Sushi Sophistication
Even if you’ve heard about sushi and you think it sounds interesting, it can be intimidating to visit a sushi restaurant without knowing how to order. Let’s start with the menu:
You have some choices as to how you’d like your sushi to look:
- Nigri – a small piece of fish placed on a mound of rice, often secured with a small band of nori or seaweed. Some restaurants place a bit of wasabi in between the rice and the fish for added flavor.
- Maki – probably the most recognizable form of sushi, the ingredients are rolled inside rice and nori and cut into bite-size pieces.
- Temaki – cone-shaped hand rolls that include a great deal of fish and other ingredients wrapped in a large piece of nori. Because they are so large, they are eaten with hands rather than chopsticks.
Once you’ve decided what form your sushi should take, it’s simply a matter of choosing ingredients. Modern sushi restaurants in the United States pride themselves on creative rolls with interesting ingredients, so it pays to be adventurous. Below are some of the most popular types of nigri that will help you translate the menu:
Japanese English
Magura = Tuna
Tai = Red Snapper
Awabi = Abolone
Hirame = Halibut
Saba = Mackerel
Ikura = Salmon Roe
Toro = Fatty Tuna
Ika = Squid
Mirugai = Giant Clam
Hamachi = Yellow Tail
Ebi = Shrimp
Uni = Sea Urchin
Tako = Octopus
Sake = Smoked Salmon
Unagi = Eel
Anago = Sea Eel
Kani = Crab
Tomago = Egg
- Wasabi – known as Japanese horseradish, the green pasty lump is quite spicy and made from the root of the wasabi plant. Many people mix it in with their soy sauce to add a spicy kick to their sushi when they dip. A very small amount, usually one chopstick-full provides more than enough spice for a small dish of soy sauce.
- Ginger – this sweet, pickled condiment is used as a digestive aid or to cleanse the palate after the meal or in between rolls.