By Tina and Leonard Bailey
Sushi is the most popular Japanese food to catch on in the United States. Once only popular on the West Coast and in Metropolitan areas, interest in sushi has gained popularity in suburban areas and small towns. Sushi is a healthy dish that is a low fat, low calorie treat. It is also a great source fiber and beneficial carbohydrates.
Sushi can be found in ethnic restaurants including Japanese, Chinese and Thai establishments. Eclectic restaurants catering to food connoisseurs may also offer sushi. It can also be purchased at specialty and organic grocery stores. Of course, you can always purchase the ingredients and prepare sushi at home; it is not as complicated as one would think.
Just hearing the word “sushi” makes some folks cringe. They have a pre-conceived notion that sushi is raw fish, but do not know much more about this culinary delight. The word sushi is often misunderstood to mean raw fish or a dish containing raw fish; however “sushi” translated, actually means rice, or the marinated rice used in sushi rolls.
In fact, sushi rolls do not always contain raw fish. Sushi is a healthy wrap-like dish, whose primary ingredient is the marinated rice. There are many different fillings that may be enclosed in a sushi roll. The most common sushi fillings are avocado, cucumber, asparagus and carrot slices. Raw and cooked seafood may be used, as well as cooked beef and chicken.
Most sushi rolls are wrapped with either rice paper or nori, which is a thin layer of seaweed. Nori ranges in color from bluish-green to black, depending on the type of seaweed used. Although the thought of eating seaweed does not appeal to Americans, many other societies have benefited from the healthy attributes of this delicacy. Nori is an excellent source of iron and calcium, as well as many other essential vitamins and minerals.
Despite the health benefits of nori, many Americans still can’t get past the seaweed aspect, hence the popular California roll was born. The California roll can be thought of as sushi that is rolled inside out. The rice is on the outside of the roll, encompassing the nori and fillings. California rolls are sometimes rolled in sesame seeds or other coatings, to make it easier to handle.
Sushi rolls that contain raw fish are commonly called sashimi. The distinct difference between the two is that with sushi, the rice is the primary focus of the dish; with sashimi, the seafood is the main focus. Sashimi is not rolled like sushi either; it is molded into shape by hand. Popular raw seafood used to make sashimi includes tuna, salmon, shrimp, squid, octopus and mackerel, to name a few.
