From Setsuko Yoshizuka,
Your Guide to Japanese Food.
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Sushi is perhaps the most famous Japanese food in the world. In Japanese cuisine, sushi indicates dishes that use sushi rice, which is seasoned with a sweet vinegar mixture. Since Japan is surrounded by ocean, seafood has always been widely consumed as well as rice. So, the combination of raw fish and rice, sushi, naturally became a popular food in Japan. Originally, raw fish was fermented in salt to preserve it and eaten with seasoned rice. That's the origin of sushi. Even though there is sushi that doesn't include sashimi (raw fish), raw fish and rice are the main ingredients of sushi.

The most well-known sushi is the oval shaped sushi, called nigiri. Nigiri is commonly served in a sushi bar. Sushi chefs in Japan go through extensive training to learn to make nigiri, but you can make your own nigiri at home for your family and friends.

As the taste of sushi depends on how well the rice is cooked, it's important to make the rice properly. People become regulars to a sushi bar because the taste of sushi rice is suitable to them. See the sushi rice recipe for how to prepare sushi rice.

Tips for Making Sushi Rice

• Add vinegar mixture to the rice when the rice is still hot.
• Cool the rice quickly using a fan so that it will look shiny.
• Use a spatula to mix the rice, using a cut and fold motion so that you don't smash the rice grains.

Let's learn to make nigiri-zushi.

• How to Prepare Fish for Sushi
• Steps to Make Nigiri-zushi

Free Email Sushi Lessons for Beginners

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