Making sushi is also considered an art. Here are several types of sushi.

Maki Sushi is comprised of fish or seafood wrapped in a roll of nori or seaweed. It has two variations, Hosamaki and Futomaki. Hosomaki is a thin type of maki that has only one kind of filling. It can be seafood, fish or one type of vegetable. Futomaki is a fat type of maki that has 2 or more kinds of fillings.

Nigiri Sushi is more popular. It is shaped with the use of hands. It comprises slices of seafood, tamago, raw fish or various other toppings. Then, wasabi is placed in-between slices as well as a thumb-sized chunk of vinegared rice or shari. In Japanese customs, you present these to couples as a sign of harmony and peace.

Uramaki is similar to maki, however, rice is placed on top of the nori instead of inside. It consists of more than 2 fillings. Sometimes, it is topped with a thin slice of avocado or fish. This is most popular in Western Sushi Bars.

Making Sushi

Maki
Feel your nori sheet. One side is smooth and the other side is rough. Nori should lie on your rolling mat with the rough side facing upwards.

Wet your hands and get about a handful of rice and roll it to a ball. Wet your hands so that rice won’t stick to your palms. Dry your hands when it’s time to work with the nori. Have a dry towel and bowl of water handy beside your working place.

Carefully place and spread equally the rice ball on your nori sheet. Make sure that your layer of rice almost covers the entire sheet, excluding about 2cm from the upper margins. This should be left uncovered to properly close your sushi roll.

Then, place one slice of fish by the nori’s edge. Add about 1 up to 3 “pre-cut” vegetables slices such as cucumber, carrot, asparagus, green onion and the like. Along your rolling mat’s closer edge, close your nori. Make it like a rectangular-shaped hill while tightening it from the upper part.

Move forward by rolling it continuously in rectangular-shaped hill steps. Make sure every move or roll you make is tight until the end portion. Always exert pressure on all 3 sides of your roll, especially along stops. It allows tight rolling.

Cut your roll into small sushi units with a sharp, wet knife.

Nigiri Sushi
Wet your hands and get about 20 grams of vinegared rice or shari. Shape it into long and ovalic forms. Use the rice as base with the fish on top. The bottom should be flat and the top rounded.

Follow the measurements carefully. If you plan to make fish nigiri sushi, get a slice of fish. It should be 1cm thick and about 5cm x 3cm rectangular-sized. If it is a bit smaller, you should try slicing it at about 45 degrees. It maximizes fish surface. Then, take some pea-sized portions of wasabi. Smear this in the midst of your fish slices. Wasabi actually helps your fish slices become glued into your shari.

Place the slice of fish, facing down, along with the wasabi. Lay this gently on top of your rice. Then, firmly press on it so that it will stick to the rice. Using your other hand to hold your nigiri sushi’s sides, use the other to press it from the upper portion.

Uramaki
Your mat should be the “one side round and one side flat” type. Wrap it with a stretch of nylon. You can start with the round side but also ending with it. Create at least 2 up to 3 “full” rounds of such wrapping. Afterwards, roll your mat in order to squeeze out all the air locked inside. You can also use a toothpick to poke it to let the air out.

Get one piece of nori sheet. Break this down in the middle. If it does not easily break, it is either not a good brand or it is already old. Put your nori sheet on top of your rolling mat. This should be around 5cm from its edge. The rough side of your nori sheet should face upward.

Wet your hands. Create a ball of rice with one handful. Put the ball of rice inside your nori. Spread it evenly, gently pressing downwards. It should be about 1cm high,with equal layers of rice. You can add more rice as long as it is even, if necessary. Flip your nori over. The rice should face your mat.

Place one slice of fish along your nori’s edge. Add about 1 up to 3 “pre-cut” slices of vegetables. Close the filling, making a rectangular-shaped hill with nori. Make sure to tighten it along the upper portion.

Move forward by rolling it continuously in rectangular-shaped hill steps. Make sure every move or roll you make is tight until its end portion. Always exert pressure on all 3 sides of the roll, especially along stops, for tight rolling.

Cut your roll into small sushi units with a sharp, wet knife.

Sushi Knives

Sushi knives are cutting tools made specifically for making sushi. They are usually made from the highest quality of carbon steel. This is the same type used in making a “katana,” a traditional Japanese sword. The more affordable sushi knives now are made from stainless steel. A sushi knife is differentiated from a regular western knife with its sharpness. Western knives are sharpened on both edges of the blade. A sushi knife, on the other hand, has only one end sharpened. This style is recognized as “kataba.”

Because only one end is sharpened, it takes a great deal of precision to perfect cutting sushi or other Japanese food. Because of this also, there is a different knife for lefthanders. And lastly, a sushi knife produces cleaner cuts because the food being cut is kept on the sharpened end only. Making sushi is considered an art. Take good care of a sushi knife by following some simple guidelines.

Before using it, always hone a sushi knife. A dull blade will crush a maki. A sharp knife will require little pressure to cut through a sushi.

When cutting “maki,” make sure that the blade of your knife is barely wet. It makes sure to produce clean cuts. It is recommended to first dip the knife tip in water. Turn the knife up so that it points upward, and then tap the handle on the table for water to flow down on the cutting edge. There are many different types of sushi knives depending on a specific cut to be used.

In slicing sashimi, there are three common knives used. First is the yanagi. It looks very much the same as the paring knife of the West. This is mostly used for fish. The second one is the fugu hiki. This is generally used for filleting. The puffer fish is the most common to be filleted. The third sashimi knife is called a yanagi ba. It has long and thin blades that can cut more difficult meat like octopus or squid.

Some fishes can be very large, like a tuna. For this kind, there are special heavy duty knives. It can measure to around 6 feet long and has very sharp blades.

Another common sushi knife is the deba bocho. This looks like a carving knife used by Westerns and is wider than a yanagi. Deba bocho is designed for cutting thick meats of big fishes. This can also be useful in cutting through beef and chicken.

Next in the popular line of sushi knives is unagisaki hocho. This is used in filleting fishes like eels. There is a sharp pointed tip specifically designed to take off the heads of eels. The body is shaped like a square and used to slice the meat afterwards.

To cut vegetables, there are two sushi knives usually used. First is the usuba bocho. And the other one is the nakiri bocho. Because of their unique straight edge feature, both knives can slice vegetables very easily without have to push down the blade.

The thin blades make clean and precise cuts without damaging the vegetables. So what is the difference between the two knives? The usuba bocho has only one sharpened edge. Nakiri bocho has both sides sharpened.

For those who love Japanese food like sushi, making your own sushi is part of the fun. Make sure to procure a sharp and durable sushi knife.

Japanese Sushi Rolls

For the Japanese, sushi implies vinegared rice typically topped with meats, fish and vegetables. Outside Japan, sushi is more often mistaken as “raw fish” or “raw seafood.”

In Japan, they call sliced raw fish, sashimi. It is different from sushi because sashimi implies purely on the raw fish part. In Archaic grammar, “sushi” literally means “it’s sour.”

There are several types of sushi. The Nigirizushi sushi consists of toppings laid with “hand-formed” rice clumps. Aside from topping it with vinegared rice, it is also dabbed with wasabi and a bite-size, thin slice of fish, egg or various other seafoods.

Although the egg is cooked, the seafood and fish can be served raw. The types of fish you can use are salmon, tuna, mackerel and eel.

When eating Nigirizushi, make sure that the rice side is not dipped into the soy sauce. The fish side should be the one dipped or it will fall apart. You can do this alternately, not dipping it completely in soy sauce.

Makizushi is a type of sushi rolled inside some “nori,” a pressed and dried layered sheets of alga or seaweed. It can contain vegetables, fish, seaweed and rice. These are rolled into a cylindrical form with the aid of a bamboo mat or makisu. Afterwards, it is cut into suitable widths. Futomaki refers to the thicker rolls. Hosomaki refers to the thinner rools. Uramaki refers to the “inside-out” rolls.

Inarizushi has toppings stuffed inside a tiny pouch of fried tofu. This is more uncommon compared to Chirashi-zushi. You still need to go to a sushi restaurant in Japan to order this type of sushi. Chirashi-zushi has toppings scattered and served over a sushi rice bowl. This is not regularly served in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. The toppings are either raw seafood or sashimi.

Temaki Sushi is also called the hand roll. It is almost the same as maki except for the part where you roll it into a cylinder and slice it. With Temaki Sushi, you roll it with your hands and form cone shapes. Then, it is eaten as is, not sliced.

In any sushi, the common denominator is always sushi rice. They only vary on toppings, condiments, fillings and the procedure these ingredients are placed together. These ingredients can also be collected using contemporary or traditional ways, making distinct results.

Sushi is not only a favorite dish in Japan. It is well-loved in other countries also.

If you want to learn how to make sushi rice, it is easy. First, you need a sushi vinegar called sushi-zu. Mix it with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Stir frequently in the process. Afterwards, let the mixture cool to room temperature. This mixture is called tezu.

Using either a spatula or just a regular spoon, cut and fold the rice as gentle as possible. Avoid smashing the rice grains.

Get a bowl and moisten the sides with tezu. It is ideal to use a wooden bowl because it absorbs moisture. If none is available, any bowl is fine with a flat bottom.

Place the rice in the bowl and add a quarter of sushi vinegar. Mix them together, making sure you follow a folding motion to avoid smashing the rice. Afterwards, fan to dry the mixture for about 5 to 6 minutes. This process will remove the excess moisture and will make the rice look glossy and shiny.

As a tip, a good sushi rice is somewhat chewy in the mouth, and sticky to your touch.

photo credit: ubrayj02

Tuna Pizza, Ume Tarragon Ceviche, Sashimi Carpaccio? You’re reading right, these are not misprints. These are just a few of the fusion dishes head chefs Kengo and Hiro have created for MaiKobe in Old Pasadena.

In addition to Fusion Style Japanese Cuisine, the pair also offer up a Tepanyaki Dinner (cooked by a chef table-side) and of course, Sushi. One of the hallmarks of MaiKobe is the 10 ounce genuine Kobe beef steak. Simply prepared to allow the flavor of the beef to shine through it is served with a roasted garlic and yahiniku dipping sauce. This is the real deal, the cattle are fed a beer a day, and they are massaged and brushed.

Our meal started with Yellowtail Jalapeno topped with cilantro, serano jalapeno slices and yuzu soy sauce. Salmon New Style Sashimi was thin slices of salmon topped with chive, ginger, sesame and yuzu soy. The salmon is then drizzled with hot Extra Virgin Olive Oil, giving it a unique texture.

The Sashimi Carpaccio consisted of slices of fresh halibut, topped with chili sauce, garlic chip, and ponzu with truffle oil.

Non-raw fish eaters will love this dish. A grilled flour tortilla is topped with raw slices of tuna, jack cheese, onion and jalapeno slices. The whole pizza is then drizzled with a spicy-sweet aioli.

This is also a great dish for raw fish virgins. The tuna is tender, the crust crispy and all the flavors blend beautifully together. Chilean Sea Bass Yuan is a stunning presentation of Yuan yuzu soy marinated Sea Bass. The fish is grilled and presented in bamboo leaves; the dish is garnished with very-edible vegetables and an orchid. Also a stunner, but in a different way was the Grilled Fillet Medallion/Ishiyaki.

Grilled beef medallions are served on a hot stone and then a garlic puree tamari soy sauce is poured over, tableside. It is your choice how long you cook the beef. The custard was mixed with black sesame paste and the crust was perfectly burnt and crispy. Also served was a delicate slice of tofu cheesecake.

Light and sweet with just a hint of lemon, it was yummy. Don’t worry if you are a little more adventurous than your partner because MaiKobe also prepares more traditional dishes like teriyaki and tempura.

Tempura

Japanese food, once little more than a niche occupant in the greater scope of American cuisine, has become increasingly popular in recent years. The harmony of flavors and lightness emphasized in the typical Japanese dish appeals to the palettes of many in the United States, where heavy and often deep fried foods have long dominated the market. Many people remain reluctant about exploring this aspect of ethnic cuisine, however, for fear that they’ll find something on their plate which appears as though it came from the Iron Chef. This is far from the truth! The intent of this article is to introduce readers to a variety of different Japanese dishes, that they might go out and try something new without fear of what they’ll be eating.

Domburi: This dish is quite simply a bowl of rice adorned with some sort of topping. A variety of toppings are popular in Japan, many of which have successfully migrated across the Pacific and into American restaurants. One example of this dish is oyakodon, which uses both chicken and egg for its topping. Another sort of domburi, gyudon, is beefy in flavor and more popular in Japan as fast food. Those of you who are especially outgoing tasters might like to sample unadon, a type of domburi wherein strips of grilled eel coated in a thick soya sauce are used to top the rice bowl.

Ramen: This soup dish has been a staple of the American college student’s diet for years. Wildly popular around the world, ramen is to the Japanese what a burger and fries are to your average United States native. Ramen comes in a variety of bases and is best recognized for its long, slender noodles. Complimenting these noodles are such ingredients as dumplings, pork, miso (fermented soybeans) and soya sauce. It’s interesting to note that ramen originated in China, rather than Japan, but the dish is almost always associated with the latter source nowadays.

Sashimi: This dish is often mistaken for sushi by those still new to the realm of Japanese cuisine. Although it is often presented artistically, the fact remains that sashimi is raw fish, a truth which turns the stomach of many a squeamish American. Several types of sashimi are served, the most popular of which is probably tuna. Diners should be lend particular attention to the scent when partaking of this dish. The fish used to prepare sashimi must be exceptionally fresh and as such, it should be devoid of any fishy scent.

Sushi: Perhaps the most well-recognized of all Japanese dishes, sushi has become particularly popular in trendy regions of the United States. It is served in too many variations to list completely in the space of this article. To be considered sushi, however, the dish must contain rice that has been prepared with sushi vinegar. The most recognized form of sushi is probably norimaki, or sushi rolls. These rolls contain sushi rice and various sorts of seafood rolled in sheets of dried seaweed. Norimaki often includes vegetables, as well.

Tempura: This dish has also become quite popular within Japan and across the globe. Tempura is something of a finger food, consisting of differing types of seafood and/or vegetables fried in a special batter. The end result is a delightful treat which is crisp without being heavy, as is often the case with deep fried cuisine in America. The ingredients featured in tempura are too numerous to possibly list and often vary wildly from one restaurant to the next.

The five dishes listed above should provide the novice gourmand with a particularly tasty introduction to the world of Japanese cuisine. Enjoy!