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AsianInfo
on Japan
Eating
in Japan
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Sushi (Recipe)
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Food
in General
Food of all types and
from every country under the sun, is one of the great pleasures of
life in Japan. Not only has Japan developed one of the
world's great cuisines, which offers palate-tickling sensations
that range fro the subtle joys of "sashimi" to the
hearty basics of its noodles, but some of the best world-class
chefs have come to Japan to cook for its discriminating
gourmets. Tokyo especially, as befits its status as a global
capital of finance and business, is host to a lip-smacking
cornucopia of food flavors and textures.
To begin scratching
the surface of Japan's vast selection of culinary variety, take a
walk in the vicinity of any subway or train station. The
eating and drinking establishments that congregate here are sure
to represent a plethora of domestic cooking, with prices generally
quite reasonable. For non-Japanese speakers, some
restaurants display plastic and wax replicas of their dishes in
their front windows, or provide a menu with color photos.
Another good place to
find reasonable priced meals is in larger department stores, which
will often devote an entire upper or basement floor to different
restaurants. Some modestly priced restaurants ask patrons to
purchase tickets for each dish, either from the cashier's counter
or vending machine. Tipping, by the way, is not practiced in
Japan.
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Japanese
Cuisine
Once known in the
west either in the form of "sukiyaki" or the more exotic
"sushi," Japanese cuisine has in recent years become
much more familiar and appreciated around the world. Many
visitors to Japan will have already sampled the pleasures of raw
fish or batter-fried shrimp. But few first time visitors to
Japan are prepared for the variety and sumptuousness of the food
as it is traditionally prepared. Eating in Japan is an
experience to be enjoyed and remembered fondly for the rest of
your life.
Among the types of
cooking found in Japan are:
Sukiyaki -
prepared right at the table by cooking thinly sliced beef together
with various vegetables, tofu and vermicelli.
Tempura -
deep-fried food in vegetable oil, after being coated with a
mixture of egg, water and wheat flour. Among the ingredients
used are prawns, fish in season and vegetables.
Sushi - a
small piece of raw seafood placed on a ball of vinegared
rice. the most common ingredients are tuna, squid and
prawn. Cucumber, pickled radish and sweet egg omelette are
also served.
Sashimi -
sliced raw fish eaten with soy sauce.
Kaiseki Ryori
- regarded as the most exquisite culinary refinement in
Japan. The dishes are mainly composed of vegetables and fish
with seaweed and mushrooms as the seasoning base and are
characterized by their refined savor.
Yakitori -
made up of small pieces of chicken meat, liver and vegetables
skewered on a bamboo stick and grilled over hot coals.
Tonkatsu - a
deep-fried pork cutlet rolled in bread crumbs.
Shabu-shabu -
tender, thin slices of beef held by chop-sticks and swished in a
pot of boiling water, then dipped in a sauce before being eaten.
Soba and Udon
- two kinds of Japanese noodles. Soba is made from buckwheat
flour and Udon from dipped in a sauce, and are available in
hundreds of delicious variations.
Japanese "sake"
or rice wine, goes extremely well with a variety of Japanese
dishes. Brewed with rice and water, sake has been a Japanese
alcoholic beverage since ancient times. Because it can be
drunk warmed up, the "feelings" come on more quickly and
in winter it warms the body. When drunk chilled, good sake
has a taste similar to fine-quality wine. There are local
sake breweries in every region across the country, which make
their respective characteristic tastes based on the quality of
rice and water as well as differences in brewing processes. Information
on Japanese cuisine provided by the Japanese Embassy |
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Food
in General
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Food
in General
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Tempura |
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Soba |
How to Make Sushi
Things you'll need:
Most can be found at an Asian market if your
local grocery store doesn't carry them. If you go to an
Asian market, tell them you are going to make sushi and they will
help you get the right items. Japanese and Korean Asian markets
are the best places to purchase these items (not Chinese).
rice (short or medium grain)
- needs to be ready first
rice vinegar (or white vinegar)
sugar
salt (or sea salt, preferred)
water
roasted seaweed (laver or yakisushi nori
- different names for roasted seaweed)
sharp knife
plastic wrap
cutting board
plastic gloves
bamboo mat (optional, for rolling sushi)
rice cooker (Japanese
or Korean rice cookers are the best types)
Fillings
/ condiments (choose
all or some) The
most popular ingredients for the california roll are avocado,
imitation crab meat, and roe. Other ingredients can be added
according to your preferences / tastes.
avocado -
Find a soft but firm avocado (leaves an indention when pressed)
. It needs to be peeled, seeded and cut into strips (lemon
may be rubbed on avocado to prevent browning)
cucumber - peeled, seeded and cut into strips
imitation crab meat
carrots - peeled and sliced or grated very thin
egg(s) - cook scrambled egg(s) into a thin omelette and cut into strips
(it is usually used in Korean style sushi called kimbap)
tempura (fried fish cake) - cut into strips (it is usually
used in Korean style sushi called kimbap)
pickled radish (usually yellow or white) - if whole, cut into long strips (or
can be purchased pre-cut) (it is
usually used in Korean style sushi called kimbap)
roe (fish eggs) - usually orange
wasabi - pre-prepared in a tube or powder form. If
powder form, add water to make thick paste - tube form is easier
to use and lasts longer.
soy sauce - Japanese style mild soy sauce (add water to
decrease saltiness)
pickled ginger - usually thinly sliced and can be pink, red, or
natural color
toasted sesame seeds
(whole)
The Process:
-
Cook rice in
rice cooker or pot. It is really important to have the right
ratio of rice to water. If there is too much water, it will
mushy and too soft. If there is not enough water it will be
too hard and dry. A general estimate is 1 cup rice to 1 1/2
cup water, but it depends on the heat source that's being
used. The way to have the best rice is to use (buy) a rice
cooker and follow the directions. It usually has perfect
rice every time. If a rice cooker is not available, try cooking in
a pot with the above measurements (1 cup of rice per 1 1/2 cups of
water). Cook rice (covered) on high until it boils rapidly,
then turn down heat to middle or low until cooked. DO NOT
open the lid too often or the rice will dry out. If you
smell a slight scorched smell, test the rice to make
sure it's soft enough. It is a good idea to rinse the rice until
the water runs clear and then soak for about two hours.
While
rice is cooking prepare the sushi vinegar - Mix 1 teaspoon
(per cup of rice cooked) vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1 to 2
teaspoons sugar, 1 to 2 teaspoons water.
When
rice is cooked, mix with the sushi vinegar mixture (see above)
and IMPORTANT cool the rice quickly. (Don't use a metal
bowl, the vinegar reacts with it.) Use a hand fan (or
other fan) to cool it while stirring rice. After
rice is cool, taste it to make sure it's seasoned well.
The rice, if prepared correctly, will have a glossy sheen and
will be chewy. It's it's too salty, add a little more
sugar. If too sweet, add a little more salt. The vinegar
smell will disappear as the rice cools. Cover rice and
prepare other ingredients.
- Peel
avocado, seed and slice it into 1/3 inch strips. Place
in a bowl or other container and, with plastic gloves on,
slightly mash the avocado with your fingers. This
prevents the avocado from falling out of the sushi roll.
-
Peel
cucumber and cut in half. Remove the seeds by running your
finger down the middle (discard seeds) and cut into long
thin slices.
- Remove
imitation crab meat from package and plastic overwrap.
If you think the crab meat is too thick (big), cut it in half
(longways).
Remove
seaweed (nori) and cut the long side in half, so you have two
pieces from the one sheet.
- If the
roe is frozen, it needs to be thawed. Thirty minutes at
room temperature should be sufficient.
- Wet the
cutting board slightly (helps prevent the rice from sticking)
and put cooled, seasoned rice on a sheet of seaweed.
Wear plastic gloves to prevent your hands from sticking to the
rice. Put approximately a tennis ball or baseball sized
ball of rice on the nori. Spread rice evenly, without
handling it too much. Sushi experts usually use six
movements to cover the seaweed with rice. Press the rice
firmly to the seaweed then lightly sprinkle with toasted
sesame seeds.
- Flip
seaweed over so that the rice is on the cutting board.
The black side is where the ingredients are placed, the rice
is the outer part of the roll.
- Place a
few strips of avocado in the center of the seaweed (long
sideof seaweed horizontally in front of you), then a few
strips of imitation crab meat and use a spoon to apply roe.
- Fold the
side of seaweed closest to you over the avocado, crab meat and
roe then firmly fold the other side of the seaweed (farthest
from you) back over the roll. Shape the roll gently with
your hands (into a roll or square). The rice will help the
sides stick together.
- Slice the
roll into 6 or 7 uniform pieces, using a wet cloth or bowl of
water to clean the knife. (So the rice doesn't stick to
knife)
- Transfer
rolls to a plate with some wasabi, soy sauce and ginger.
Wasabi can be mixed in the soy sauce - but be careful - wasabi
is VERY hot!
- Enjoy the
wonder Japanese cuisine - the California roll!
Once you
become accustomed to making these, use your imagination to create
one-of-a-kind delicacies! Sushi is food art, so let your
creative juices flow!
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