sushi

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Two gunkanmaki sushi and nigiri sushi
Hotategai, Maguro-Toro, Ama-Ebi and Ikura sushi

Sushi ( Japanese 寿司 or す し , more rarely 壽司 , or ) is a Japanese dish made from cold, soured rice , supplemented with ingredients such as raw or smoked fish , raw seafood , nori (dried and roasted seaweed ), vegetables , tofu variants and Egg . The composition varies according to the type and recipe. Sushi is served in bite-sized pieces that are visually appealing.

Pronunciation and origin of the word

The word sushi is spoken in Japanese with a voiceless "s", in word combinations such as B. Nigiri-Zushi or Chirashi-Zushi is voiced "zushi". This phonetic phenomenon is called rendaku , whereby the (Chinese) character is not changed. Furthermore, it is mostly written today with the characters 寿司 , whereby the former sign means "long life". There is a theory from the Edo period that the word sushi comes from the old Japanese adjective sushi (modern Japanese sui ), which means “sour, sour”.

history

Inari-zushi shop from the Edo period ( Fukagawa Edo Museum )

Sushi is not originally a Japanese dish, but has its origins in a preservation method for freshwater fish that was developed by the inhabitants along the Southeast Asian Mekong River . The gutted and cleaned fish was placed in boiled rice in vessels in which it was fermented . The rice, which had become acidic from the fermentation process, was thrown away before the fish was consumed. The fish so pickled, however, could be kept for up to a year. Starting from the Mekong River, this method of conservation became popular in regions of China and spread from there to Japan. In China, this method of preservation has not survived to this day. But both Thailand and Taiwan still eat fish that has been preserved using this method.

A Japanese government document mentions sushi in 718. Until the end of the 9th century, it was mostly freshwater fish in Japan that was preserved in this way. The Japanese specialty known as Funazushi ( 鮒 寿司 ) developed from this preservation method. Funazushi is a traditional dish eaten in Shiga Prefecture . Female crucian carp caught in Lake Biwa are used for this . The fish fermented in the rice has an intense smell and a sharp, sour taste. The origin of sushi has common roots with funazushi, as fish was fermented for a shorter time in rice and was consumed from around the 14th century at a time when the fish meat was still relatively fresh and the rice was still edible. Towards the end of the Muromachi period (1336–1573), rice for these early forms of sushi was increasingly seasoned with rice vinegar. A fermentation process that acidified the rice was no longer necessary.

The modern form of sushi originated in Edo (today's Tokyo ), where from around the 18th century more and more people could afford the more expensive fresh sea fish, which was also offered with rice at the port. This later became known as nigiri sushi . Development was completed in the early 20th century, but Japanese chefs continue to experiment with new variations.

Sushi became popular in western countries during the second half of the 20th century. The first sushi restaurants in Western countries were primarily aimed at Japanese customers living abroad. As far as we know today, the first sushi bar opened in 1966 in the Japanese restaurant Kawafuku in Little Tokyo , Los Angeles . The opening was an idea of ​​the Japanese-born American Noritoshi Kanai, who worked for the Mutual Trading Company in the Japan-USA export business. Noritoshi Kanai was able to convince a traditionally trained sushi chef to settle in Los Angeles and take responsibility for this bar there. Obtaining suitable fish for sushi preparation was initially a problem. Noritoshi Kanai had fresh goods flown in from Tokyo, in particular. At that time, the transport of food by plane was still uncommon due to the high costs.

preparation

Sushi chef in Kyoto
Hangiri , the wooden tub in which the boiled rice is traditionally poured to cool down

For the preparation of sushi, rice of the subspecies japonica ( Oryza sativa ssp. Japonica ) is usually used, which has good adhesive properties. A number of different varieties of this subspecies are commercially available. Normally priced sushi restaurants usually use a medium-grain variety in which the individual grain of rice is two to three times as long as it is wide. Although this rice is not ideal for making sushi because it is less easy to shape, it is cheaper than the more suitable varieties, where the rice grain is round. The most valued variety for making sushi is Koshihikari. Cooked rice grains of this variety have a denser and firmer structure than those of other varieties. The quality and price of the rice used also depend on how small the proportion of rice grains was that was damaged during the processing process. High-quality rice for sushi is no longer only grown in Japan. Large growing areas can also be found in the United States, among other places.

The rice is washed thoroughly before preparation. This step is necessary because the individual rice grains are coated with a thin layer of starch during the processing process after the harvest. Unwashed the rice would stick too much. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to removing this excess starch. Some sushi chefs let the rice soak in cold water for between 30 and 60 minutes. Others prefer to simply run cold water over the rice for about 10 minutes. Then the rice is cooked with a piece of kombu . Sushi restaurants that cook their own rice usually use an electric rice cooker in which the rice is cooked with a little less water than usual. Sushi rice that is cooked on the stove is mostly cooked using the swelling method. The rice is boiled with the lid closed and the stove temperature at medium. It then swells for a further period of time at a low temperature and is then pulled off the stove. Usually you let it cook for a further period of time.

The cooked rice is filled into a wooden tub ( hangiri ) and mixed with a seasoning mixture (sushi-zu) made of rice vinegar , salt and sugar or mirin . With a special spoon, the Shamoji , furrows are made in the rice with quick movements in both transverse and longitudinal directions in order to distribute the mixture evenly. In order to maintain the characteristic shine of the individual rice grains, it is necessary to cool the rice as quickly as possible. This is achieved through the increased surface area due to the furrows during mixing and through the simultaneous supply of cold air with a round fan ( uchiwa ). The sushi rice is covered with a damp cloth until it is used so that it does not dry out. Further processing depends on the type of sushi.

Sushi box from the supermarket

In addition to the traditional method of preparation, rice is also industrially pre-cooked for supermarkets, hotels, catering companies and sushi restaurants and delivered either as a rice mass in large containers or as prefabricated rice rectangles. The latter only need to be occupied before being sold to the end customer.

In the grocery store offered sushi plates are up to three days durable in general. However, no raw, untreated fish is used for them, but usually smoked salmon, cooked shrimp or surimi . In the meantime, sushi is also offered as a frozen product that is thawed before consumption.

The most famous western creations include the “ California Roll ” ( カ リ フ ォ ル ニ ア 巻 き ) or “Inside-Out Roll” or “ Ura-Maki ” ( 裏 巻 き , German for “rolled from the inside”), made with salmon or surimi , avocado or cucumber are filled. With these sushi, a rice coat sprinkled with fish eggs (masago or tobiko) surrounds the contents wrapped in nori.

consumption

The traditional way of eating sushi in Japan differs from that in western countries. However, consumption is also changing in Japan, as sushi has also developed into a fast food restaurant there. Traditionally, sushi is eaten by hand in Japan.

Wasabi and soy sauce are usually not mixed together, but used separately to season each sushi. In sushi restaurants in the upper price range, the sushi chef spices the individual sushi in such a way that the customer no longer has to season it with wasabi. The guest drizzles the soy sauce over the nigiri sushi either individually or dips the fish side into the sauce - but never the rice side, as is often the case in Germany. Pure soy sauce has a very intense taste and can mask the taste of raw fish. So sushi chefs often use their own sauce mix, which usually consists of soy sauce, dashi , sake and mirin . This mixture is usually heated and reduced a little. It is used when cooled and used to brush the raw fish that is already on the rice. The cook also adds the amount of wasabi that he thinks is right to the sushi. More wasabi is used with fatty fish than with lean fish. Pickled ginger, the so-called gari , is eaten between the individual sushi in order to neutralize the taste of the different fish.

A sushi meal usually consists of different types of sushi. Although there are no rules on the order of consumption, it is common to start with an omelette as a topping, followed by low-fat fish with white meat and acidified fish such as herring and mackerel. Then there are red-fleshed fish like low-fat tuna; the fatter species, including the tuna, deny the end of the meal.

A popular dish with sushi is miso soup , which is also served as a starter; Popular drinks for sushi are beer (in Japan, for example, Asahi or Kirin ) and green tea .

Sushi is not bitten off, but put into the mouth in one piece. In Western countries, on the other hand, it has become common to eat sushi with chopsticks . This makes it necessary for a sushi chef to roll the individual rolls much more tightly.

Restaurants

Sushi-ya restaurant
Kaiten Zushi machine

With the Japanese, sushi is rarely prepared at home. It's typical out-of-home dining. In Japan there are two types of sushi restaurants: Sushi-ya and Kaiten-Zushi.

Sushi-ya (Japanese. ) is a sushi restaurant where you have the option of sitting at a normal table or at a counter, behind which the cook is preparing the sushi.

The Kaiten-Zushi (Japanese 回 転 寿司 , dt. 'Rotating sushi') is a sushi restaurant in which you sit at a counter with an integrated treadmill. The various sushi dishes are on this conveyor belt, which guests can use to help themselves . The plates are marked according to the different prices, the empty plates are used for billing.

Sushi molds

Nigiri sushi

With nigiri sushi ( 握 り 寿司 , nigiri zushi , dt. " Ball sushi") the rice is pressed into a small, two-finger-wide roll and topped with fish, seafood or omelette. Sometimes nigiri are tied together with a strip of nori .

Maki sushi

Maki-Sushi ( 巻 き 寿司 , Maki-Zushi , dt. "Roll Sushi") are pieces rolled with a bamboo mat ( Makisu ). They are usually wrapped in nori .

Fillings

Subspecies

Hoso-Maki

Hoso-Maki ( 細 巻 き , “thin roll”) are thin rice rolls made from half a nori sheet and filled with fish or vegetables. The finished roll is cut into six equal pieces. Usually only one ingredient is used for the filling.

Futo maki

Futo-Maki ( 太 巻 き , dt. "Thick roll") are thick rice rolls made from a whole sheet of nori and filled with a combination of different ingredients. Fish, vegetables and mushrooms are often used for this.

Ura-maki

Ura-Maki ( 裏 巻 き , dt. " Rolled from the inside"), also called California Roll , are Hoso or Futo Maki, in which the rice is attached to the outside of the nori sheet and is often very decorative with sesame seeds, chives or small, colored fish eggs is decorated. Ura-Maki do not belong to the traditional Maki and probably have their origin among Japanese-born Americans on the Pacific coast of the USA.

Hitsuji maki

Hitsuji-Maki ( 羊 巻 き , dt. "Double rolled"), also called sheep's roll , are Hoso-Maki, whereby the nori sheet is coated one more time with rice and, if necessary, decorated with sesame. This variant is also known as false Ura-Maki and is also not a traditional Maki. This variant was originally created by Australians of Japanese descent.

Te-maki

Temaki ( 手 巻 き , dt. "Hand-rolled"): Here the nori is rolled into a bag and filled with rice and the ingredients as in maki sushi.

Gunkanmaki sushi

Gunkanmaki sushi ( 軍艦 巻 き 寿司 , dt. "Schiffchen-Sushi", literally: "Battleship-Roll-Sushi") are individual small rolls made of nori leaves with a rice base on which the filling is placed. Gunkanmaki are used for fish eggs ( roe ) , for example , because they cannot be processed as nigiri or hoso-maki due to their sensitivity to pressure.

Fillings

Chirashi sushi

With Chirashi-Sushi ( 散 ら し 寿司 , dt. "Streu-Sushi") the rice, the fish and the side dishes are offered openly in a bowl. In the domestic area, the chirashi differs slightly. Here it is a bowl of rice in which all kinds of small pieces, such as B. mushrooms ( enoki ), lotus roots ( renkon ), carrots and shrimp is added ("chirasu", "scatter").

Oshi sushi

wooden mold for making oshi sushi

In Oshi-Sushi ( 押 し 寿司 , Oshi-Zushi , Eng. "Press-Sushi"), sushi rice, marinated fish and other ingredients such as perilla leaves are placed in layers in a wooden form and then pressed with weights for a long time. The resulting loaf is cut into bite-sized pieces before eating.

Tekka donburi

Tekka donburi ( 鉄 火 丼 ) is “sushi in a bowl”, that is, soured rice, raw tuna slices and pieces of nori - a popular preparation for sushi at home. "Tekka" means red-hot iron. It got this name because the strips of raw tuna on the rice glow red.

ingredients

  • Sushi rice ( Kome , also Ketan or Nikishi ) is a special round-grain rice from Japan with very good stickiness. The preparation of rice is the high art of sushi, which is why a large amount of time is spent on it when training to become a sushi chef.
  • Sushi-zu: A seasoning mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt, possibly mirin , which is added to the rice.
  • Nori sheets: industrially produced square plates made from dried and roasted green seaweed.
  • Fish: Only the best quality sea fish is suitable for sushi. The fish must be fresh and almost odorless. Salmon ( sake or shake , which is not traditional in Japan) and tuna (maguro) are very popular ; the fatter, but also more expensive tuna belly is also called toro . The (young) yellowtail (Hamachi) and the Ibodai ( Psenopsis anomala , Japanese butterfish ) belonging to the jellyfish fish are also very popular . It is more difficult with sea ​​bream ( Tai , in the narrower sense Pagrus major ) and other fish that prefer the warm water. Other fish or seafood species are: Kalmar (Ika) , Octopus (Tako) , pickled mackerel (Saba) , deep-sea shrimp (Amaebi) , cockle (Torigai) , crab meat or crab meat (Kani) , shrimp (Ebi) , scallop (hotategai ) , Sea bass (Suzuki) , horn clam (Hokkigai) , grilled eel (Unagi) , conger eel (Anago) , ark mussel ( Akagai) , red Japanese trough clam (Aoyagi) . In addition to fish, roe (fish eggs) from salmon (ikura) or flying fish (tobiko) , clams , shrimp, sea ​​walnuts , sea ​​urchin eggs , certain types of jellyfish and other seafood are used. Not all types of fish can be eaten raw. Freshwater fish in particular is also served grilled (fried), boiled or pickled because of the risk of parasites .
  • Vegetables: Maki in particular are often filled with vegetables. Useful herein, among other cucumber ( kappa ), carrot ( Ninjin ), pickled burdock ( gobo ), pickled radish ( daikon ), avocado and pickled or dried gourd ( Kampyo ).
  • Tamagoyaki : Sweet omelette that has beenseasonedwith dashi , soy sauce and mirin and fried in layers in a pan. The rectangular slices are also served as nigiri sushi on rice.
  • Wasabi : Hot paste made from green Japanese horseradish . Wasabi is already added by the cook when preparing the sushi, but the guest can often "season it" by adding this wasabi to the sushi or dissolving it in the soy sauce. In high-priced restaurants, however, wasabi is usually not served separately.
  • Gari : Sweet and sour ginger in the finest slices, which is consumed between the individual rolls to neutralize the palate.

Health aspects of sushi consumption

Since the range of sushi products in sushi bars, Japanese specialty restaurants, etc. has increased in recent years, the question of the health aspects of this food group, the majority of which consists of raw fish, inevitably arose. In 2004, the state veterinary investigation office in Krefeld examined sushi preparations in terms of sensory , microbiological , chemical-physical and parasitological considerations . It was found that over 70% of the examined sushi products were in good condition. From a sensory point of view, the inspection of the products before preparation did not reveal any special features. Around 83% of the sushi products had harmless total germ counts. However, the studies also showed that the germ counts increase rapidly during the preparation process. The Krefeld Veterinary Investigation Office came to the conclusion that the production and consumption of sushi from fresh or frozen fish is not a problem if optimal hygienic conditions are observed. The wasabi used also has a natural disinfectant effect .

Another health risk is the infestation of raw fish products with parasites . According to Japanese studies, worm diseases such as anisakiasis have risen to several hundred cases per year nationwide due to the increased consumption of sushi . With the consumption of sushi, humans ingest the tiny worm eggs contained in raw fish unnoticed. From these, the parasitic worms hatch in the human body, which - depending on the species - even snake under the skin when fully grown and cause skin irritation there or (more rarely) penetrate the lungs. The symptoms may not appear until one to four years after the infection, so that those affected often do not associate the worm infestation with the consumption of sushi. However, the parasites can be killed with cold. According to European food law, fish that is eaten raw must be cooled to −20 ° C or below and kept at this temperature for at least 24 hours before being sold. Freezing the affected species is now common in Japan.

Certain algae , with which the sushi specialties are enriched, are classified as problematic . The iodo -rich algae pose, according to nutrition experts health just for the already sufficient iodversorgten by the spread in Europe iodine salt Europeans risks because the captured by excessive sushi eating higher amounts of iodine can lead them to an overactive thyroid or skin diseases. A moderate consumption (about 3 nori sheets or 7.5 g) is classified as harmless. Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis (chronic inflammation of the thyroid gland) can be made worse by eating foods rich in iodine (such as sushi). Although the exact origin of the disease is not fully understood, a direct link between a diet rich in iodine and the onset of the disease is believed to be unlikely.

Similar dishes

Sashimi - "sushi" without rice
  • Sashimi ( 刺身 ) is mentioned in many sushi cookbooks, but it is not sushi because it is served without rice. Sashimi consists only of aesthetically prepared fish and seafood.
  • Gimbap (Korea)

literature

  • Kim Fukei: Visiting Japan. Tradition, culture, culinary art. Kunstverlag Weingarten, 2000, ISBN 3-8170-0042-1 .
  • Trevor Corson : The story of Sushi - An unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice. HarperCollins Publisher, New York 2008, ISBN 978-0-06-088351-5 .
  • Trevor Corson: The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket. HarperCollins Publisher, New York 2007, ISBN 978-0-06-088350-8 .
  • Sasha Issenberg: The Sushi Economy: Globalization and the Making of a Modern Delicacy. Gotham Books, New York 2007, ISBN 978-1-59240-363-9 .

Movie

  • Sushi. Documentary, Germany, 2009, 43 min., Written and directed: Christoph Weber, Johannes Backes, Johannes Bünger, production: taglichtmedia, ZDF , arte , series: So eats the world, German first broadcast: October 6, 2011 on arte, summary by arte.

Web links

Wiktionary: Sushi  - explanations of meanings, word origins, synonyms, translations
Commons : Sushi  - collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. a b c Trevor Corson: The story of Sushi - An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice . S. 29 f .
  2. Zschock, Day. The Little Black Book of Sushi: The Essential Guide to the World of Sushi . Page 14–15. 2005. ISBN 1-59359-961-7 .
  3. Trevor Corson: The story of Sushi - An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice . S. 38 .
  4. Trevor Corson: The story of Sushi - An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice . S. 31 .
  5. What is Masago Information about Masago and how to use it.
  6. Trevor Corson: The story of Sushi - An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice . S. 22 .
  7. Trevor Corson: The story of Sushi - An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice . S. 26 .
  8. DeutschlandRadio Berlin - Meal - Sushi: clouded culinary delights. Retrieved March 22, 2020 .
  9. Regulation (EC) No. 853/2004 , Annex III Section VIII Chapter III Part D: Regulations for protection against parasites
  10. 3 nori sheets or 7.5 g
  11. http://www.habichtswaldklinik.de/media/files/newsletter%20naturheilkunde/Naturheilkundlicher_Newsletter_April_2007.pdf  ( page no longer available , search in web archivesInfo: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.habichtswaldklinik.de  
  12. Iodized salt at Hashimoto? (No longer available online.) Iodine Deficiency Working Group, archived from the original on December 8, 2015 ; accessed on November 27, 2015 .
This version was added to the list of articles worth reading on September 6, 2005 .