Eating Artfully: A Primer for the Sushi Experience

Written By Michael Vyskocil

The essence of Japanese cuisine lies in the fresh fish delicacies prepared by the master sushi chefs. They possess a deep knowledge of their trade; they train for years learning the methods for selecting only the highest quality fish and perfecting both their slicing techniques and their presentation skills.

A knife and the finest quality fish are to a sushi chef what the best brush and canvas are to a painter. To the uninitiated Westerner, the amount of intense preparation does not seem to match the simplicity of the presentation, but it is only when the work is sampled that one can appreciate the true work of the sushi artisan.

Carroll County hosts a number of sushi bars and restaurants, including Ginza Japanese Steak House in Sykesville, Osaka Hibachi Grill in Eldersburg and Sakura Japanese Steak and Seafood House in Westminster. Step into any one of these restaurants, and you will have the opportunity to sample items ranging from California rolls and omakase platters to uni (sea urchin) and octopus.

There are several kinds of sushi, such as edomae (named for Edo, the old name for Tokyo). The hand-shaped ovals of rice topped with fish are also called nigiri-sushi, and are believed to have been invented by a chef in Edo in 1823. Kamigata, or Osaka-style sushi, features flavored, seasoned rice packed into a wooden mold, topped with pieces of fish, then unmolded and sliced. And there is also maki-sushi, which contains pieces of seafood or vegetables buried in seasoned rice, then rolled in seaweed and sliced.

When you sit down to eat at a sushi counter, you enter another world of cuisine, and that can be intimidating to the first-time sushi diner. Award-winning author Trevor Corson gives readers of his book The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice (Harper Perennial, 2008) an in-depth look at the world of sushi, including ways to make the experience less frightful and more enjoyable.

“The Japanese tradition of eating fresh raw fish has nothing to do with sushi,” writes Corson. “Sushi began as a way of preserving old fish, and street vendors turned it into a crude snack food.” By the late 16th century, sushi began to take the form that is seen today.The word sushi, in fact, references its main ingredient: rice seasoned with vinegar.

Little Tokyo in Los Angeles, California, is credited with launching sushi onto the American scene in the 1960s. What was first considered an exotic culinary oddity has now become ubiquitous in towns and cities across America. In The Story of Sushi, Corson examines its beginnings more than 1,000 years ago in Southeast Asia and gives readers an opportunity to learn a how sushi ingredients are cultivated, harvested and prepared.

Corson has become a nationally recognized authority on sushi in the United States. Last year, he began his popular “Sushi Concierge” service in New York City and Washington, D.C. He accompanies diners to the sushi restaurant of their choice and gives them a personal tutorial on making the most of their experience. Corson also offers group dinner classes in New York’s East Village on Monday evenings for $75 a person.

Corson’s first introduction to the world of sushi was as a high-school student in Washington D.C. in 1986. He was preparing for a study-abroad scholarship opportunity that would take him to Japan and he realized that sushi would be served there. Before leaving, one of his teachers introduced him to the cuisine.

“I had never had it before, so it took me a while to understand the experience,” Corson told me. His three years spent in Japan enabled him to learn more about the unique cuisine from master sushi chefs.

Sushi chefs are particular about their fish, evaluating potential candidates for freshness and size. And they are just as particular about the rice. The rice used is primarily a blend of traditional Japanese rice varieties. The rice is cooked and seasoned with a mixture of ingredients, such as rice vinegars and sea salt.

As Corson reveals in his book, most of the sushi that chefs traditionally serve at bars is known as nigiri, hand-pressed ovals of rice topped with fish. There are many varieties of nigiri sushi, but some of the most common use tuna, shrimp, eel, squid, octopus and fried egg. When eating sushi there are a few details that Corson suggests that diners keep in mind.

“The rice should not be mushy. Good sushi should be airy; the individual grains should be separate,” he said. As for seasonings, the finished product should not require heavy amounts of seasoning on the part of the diner. A good chef will be paying attention to the seasonings,” said Corson.

Finally, Corson said that there is a certain way to eat the sushi so that it can be enjoyed to its fullest. To experience the contrast of flavors and textures, a piece of sushi should be eaten in one bite.

Corson has observed some restaurants in which he has eaten where the sushi pieces are quite large.

“Diners think they’re getting more for their money that way,” he said, “But a good chef should be making them small.”

Contrary to popular notion, diners should not dunk a piece of sushi in the accompanying sauces, as this can overwhelm the delicate flavors of the fish. Instead, only a small portion of the fish should be dipped into the sauces. “The best chefs will make their own sauces,” said Corson.

Another of Japan’s most beloved delicacies, sashimi, consists of slices of raw fish. Like sushi, sashimi should be made with only the finest quality fish available. Sashimi’s fresh, pure flavors also tend to surprise those sampling the dish for the first time; the highest-quality fish does not produce a “fishy” taste.

The art of preparing sashimi is similar to sushi: The process showcases the itamai’s (chef’s) knowledge of Japanese cuisine. The ability to select only the finest fish, manipulate the ingredients using time-tested knife skills, pull the elements together in a pleasing but exacting presentation (many are minor works of art) and choose the appropriate accompaniments and sauces is a testament to the level of effort these chefs put forth into their sashimi dishes.

The fish used for sashimi – often tuna, salmon, sea bass, scallops or mackerel – should glisten in the light, feel firm to the touch and appear evenly colored. A tray of sashimi is often garnished with fiery wasabi horseradish (either fresh or in paste form), pickled ginger, sliced daikon radish, and leaves of shiso, a spiky-leafed Japanese herb related to the basil and mint family.

Japanese soy sauce is generally served in a small bowl alongside the tray for dipping, while a warm cup of sake complements the delicate flavors of the sashimi.

If you have never sampled sushi or sashimi (or even walked into a sushi restaurant), you may wonder how to approach a chef, or even whether you should order off the menu the first time you sit down to eat.

Corson says that first-time diners may feel more comfortable ordering off the menu.

“It’s perfectly fine to order off the menu for the first time,” he said, “but then you might ask [the chef], “What would you recommend?””

Corson is also aware of the difficulties of communicating with chefs at restaurants. During his research for his book The Story of Sushi, he discovered what seemed to be a disconnect between the customers and the chefs across the sushi bar. Some chefs believed that American diners could not appreciate the nuances of true sushi, so they decide not to offer diners a chance to experience the real deal.

Meanwhile, the customers, many of whom wanted the opportunity to taste true sushi, could not figure out how to obtain it and viewed the sushi chefs as “standoffish.”

Corson emphasizes the importance of the customer-chef relationship. “My advice is to establish a relationship with a chef,” he said. “You have to cultivate that relationship. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.”

Although sushi and sashimi are an acquired taste, the adventuresome diner will be able to take a trip to Japan without ever leaving home – or the local sushi bar.