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The great thing
about eating Sushi is that it can be eaten as an appetizer or main
course in a fine Japanese restaurant or snacked on at home.
Being loaded with rich nutrients and low in calories, Sushi
makes the perfect food. For
this reason, Sushi is served in homes and restaurants around the
world every day.
The three main
categories of Sushi include Nigiri, which is a small rice mound
topped with cooked or raw fish, Temaki, hand rolled cones of seaweed
that are filled with rice, vegetables, and fish, and Norimaki or
Maki, which is a combination of rice along with fish and/or
vegetables all rolled up in dried seaweed, with all three having the
same foundation of vinegar rice. For each of these categories, the preparation is as unique as
the presentation or serving.
For the right
presentation, Sushi should be served on authentic Japanese dishes.
Although the dishes do not have to match, they should all
have a Japanese influence. If
you do not have any Japanese dishes, dark colored platters or plates
are most acceptable. If
a group of people order from a Sushi bar or restaurant, or if you
have a group of friends over for dinner and serve a variety of Sushi
types, you would use a communal platter.
In this situation, a
nice presentation would be to serve the Norimaki Sushi in groups of
four and Nigiri in pairs, or whatever combination you prefer as long
as it is in even numbers. Keep
in mind that if you serve Temaki or Norimaki rolls, you should serve
them to your guests first as the ingredients can cause the seaweed
to become soggy.
For any type of
Sushi, the seasonings used are crucial.
The two main types of condiments served are Soy Sauce and
Wasabi Sauce, which is Japanese horseradish and quite hot.
Some people in the United States have discovered that mixing
a little soy sauce with the Wasabi is delicious.
However, this is taboo in Japan.
Along with these, pickled ginger slices are served but only
as something to cleanse the palette between eating the different
Sushi varieties. For
instance, if you were to eat Ebi, which is shrimp, you would take a
small bite of the ginger to cleanse the palette before you moved to
the Unagi Sushi, which is eel.
Remember that it is
perfectly fine to serve a communal platter of Sushi but every person
should receive his or her own dish containing each of the
condiments. If you are having a Sushi party for people who have never
enjoyed the taste and experience of Sushi, a simple card with eating
instructions can be placed at each setting advising the guests that
the Sushi should be dipped with the seaweed side and not the rice,
which prevents it from soaking up too much of the condiment of
choice.
When going to a
Sushi bar or restaurant, you would expect to be offered a hot towel
used for washing your hands before picking up the Sushi to eat.
The Sushi is generally chosen from a variety of types
displayed and then eaten with fingers or chopsticks.
Rather than take a small bite of the Sushi, the entire piece
is considered a single bite. For
your own Sushi dinner party, you can offer guests a small hot
washcloth for their hands. Finally, serving green tea with the Sushi is another way of
cleansing the palette and adds to the overall experience.
If you are a true Sushi connoisseur, the following are
commonly used dishes or tools for serving or creating Sushi:
·
Sushi Maki – These are small mats made from bamboo
and used for rolling the Sushi, which is then cut into circles to
eat
·
Nigiri Sushi Mold – If you prefer to use a mold
rather than your hand, this mold is perfect for creating uniform
shapes
·
Lacquerware – Lacquer is one of the primary types of
plates or platters used in China and Japan for serving Sushi
·
Wood Sushi Press – This tool helps create the
perfect Sushi roll. Simply
layer in the ingredients, press, and then cut the serving pieces to
size.
·
Sashimi Serving Trays – Sashimi is similar to Sushi
except that it includes only raw fish.
However, these serving trays can be used for both Sashimi and
Sushi.
·
Rectangular Servers – If you love having dinner
parties or intimate Sushi dinners, these servers are designed with
beautiful Oriental design
·
Dipping Dishes – These dishes are created for
dipping Sushi in the Soy Sauce and/or Wasabi |
