Sushi Rice

Sushi is made with white, short-grained, Japanese rice mixed with a dressing made of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and occasionally kombu and sake. It has to be cooled to room temperature before being used for a filling in a sushi or else it will get too sticky while being seasoned. Traditionally, the mixing is done with a hangiri, which is a round, flat-bottom wooden tub or barrel, and a wooden paddle (shamoji).

Sushi rice (sushi-meshi or su-meshi 酢飯) is prepared with short-grain Japanese rice, which has a consistency that differs from long-grain strains such as those from India, Thailand, and Vietnam. The essential quality is its stickiness or glutinousness. Rice that is too sticky has a mushy texture; if not sticky enough, it feels dry. Freshly harvested rice (shinmai) typically contains too much water, and requires extra time to drain the rice cooker after washing. In some fusion cuisine restaurants, short grain brown rice and wild rice are also used.

There are regional variations in sushi rice and, of course, individual chefs have their individual methods. Most of the variations are in the rice vinegar dressing: the Kanto region (or East Japan) version of the dressing commonly uses more salt; in Kansai region (or West Japan), the dressing has more sugar.

Source: www.wikipedia.com

See also: ramen, sushi tei

Part of Tuna for Sushi

Here’s something that many may not know about Maguro (Tuna) or may not know what parts of the maguro we use here in Japan. I have seen some shows on TV when I was in the US and other countries, alot saw that they throw away good parts of the maguro. Here in Japan we usually don’t waste the whole fish, we use every part of the tuna for different sushi and dishes.

I will explain the parts of the tuna, where they are located, and what type of dish it is used for. I hope that the photo above is clear for you to understand what I’m about to explain. I will explain from the top and go clock wise in order.

• Senaka: Is the center back part of the tuna, this part is mainly used for Sashimi and Chutoro Sushi. You can find this in any Sushi Restaurant and in fish markets that sell parts. This one of my favorite part to eat, cause it has a Medium level Fatty and usually not so expensive in sushi restaurants. *You may have to request this in Sushi Restaurants.

• Seshimo: Is the lower back part of the tuna, this part is mainly used for Sashimi and Chutoro Sushi. You can find this in any Sushi Restaurant and in fish markets that sells parts. *You may have to request this in Sushi Restaurants.

• Akami: Is the middle part of the tuna, this is the leaner part of the tuna. You can find this any where in Supermarkets, Sushi Restaurants, and markets. This is used in most sushi rolls, sashimi dishes, and sushi sets trays. My kids love this part of the tuna, cause it doesn’t have to much fatty and oil.

• O Te-ru: Is the tail part of the tuna. I’m not sure if you can find this in your country, It would have to be a Japanese Restaurant that server fish as their main course specialty. In Japan we use this part to make Steaks on the grill or at BarBQs and also have deep fried dish for this.

• Harashimo: Is the lower stomach part of the tuna, this part is also used for Sashimi, Otoro, and Chutoro. You may find this in Sushi Restaurants, but you may have to ask for it when ordering. This part is also very good, but it could be a little expensive. Due to it is very fatty and oily, the more fatty and oily the part of the tuna the more expensive it gets.

• Haranaka: Is the center stomach part of the tuna, this part is used for both Sashimi and Chutoro. You may find this in Sushi Restaurants, but you may have to ask for it when ordering. This part of the tuna is very good.

• Harakami: Is the upper stomach part of the tuna, this part is also used for Sashimi and Otoro. You may find this in Sushi Restaurants, but you may have to ask for it when ordering. This part is also very good, but it could be a little expensive. Due to it is very fatty and oily, the more fatty and oily the part of the tuna the more expensive it gets.

• Kama Toru: Is one part of the neck side of the tuna, this part of the tuna is used in Sushi, and in Donburi. You may find this in Fish Restaurants that specialty in fish menus. I haven’t tried this part of the tuna, but I have got a lot feed back that it’s very delicious.

• Kama: Is one part of the neck side of the tuna, this part of the tuna is used in Sushi, and in Donburi. You may find this in Fish Restaurants that specialty in fish menus. I haven’t tried this part of the tuna, but I have got a lot feed back that it’s very delicious.

• Noten: Is the upper head part of the tuna, this part of the is used in Soups, Donburi, and Grilled. You may also find this in Fish Restaurants that specialty in fish menus. I haven’t this part of the tuna also, I’m still waiting on my friends feedback on this.

• Hohoniku: Is the cheek part of the tuna, this part is mostly used for Nabe Meals(Hot pots). I haven’t tried this yet cause its very hard to find this part of the fish in the supermarkets. This maybe hard to find in your area. I have tried this as a Nabe dish and it’s very delicious.

• Sekami: Is the upper back part of the tuna, this part is used for Sashimi and Chutoro. This part of the tuna you can find in most Sushi Restaurants. You may have to ask for it when ordering. This part of the tuna is very tasty and it has about medium fatty and oil on it.

Source: www.naokoscooking.com

See Also: ramen, sushi tei

Museum Ramen

The "Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum" is a unique museum about ramen. In a gallery on the first floor, the museum presents the history of ramen in Japan, including the big success of instant ramen. It displays the variety of noodles, soups, toppings and bowls used across Japan, and shows how the noodles are made. On the two basement floors, visitors can explore a 1:1 replica of some streets and houses of Shitamachi, the old town of Tokyo, circa 1958, when the popularity of ramen was rapidly increasing. Nine ramen restaurants can be found there, each featuring a ramen dish from a different region of Japan. For visitors who wish to try multiple ramen dishes, the restaurants offer "mini ramen" small portions. Tickets for the meals are purchased at vending machines in front of each restaurant before entering.

Source: www.wikipedia.com

See also: sushi, sushi tei

Nori From Japan: Production and Use

Production

Production and processing of nori by current methods is a highly advanced form of agriculture. The biology of Porphyra, although complicated, is well understood, and this knowledge is used to control virtually every step of the production process. Farming takes place in the sea where the Porphyra plants grow attached to nets suspended at the sea surface and where the farmers operate from boats. The plants grow rapidly, requiring about 45 days from "seeding" until the first harvest. Multiple harvests can be taken from a single seeding, typically at about ten-day intervals. Harvesting is accomplished using mechanical harvesters of a variety of configurations. Processing of raw product is mostly accomplished by highly automated machines that accurately duplicate traditional manual processing steps, but with much improved efficiency and consistency. The final product is a paper-thin, black, dried sheet of approximately 18×20 cm (7.087×7.874 in) and 3 grams in weight.

There are several grades of nori available in the United States. The most common, and least expensive, grades are imported from China, costing about six cents per sheet. At the high end, ranging up to ninety cents per sheet, are "delicate shin-nori (nori from the first of the year's several harvests) cultivated in Ariake Bay, off the island of Kyushu in Japan."Like a fine wine, nori available only in Japan can cost up to US$50 per sheet.[citation needed]

In Japan, over 600 square kilometres (230 sq. mi.) of Japanese coastal waters are given to producing 350,000 tonnes (344,470 tons), worth over a billion dollars. China produces about a third of this amount.

Use

Nori is commonly used as a wrap for sushi and onigiri. It is also a common garnish or flavoring in noodle preparations and soups. Nori is most typically toasted prior to consumption ("yaki-nori" in Japanese). A very common and popular secondary product is toasted and flavored nori ("ajitsuke-nori" in Japanese), in which a flavoring mixture (variable, but typically soy sauce, spices, and sugar in the Japanese style or sesame oil and salt in the Korean style) is applied in combination with the toasting process. Nori is also eaten by making it into a soy sauce flavored paste noritsukudani (海苔佃煮).

In addition, nori is sometimes used as a form of food decoration.

A related product, prepared from the unrelated green algae Monostroma and Enteromorpha, is called aonori (青海苔 literally blue/green nori) and is used like herbs on everyday meals like okonomiyaki and yakisoba.

Source: www.wikipedia.com

See Also: Loewy. Sushi Tei