The Definition
The traditional Japanese food menu are the dishes that were prepared in the traditional Japanese societies before the Western Empires came to the country. The most popular traditional Japanese food menu are listed herein:
- Tempura,
- Sushi,
- Soba,
- Sashimi.
We will try to look into detail at these Japanese foods .However, in this article we will focus on sushi. The core things that we will look at are the cooking techniques of the traditional Japanese dishes, the mode of preparation and the appropriate tools used in the preparation .Also, we will also look at how the dish is served and the proper etiquette observed when eating the dish.
The sushi
Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish that consists of rice that has vinegar and other ingredients. These ingredients may be fish or vegatables. Nori is also used in the sushi making process.
The different types of sushi
The different types of sushi that are in the market: makizushi, nigirizushi, narezushi, chirashizush, oshizushi and inarizushi.
The utensils used in the preparation of sushi
You will need to have a kitchen knife, a barrel for the placement of the rice, a kitchen cloth, a rolling mat that is made of bamboo, chopsticks that are used in the cooking, a rice paddle that is made of wood and a pan.
The mode of preparation of sushi rice
The sushi rice is also called su meshi.
The ingredients used in the preparation of sushi rice
The main ingredients are listed herein:
- Four table spoons of white sugar
- A teaspoon of salt
- A table spoon of vegetable oil
- Half a cup of rice vinegar
- Two cups of white rice
- Three cups of water
Preparing the sushi rice
Wash the rice till the water is clear and then cook it.
Mix the rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a pan. Heat the pan in low heat till the salt and sugar dissolves. After that allow it to cool.
Then, place the rice on a bowl then sprinkle the cooled mixture on to the rice. Once you have poured the vinegared mixture onto the rice, keep stirring on the rice till it is absorbed in the rice.
The main ingredients of sushi.
The main ingredients are usually raw. This is mostly fish or other sea food.
The seasonings in sushi
Salt or soy sauce is often preferred for seasoning the sushi.
The condiments
The condiment that is often used is wasabi. This has an anti bacterial agent and is also critical in the taking away of any smell that may be in the fish.
The technique used in the preparation of sushi
Spread the Nori down. After that you put some sushi rice evenly onto the Nori. Once you have done that then make a groove on the rice.
Once you have done that then you put the strips of the sea food on the groove. The condiment is then sprinkled on top of the sea food.
After you have rolled round the rice and the sea food, you need to press it with your hands till it acquires a square shape.
After that the sushi is then sliced into rolls of about four centimeters in length.
Serving sushi and eating it.
Sushi should be served on Japanese style wooden plates.
When eating the sushi, then you are supposed to eat it with your fingers.
The most appropriate time for the eating sushi
Sushi is often taken as an appetizer or as a main meal.
The summary
Sushi is a traditional Japanese dish that is gaining global prominence. The main ingredients used in the making of sushi are sushi rice, condiments, seasonings and sea foods such as fish.
When preparing the sushi rice, the most critical ingredient is the vinegar mixture that contains the vinegar, salt, sugar and some oils. When making the sushi, place the rice on the Nori which is on top of the bamboo mats. After that spread the rice on top of the Nori. Then make grooves on to the rice. On the grooves place the sea food and the condiment on to the sea food. After this fold back the Nori with the help of the bamboo mat. Then, manually mould the rolls into a square shape. After this, you can cut the sushi into sizes of about four centimeters each.
The sushi is supposed to be eaten with your fingers. It can be eaten as an appetizer or as a main meal.
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