I am a huge fan of sushi. I have quite the infatuation for salmon sashimi which probably stems from the fact that I live in one of the best states to eat seafood. These things are getting slightly better I’ve noticed after going on a very long road trip through the Midwest.
Anyway, I’m sure many of you have heard the news of the “sushi burrito” which has presented some kickback from Japanese authorities. Basically, they would like to correct that this is not, in fact, Japanese cuisine. I urge you all to take a look at this article by NPR.
“The voluntary certification system aims to help eliminate mistakes commonly made by overseas chefs — from the mishandling of raw fish, to low hygiene standards, to the ceremonial way in which food should be presented to customers.” – NPR
This is not to discourage creativity in the kitchen, but to encourage Washoku. This “is an integrated approach to achieving nutritional balance and aesthetic harmony at table; both a culinary philosophy and a set of practical guidelines for preparing food.” As you see with many Japanese traditions, there’s a rational reason to do the things they do. For instance, touching fish too many times causes a rise in the fish’s temperature. Well, okay, especially for raw fish, that makes sense!
Originally when I heard about the certification program, I thought it was overkill, but I can see that Japan takes their food very seriously. I, too, would find it important to label the food correctly so people from other places in the world wouldn’t have those expectations for real Japanese cuisine. Americans have already destroyed Chinese food and other beautiful dishes from all over the world… so, good on Japan for saving their asses!
How can we prepare authentic Japanese food? Clearly, there are a lot of elements at play when creating your dishes, such as the knives you use, cutting technique, how hot or cold something is… Here are a few books on making authentic sushi for those striving to make it as close to the real thing as possible.
Did you try it out!? Let me know about it down below!