Sushi 101: A Beginner's Guide

Here's a quick beginner's guide to this Asian cuisine staple. Decade or so, you've been missing out on a real treat. Asian cuisine in all its forms has been rapidly increasing in popularity due to its more healthful nature, but sushi has outdone them all. Many diners have hesitated to try this Asian delicacy mostly because of fear of the unknown. But it's really quite simple to get the hang of what sushi's all about. Here's a quick beginner's guide to this Asian cuisine staple.

"American" Sushi vs. Asian Sushi

Most sushi dishes have been modified in restaurants across the United States to suit the American palate and so the sushi you eat here will be very different from the kind you would eat if you were traveling in Japan. The original recipe was made from fermented fish, but this type is rarely eaten anymore: even in Asia! Most recipes favor the use of extremely fresh fish and a combination of other ingredients.

It All Starts With Rice

White, short-grained Japanese rice forms the foundation for most types of sushi today. It is most commonly seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt and then cooled to keep it from becoming too sticky. Variations in the flavoring of the rice abound depending on either the regional specialty of the restaurant, the preferences of the chef, or both!

Bring on the Seaweed

Many sushi delicacies are wrapped in sheets of "nori" which is a type of black seaweed. The nori acts much like a tortilla in that it allows the chef to combine different ingredients into a bite-sized morsel without the hazards of having the sushi fall apart. Nori has a salty taste and is completely edible and delicious. Its dark green color creates a pleasing visual contrast to the light color of the fillings. Many people choose to eat toasted sheets of nori as a snack: this type of seaweed is particularly nutritious and delicious.

Fill it Up!

Because sushi fish is eaten raw, American restaurants are ultra-careful in following FDA safe-handling and consumption protocols. Fish is an integral part of many of these delicacies, and there are vegetarian versions as well: you will never see chicken or beef in sushi! The most commonly used fish and vegetables include: tuna, eel, salmon, mackerel, cucumber, avocado, asparagus, tofu and eggs.

Make sure to try the different condiments offered with your sushi, as they are an integral part of the taste sensation process. There are many reasons why this Asian staple is so popular today: but the number one reason is that it is simply delicious!