With the dozens of sushi bars opening its doors to Malaysian customers in recent years, who would have thought that having sushi in a proper sushi restaurant in Japan is considered to be an expensive affair? In fact sushi, a Japanese term used to indicate food using rice seasoned with sweet rice-wine vinegar, was once served only on special occasions in Japanese households.
It wasn't until the advent of the conveyor belt sushi outlets that sushi became accessible to the masses. The first such kaiten-sushi (conveyor belt sushi outlet) opened its doors sometime in the late 1950s in Osaka, Japan. From then on sushi culture has spread internationally and has become Japan's contribution to popular mainstream international cuisine. From traditional sushi restaurants in Ginza in Tokyo to hip sushi bars in San Francisco and conveyor-belt sushi restaurants in Sydney, sushi has become a must-have of every major city's culinary menu.
There are several styles of sushi in existence. The most popular sushi style features raw, marinated or cooked fish laid topside on a pad of vinegared rice. This style of eating grew out of the traditional Japanese practice of preserving fish in rice and salt and then eating the fish once it is pickled. In time, the rice was eaten together with the fish. Later in Tokyo bay, this practice further evolved such that the fish slices were eaten fresh with fistful of rice mixed with rice. This style is called Edo-maezushi but it is more popularly known as nigiri sushi meaning hand-pressed sushi. Gunkan-style nigiri sushi is wrapped with nori (seaweed) in an oval shape. Then the open top side is covered with seafood such as sea urchin and ikura (salmon roe). In the hands of an expert chef, sushi is also a feast for the eyes.
Most people eat sushi with soy sauce mixed with wasabe, a green and pungent Japanese horseradish. We were told that true sushi connoisseurs use their fingers to enjoy their sushi. Each piece of sushi is held between the thumb and forefinger and is reversed when eaten. This is so that the seafood is upside down and the rice on top so that the seafood is the first to touch the tongue. In this way, the connoisseur can then tell whether the seafood is fresh or not. Condiments like soy sauce, wasabe and ginger are not used as it is believed that it detracts from the pure taste of the fresh seafood such as fish.
As sushi eating culture continues to develop, culinary schools have been set up which are devoted entirely to its philosophy and preparation. One such school is the Sushi University in Tokyo. Located at a modest campus in a small building, a course is usually for 6- 12 months. Here, budding sushi cooks learn about the basics of cooking and mixing rice, forming rice cakes and preparing fish. Many cooks learn the art for the sake of opening a sushi restaurant in their home country.
More importantly, the spread of the popular sushi culture and the kaiten-sushi has engendered a culture of experimentation of a formerly tradition bound dish. The good old USA has come up with the now venerable California roll which contains avocadoes and imitation crabmeat. Other creations now use mayonnaise, tuna (yes, it was not used in traditional sushi!), beef and cheese. It appears that Benkay (Nikko Hotel, Jalan Ampang) is the first to use chilli padi and mango temaki in 1996 followed by Keyaki Nouveau (Pan Pacific Glenmarie). Undoubtedly, more novel sushi creations will follow and we look forward to more Malaysian firsts!
