temaki”. Translated from Japanese, it means “rolls that are formed in the hands.” These rolls look like a cone made of nori. The filling is placed in the middle of the cone. After preparing such a dish, you should eat it immediately, because it quickly loses its cone-shaped shape.
Roll Temaki

3. Few people know that in addition to pickled ginger and wasabi, sushi and rolls should also be served with a salad of fresh cucumber and Japanese radish (daikon).

4. Masters do not use salt at all to prepare Japanese dishes. It is replaced with soy sauce, which has an interesting and distinct taste.

5. If you like raw, salty or smoked fish, then choose a type of sushi called “shaky”. It received this name for a reason, because translated from Japanese it means “salmon.”

Sushi "Syake"

6. Did you know that caviar flying fish has no color?! Manufacturers give the ingredient different colors using food coloring.

7. The Japanese perceive soup as an additional dish to fish or meat. For example, fish soup called "Suimono" they are eaten along with sushi.

Suimono soup

8. In many places where sushi is served, you can find wasabi in the form of ordinary horseradish, in which dyes and spices are added. It is very difficult to distinguish it from real wasabi.

9. You may notice that large number The sushi masters are men. And this is not without reason! After all, a man’s body temperature is slightly lower than a woman’s. And for sushi, a few degrees can already affect taste properties dishes.

10. In Japan, to become a sushi chef, you need to undergo a long training. So it would take you 2 years to learn how to cook rice correctly, and 3 years to cook fish.

Over the past 20 years, sushi has become such a popular food in the world that people living far beyond Asia call it their favorite dish. Next, we bring to your attention several interesting facts about sushi, many of which are unfamiliar even to true admirers of Japanese cuisine.

First mention

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the earliest mention of sushi is in English can be found in 1893 in a book called Japanese Interior. However, there are occasional references to sushi in other English-language sources dating back to 1873.

The birthplace of sushi

Contrary to popular belief, sushi did not originate in Japan, but in a rice-growing region. Southeast Asia more than two thousand years ago in the Mekong River valley. The recipe then spread to other areas, eventually arriving in Japan around the eighth century.

Sushi and taxes

When sushi first appeared in Japanese society, it was highly valued. People were even allowed to pay taxes with them.

Recipe history

The word "sushi" means "it's sour." This reflects the origins of the recipe of this dish(sushi was made from salted fish soaked in vinegar).

"Authentic" sushi

"Authentic" sushi, which is usually associated with the traditional Japanese version of this dish, is called "edomae sushi." This is a relatively recent recipe that was originally limited to the Tokyo area.

Fast food sushi

The modern style of sushi was created by Hanaya Yohei in 1820 and was sold in fast food kiosks. They were considered fast food because they could be eaten with both fingers and chopsticks.

Sumeshi

Sushi rice is called sumeshi (rice-flavored vinegar) or shari. Shari literally means "remains of Buddha" because the very white color of the rice reminded people of the remains of Buddha.

What to make sushi from

Sushi can be made from brown or white rice and from raw or cooked fish. The raw fish is cut into pieces called sashimi, which means “pierced body.”

Sushi - with fingers

Correct, or to be more precise, traditional way eat sushi with your fingers, not chopsticks. However, sashimi is eaten with chopsticks. Sushi should be eaten either immediately or in 2 bites.

Lots and lots of sushi

There are approximately 3,946 sushi restaurants in the United States. There are about forty-five thousand of them in Japan. American sushi bars generate $2 billion in annual revenue.

The dangers of sushi

Sushi as an aphrodisiac

Sushi is commonly seen as an aphrodisiac because the two most commonly found fish in it, salmon and mackerel, are famous high content Omega-3 fatty acids that help in the production of excitatory hormones. Additionally, tuna is a source of selenium, which helps increase sperm count.

Sushi is a man's business

Until recently, women were prohibited from being sushi chefs because it was believed that their hair oil and makeup could change the taste and smell of the sushi. Women also have more high temperature body (especially during menstruation). It was believed that their warm hands would spoil the cold fish.

Sushi chef

California roll

The standard California roll helped make sushi popular around the world. The California roll, or inside-out roll, was the first sushi of American origin.

Noritoshi Kanai

Noritoshi Kanai was a Japanese man who ran a food import business in Los Angeles. It was he who opened the first American sushi bar in the early 1960s.

Popularity of sushi

Sushi began to gain popularity in the United States in the 1980s. This was due to the fact that Americans began to take more care of their health.

Primitive sushi

Primitive sushi making is still practiced in some rural areas of Japan. For example, funa-zushi is made from local freshwater carp, which is marinated with rice and salt for a year. The strong smell and characteristic taste can be compared to mature Roquefort cheese.

The most expensive sushi

The most expensive price ever paid for sushi products - $1.8 million for 222 kilograms bluefin tuna in Japan. The Japanese love of sushi has caused the world's tuna population to decline by more than eighty percent.

Bluefin tuna

As for bluefin tuna specifically, its population has declined by more than ninety-six percent due to the growing demand for sushi. Most bluefin tuna fishing occurs off the coast of Japan, which has imposed several fishing restrictions.

Sushi by season

Traditionally, sushi should clearly reflect the current season. Consequently, many sushi chefs in Japan and America avoid using out-of-season captive-bred fish.

Wasabi

Wasabi is traditionally made from the root of Eutrema japonica. However, in most restaurants, wasabi is a mixture of colored green horseradish and mustard powder.

"Nori-spam"

While they were interned during World War II, Japanese Americans were fed potatoes and SPAM canned meat. They didn't like the potatoes, but they liked the meat. Even today, the so-called “nori-spam” - sushi based on canned meat SPAM.

Fugu sushi

Fugu is a famous type of sushi made from fugu fish. Fugu is notoriously difficult to cook because the fish's organs produce a deadly neurotoxin that is 1,200 times more toxic than cyanide. Chefs must obtain a special license to be allowed to cook fugu.

There are now Japanese restaurants in almost every locality that calls itself a city, and food such as sushi has long been part of our Slavic life. It turns out that there are many interesting facts associated with this dish. We will tell you about them today.

Real sushi in real Japanese restaurants usually done by men. And the reason is that their body temperature is lower than the body temperature of women. And in the preparation of this dish, even a couple of degrees play a role and can affect the taste.

Somewhere in the late seventies, Minoru Ikishima came up with a machine that makes sushi. This technology is now being used in several Asian countries.

Previously, bluefin tuna, so popular among sushi lovers, was not very popular among the Japanese. And today, more than eighty percent of this type that goes on sale goes to establishments that make sushi. And three years ago, one specimen of this fish was sold at auction for one hundred thousand bucks.

In Moscow, there is a service such as home delivery of sushi. now lovers of Japanese cuisine do not need to go to a Japanese restaurant or sushi bar in bad weather to eat favorite treat. Also, thanks to this service, you can give someone a delicious surprise that will lift their spirits.

To become a sushi chef in Japan, you need to spend a considerable amount of time studying. Two years of this time period are spent learning to cook rice, and three - fish.

A fish called yellowtail is very valuable because of its fatty meat. Before using fish for cooking, it is fed until the muscles atrophy.

There is an opinion that the natural ingredients of this dish make it a good antidepressant.

The world's longest roll was made in Japan in 1997 - it was more than a kilometer long and was prepared by more than six hundred people.

In fact, wasabi, which is served with sushi in Japanese restaurants and sushi bars, is a substitute. It is made from horseradish, spices and dyes. The good thing is that its taste is very similar to real wasabi.

Shrimp for making rolls are delivered frozen in ice so that they retain their taste and shape.

Tobiko fish roe actually has no color. The producers themselves add it to the caviar using food coloring.

The first Japanese restaurant in the USSR appeared in the early eighties in Moscow. Its visitors were only guests from abroad and the elite segments of the population. The average bill was about fifteen hundred dollars.

In Japan, the most popular rolls are those with the filling wrapped in seaweed. They are called maki sushi.

But Europe prefers rolls in which rice and fish are on the outside. Ikiro Masita came up with this trick - he worked as a chef in the first American sushi bar. When he saw that customers were not particularly enthusiastic about the taste of nori, he began to hide the seaweed inside the roll.

The Japanese also have Japanese dishes that our people may not be able to master purely from a moral point of view:

Japanese food" sushi and rolls" boasts some facts, as well as records that you should get acquainted with to expand your horizons.

Twenty years ago, only those who went to their homeland, Japan, could try sushi and rolls. Here these delicacies are everywhere - in cafes, restaurants, and also in supermarkets.

Today you can order sushi and rolls, or taste them in catering establishments, in our country. Japanese food can boast of some facts and records., which you should get acquainted with to expand your horizons.

The records that are most often set with food concern an increase in its size. Sushi chefs from Yekaterinburg decided to create the longest roll. Its length was 2.5 km. In 2009, several hundred city residents were able to see the record. Throughout the entire length they were used different fillings- meat, fish, fruits and others. As soon as the record was entered into the book, the delicacy was eaten by spectators and organizers.

It’s noteworthy, but it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to order rolls and sushi with insects in our country. Our citizens do not like this filling. However, in Japan and a number of other Asian countries, grasshoppers, butterflies, cockroaches and other insects are readily consumed.

Roll No. 1 in popularity

These days, rolls are delivered around the clock. Cafes and restaurants, as well as companies that specialize in this business, note that a large number of customers order roll "California". It is believed that this interest is caused bright taste, resulting from a number of ingredients.

In some Japanese restaurants, the kitchen is located right in the middle of the room. Visitors can see that only men work here. Women also work, but only as administrators or waiters. Rolls and sushi are prepared only by the mighty of this world. Their specific body temperature helps create special taste. So, if it is decided prepare homemade rolls, then only the head of the family should do this.

"Dancing Perch" or the most expensive Japanese delicacy

If you are planning a trip to Japan for any purpose, then try to try the most expensive delicacy. This rolls "Dancing perch". The filling is fish, which is lightly doused hot water. People who have tried it say that you can feel the tail twitching in your mouth.

Roll making machine

Our sushi chefs are still able to cope with the demand for Japanese food. Japan has long created machines that produce these delicacies.

The filling can be different, and prices are at an affordable level.

What comes to mind first when we talk about Japanese cuisine? Of course, sushi and rolls. The Japanese really love sushi, but for them it is not just a dish, but a work of art. Experienced sous chefs have been working for years to prepare sushi in which everything is perfect: color, texture, design and, of course, taste.

We will tell you some interesting facts about the history of sushi and rolls, share the intricacies of preparation and introduce you to several rules of etiquette. There are many prohibitions associated with this dish in Japan. So, if you don’t want to seem ignorant, carefully study these simple rules.

We call sushi wrong

From the point of view of Japanese phonology and the rules of Russian-Japanese transcription, it is much more correct to say “sushi”. The Japanese do not welcome the word “sushi”, although this is what has taken root in Russia. And all because the dish itself came to us not from Japan, but from the West. Russians adopted the love for this Japanese treat from Europeans, and with it the “sh” in the name.

Sushi was originally used for preservation.

Seems a little strange, don't you agree? However, this is how it is: boiled rice used in South Asia for preparing and preserving seafood. cut into small pieces the fish was sprinkled with salt, mixed with rice and placed under a stone press. After a few weeks, the press was replaced with a lid, and the fish sat for several more months. But then you could safely eat it for a year.

By the way, the Chinese character for sushi means “marinated fish.” Through Thailand and China, the method of preservation reached Japan: it was here in the 19th century that one of the chefs decided to abandon marinating fish and serve it raw.

It takes 10 years of practice to become a sushi chef

In Japan they believe that to roll sushi perfectly you need at least 10 years of practice. A sous chef begins to work only after a mandatory two-year training, during which he learns all the intricacies of the art of sushi. And then it takes another 8 years to reach the pinnacle of excellence and gain respect.

By the way, Japanese masters sushi students are taught to recognize the freshness of seafood by color, consistency and smell, because in the past they often bought necessary products on the market independently. Indigestion or, even worse, poisoning a client was considered a terrible disgrace for the sous chef.

Sushi knives are sharpened every day

It is believed that the knives used by sushi chefs are direct descendants of samurai swords. And with the same care with which a samurai must monitor the sharpness of his sword, a sous chef must monitor the sharpness of his sushi knife. According to the rules, blades must be sharpened daily.

Sushi should be eaten immediately

Many people believe that sushi and rolls cannot be stored at all. If sushi is made from raw fish, you need to eat them within an hour. They can be stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 3-4 hours, be sure to cover them. cling film, otherwise they will wind up and dry out.

A treat that does not contain fresh fish will last for a maximum of a day. Freezing ready-made sushi is strictly prohibited.

You don't need to eat sushi with chopsticks

If you still think that you need to eat sushi with chopsticks, you are wrong. Traditional and the right way to eat sushi, take it with your hands. Chopsticks are commonly used to eat sashimi - raw slices of fish.

Don't waste soy sauce

There are many etiquette rules associated with soy sauce in Japan. Here are just a few of them.

Leaving a muddy puddle of soy sauce with rice floating in it after a meal is bad form. To enjoy sushi properly, you need to pour a minimal amount of soy sauce into the cup and replenish as needed.

Keeping the rolls in the sauce until they fall apart is also not according to the rules. And in general, by using too much soy sauce you are hinting that the fish is old. It's better not to offend the sous chef. You remember that he sharpens knives every day?

Rolls filled with caviar or already covered with sweet or hot sauce(for example, many varieties of eel rolls) should not be dipped into soy sauce. It is assumed that they already have enough seasoning.

You can't eat ginger with rolls

Putting a piece of pickled ginger into your mouth at the same time as rolls or sushi is not etiquette. Its strong taste and aroma will not allow you to fully enjoy the treat. Ginger is meant to "clean up" the palate between two pieces of sushi.