HISTORY OF SUSHI
The term sushi comes from an archaic grammatical form no longer used in other contexts; literally, "sushi" means "it's sour", a reflection of its historic fermented roots.The science behind the fermentation of fish packed in rice is that the vinegar produced from fermenting rice breaks the fish down into amino acids. This results in one of the five basic tastes, called umami in Japanese. The oldest form of sushi in Japan, narezushi, still very closely resembles this process. In Japan, narezushi evolved into oshizushi and ultimately Edomae nigirizushi, which is what the world today knows as "sushi."
Contemporary Japanese sushi has little resemblance to the traditional lacto-fermented rice dish. Originally, when the fermented fish was taken out of the rice, only the fish was consumed and the fermented rice was discarded. The strong-tasting and smelling funazushi, a kind of narezushi made near Lake Biwa in Japan, resembles the traditional fermented dish. Beginning in the Muromachi period (AD 1336–1573) of Japan, vinegar was added to the mixture for better taste and preservation. The vinegar accentuated the rice's sourness and was known to increase its shelf life, allowing the fermentation process to be shortened and eventually abandoned. In the following centuries, sushi in Osaka evolved into oshi-zushi. The seafood and rice were pressed using wooden (usually bamboo) molds. By the mid 18th century, this form of sushi had reached Edo (contemporary Tokyo).
The contemporary version, internationally known as "sushi", was created by Hanaya Yoh (華屋与兵衛; 1799–1858) at the end of the Edo period in Edo. The sushi invented by Hanaya was an early form of fast food that was not fermented (therefore prepared quickly) and could be eaten with one's hands by a road or in a theatre. Originally, this sushi was known as Edomae zushi because it used freshly caught fish in the Edo-mae (Edo Bay or Tokyo Bay). Though the fish used in modern sushi no longer usually comes from Tokyo Bay, it is still formally known as Edomae nigirizushi.
Making Sushi
The key to making good sushi is the rice. You cannot use standard rice as sushi rice. Instead, you must make a sticky rice that holds its shape well when molded. For beginners to making sushi, this is often the hardest part.
When you're first learning how to make sushi, take your time with the rice and follow your directions as carefully as possible. This will make sure that you make rice that is not too sour, slick or too sticky. Expect the first few experiments to be failures as you learn the intricacies of making sushi rice.
The addition of Nori to sushi also enhances the flavor of the sushi. When you are selecting your nori, make certain you use high quality, unflavored nori. Nori can be used as an internal part of the sushi, or as the outermost layer. Traditional sushi uses nori on the outside of the wrap.
The final step to making sushi is determining what you want to go inside your sushi roll. The element you can use are only limited by your imagination. Professional sushi chefs, however, try to marry flavor and colors for the best presentation and taste as possible. When you are learning to make sushi, start simple so that you can achieve good flavor. Then, it becomes much easier to improve your presentation.
Once you have mastered making basic sushi, you can begin to learn about the dissimilar types of fish and shrimp and how they need to be handled and prepared in order to make sashimizushi and nigirizushi.
Sources: Wikipedia, EzineArticles
The term sushi comes from an archaic grammatical form no longer used in other contexts; literally, "sushi" means "it's sour", a reflection of its historic fermented roots.The science behind the fermentation of fish packed in rice is that the vinegar produced from fermenting rice breaks the fish down into amino acids. This results in one of the five basic tastes, called umami in Japanese. The oldest form of sushi in Japan, narezushi, still very closely resembles this process. In Japan, narezushi evolved into oshizushi and ultimately Edomae nigirizushi, which is what the world today knows as "sushi."
Contemporary Japanese sushi has little resemblance to the traditional lacto-fermented rice dish. Originally, when the fermented fish was taken out of the rice, only the fish was consumed and the fermented rice was discarded. The strong-tasting and smelling funazushi, a kind of narezushi made near Lake Biwa in Japan, resembles the traditional fermented dish. Beginning in the Muromachi period (AD 1336–1573) of Japan, vinegar was added to the mixture for better taste and preservation. The vinegar accentuated the rice's sourness and was known to increase its shelf life, allowing the fermentation process to be shortened and eventually abandoned. In the following centuries, sushi in Osaka evolved into oshi-zushi. The seafood and rice were pressed using wooden (usually bamboo) molds. By the mid 18th century, this form of sushi had reached Edo (contemporary Tokyo).
The contemporary version, internationally known as "sushi", was created by Hanaya Yoh (華屋与兵衛; 1799–1858) at the end of the Edo period in Edo. The sushi invented by Hanaya was an early form of fast food that was not fermented (therefore prepared quickly) and could be eaten with one's hands by a road or in a theatre. Originally, this sushi was known as Edomae zushi because it used freshly caught fish in the Edo-mae (Edo Bay or Tokyo Bay). Though the fish used in modern sushi no longer usually comes from Tokyo Bay, it is still formally known as Edomae nigirizushi.
Making Sushi
The key to making good sushi is the rice. You cannot use standard rice as sushi rice. Instead, you must make a sticky rice that holds its shape well when molded. For beginners to making sushi, this is often the hardest part.
When you're first learning how to make sushi, take your time with the rice and follow your directions as carefully as possible. This will make sure that you make rice that is not too sour, slick or too sticky. Expect the first few experiments to be failures as you learn the intricacies of making sushi rice.
The addition of Nori to sushi also enhances the flavor of the sushi. When you are selecting your nori, make certain you use high quality, unflavored nori. Nori can be used as an internal part of the sushi, or as the outermost layer. Traditional sushi uses nori on the outside of the wrap.
The final step to making sushi is determining what you want to go inside your sushi roll. The element you can use are only limited by your imagination. Professional sushi chefs, however, try to marry flavor and colors for the best presentation and taste as possible. When you are learning to make sushi, start simple so that you can achieve good flavor. Then, it becomes much easier to improve your presentation.
Once you have mastered making basic sushi, you can begin to learn about the dissimilar types of fish and shrimp and how they need to be handled and prepared in order to make sashimizushi and nigirizushi.
Sources: Wikipedia, EzineArticles
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