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Crab |
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CRAB
Kani (crab). Crab is served cooked for sushi,
and although varieties are available off both
coasts in the Lower Forty-eight, most crab served
in sushi bars is frozen king crab imported from
Alaska. These long-legged, gangly creatures
may weigh up to twenty pounds and produce succulent,
firm chunks of coral-streaked white meat that
are tidy to serve in sushi, but lose much of
their flavor in the freezing process. They are
caught in ice-cold rough waters off the Alaskan
coast, and most ships process the catch on board
and ship it out already cooked and frozen.
Frozen crab, although pretty, meaty, and reassuringly
familiar, is rather ordinary and may not be
worth eating in a sushi bar, unless you aren't
ready for raw fish. A popular West Coast aberration,
the "California Special," is a rolled
sushi made of cooked crab meat, avocado, and
mayonnaise rolled in rice and seaweed. It is
a tasty and harmless way to introduce someone
to sushi, but it is as authentically Japanese
as a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich.
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Fresh Water
Eel |
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Makizushi
means "rolled sushi" and it is thin strips
of fish and vegetables rolled in sushi rice and crisp
sheets of seaweed, and then sliced into bite-sized
rounds. The seaweed is called nori, and another name
for makizushi is norimaki. Although it doesn't occupy
the same exalted position as nigirizushi in Japanese
cuisine, it is extremely popular and available in
sushi bars everywhere.
Makizushi is a particular favorite among sushi neophytes;
in fact, it is most people's introduction to sushi,
and it is easy for a beginner to like. The hint of
raw tuna in a slice of makizushi is a good way to
dispel the notion that uncooked fish is creepy.
At first, the thought of nibbling on makizushi's seaweed
wrapper may give you pause, but eating nori is only
unnerving if you've tried it. It combines the light,
seabreeze taste of seaweed with a crackly texture,
and its crisp saltiness complements the soft sweetness
of sushi rice.
Nori is made from several species of Porphyra seaweed
that are washed and spread thin to dry in much the
same way that wood pulp is made into paper. Before
it is used, nori is toasted to enhance its flavor
and texture and turn it a brilliant green.
Makizushi comes in two sizes at the sushi bar. Hosomaki,
which means "slender roll," is the most
familiar. The chef rolls it with a small, flexible
bamboo mat. It is about an inch in diameter and contains
one or two ingredients plus rice. Hosomaki makes six
bite-sized rounds.
You may also ask for temaki, "hand roll,"
which is smaller, loosely rolled by hand and given
to you like an ice cream cone to be eaten in two or
three bites."
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Mackerel |
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MACKEREL
Saba is the Japanese term for mackerel; hikari-mono
is the more general term that refers to all oily,
shiny fish. In general, most people find that saba
is "too fishy," but that's the characteristic
that totally turns me on about it. Because it's so
fishy, a lot of sushi chefs will use citrus juices,
vinegars and other types of marinades to make it more
palatable.
If you're going to get all crazy and order saba, though,
I recommend that you order it a little later in the
meal, since the fishiness may linger on the palate,
making it harder to taste any of the lighter fish.
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Octopus |
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Makizushi
means "rolled sushi" and it is thin strips
of fish and vegetables rolled in sushi rice and crisp
sheets of seaweed, and then sliced into bite-sized
rounds. The seaweed is called nori, and another name
for makizushi is norimaki. Although it doesn't occupy
the same exalted position as nigirizushi in Japanese
cuisine, it is extremely popular and available in
sushi bars everywhere.
Makizushi is a particular favorite among sushi neophytes;
in fact, it is most people's introduction to sushi,
and it is easy for a beginner to like. The hint of
raw tuna in a slice of makizushi is a good way to
dispel the notion that uncooked fish is creepy.
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Red Snapper |
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RED SNAPPER
Tai (porgy, red snapper): Although tai, translated
as "sea bream," appears on standard sushi
menus, the fish the Japanese call tai is not available
in the United States. Instead, porgy and red snapper
fill in for tai in American sushi bars. Porgy is a
close relation to tai, but red snapper is related
to the Japanese fish in taste only. Both are sweet,
lean fish with broad-flaked pink-and-white flesh.
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Salmon |
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SALMON
Sake (salmon): Salmon is perhaps the most easily recognized
fish in the sushi case, its bright orange color almost
too vibrant to be real. Its taste is equally remarkable,
and salmon is treasured as a food fish by all cultures
blessed with its migrations. In recent decades, the
Atlantic salmon has been nearly wiped out by pollution
and is now rare in Europe as well. Only Pacific salmon
are still plentiful, and in most sushi bars, varieties
from Japan and Alaska are used.
Salmon grow fat and robust in the ocean, then head
for fresh water where they swim upstream to spawn.
During this heroic journey they do not eat, and they
deteriorate rapidly. Only those caught at sea are
considered suitable for sushi. Salmon is never served
raw in sushi bars; it is lightly smoked or cured for
a few days in salt and sugar. It tastes sweet, sometimes
smoky, and is always meltingly tender. Occasionally,
fresh grilled salmon is served as nigirizushi. Its
color is pale peach; its flavor more delicate than
uncooked salmon.
In Japanese, the words for rice wine and salmon are
spelled identically and pronounced very much the same,
leading some people to worry that they may be ordering
a bottle of fish by mistake. The word for the beverage
is pronounced sah-kay. For the fish, the last syllable
is slightly clipped, sah-keh, with an e as in led.
If this is too fine a distinction, you can order the
fish as sha-kay, as it is pronounced in northern Japan.
You will also avoid confusion by ordering your fish
from the sushi chef and your beverages from the waitress,
as is proper.
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Shrimp |
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SHRIMP
Ebi (cooked prawn). Ebi is one of the most popular
items on the sushi menu. It is actually jumbo shrimp
(a prawn is really a freshwater crustacean, but jumbo
shrimp are called prawns in restaurants), and those
served in American sushi bars are flown in frozen
from Mexico. They are dropped in boiling salted water,
then cleaned and split into a butterfly shape. Their
firm, striped, pink-and-white flesh is a familiar
treat for the sushi beginner timid about eating raw
fish.
Ama ebi (raw prawn). The Japanese consider fresh raw
prawn one of the greatest delicacies in the sushi
case. A cleaned, uncooked jumbo shrimp is glossy,
almost transparent, and sweet. Fresh and frozen prawns
are widely available -- many varieties are caught
on both coasts, but ama ebi is still a rare treat.
Few prawns, fresh or frozen, are of a high enough
quality to be served raw.
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Squid |
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SQUID
100% prepared specifically for sushi and sashimi,
simply defrost desired number of pieces for preparations
Origin: Japan. This delicious Japanese squid is specially
cleaned and prepared for sushi or sashimi. No cutting
or cleaning. It is conveniently packaged ready to
defrost desired number of pieces and form as nigiri
or enjoy as a sashimi treat. Common preparations:
Specially prepared squid is a favorite among many
sushi bar fans. It is commonly formed into nigiri,
enjoyed as sashimi, or embellished with a variety
of light seasonings and vegetables.
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Tuna |
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Maguro (tuna)
Tuna is the fish most Americans associate with sashimi
and sushi -- more of it is sold in sushi bars than
any other kind of fish. Raw tuna has a soft, meaty
texture and clean taste that win over many sushi skeptics
at first bite.
There are many varieties of tuna, but the kind you'll
most likely encounter in an American sushi bar is
a relatively clean cut of bluefin or yellowfin tuna,
both of which are available year round, fresh from
American waters. Tuna also freezes well, so there
is always maguro in the sushi case. However, as is
true for all fish, tuna's quality varies from season
to season. Prime specimens are generally caught in
the winter, from November to February. Despite its
availability and consistent good taste, in the spring
and summer tuna may be inferior to less familiar fish
that are at their peak. Sample maguro at different
times of the year and, as always, seek the sushi chef's
recommendation.
Toro (fatty tuna belly)
In Japan, tuna are graded and priced according to
fat content -- the fattiest part of the fish is the
most prized -- and toro, cut from the tuna's belly,
is usually the most expensive item on a sushi menu.
Toro is pink and somewhat opaque, and the sushi chef
may identify it as chutoro, which is moderately fat,
or otoro, which indicates the highest fat content,
tuna that is light pink and extraordinarily tender.
Toro is taken only from bluefin tuna, which are abundant
in the waters off the East Coast. Bluefin have never
been commercially important in the United States except
as pet food, partly because the fish are so enormous
that they are awkward for fishermen to handle. Many
specimens caught are the size of a baby elephant,
and when the cat food market is down, they are often
thrown back. The same fish flown to Japan could command
an exorbitant price.
A taste of toro goes a long way toward explaining
why. Its richness and tenderness approach that of
butter. In the winter, when toro, like maguro, is
at its best, it is a luxurious and tasty delicacy
well worth its price. Out of season, however, it may
not live up to its reputation or its price tag.
Shiro maguro (albacore)
Albacore is the
source of top-grade canned tuna in the United States,
where its delicacy and excellent flavor can scarcely
be discerned midst the mayonnaise. Its Japanese name
means "white tuna," and albacore flesh ranges
from rose to pale peach in color. Its flavor is rich
but not overbearing.
Albacore meat is so soft that it is difficult to handle.
It also changes color quickly in the sushi case, although
this does not indicate deterioration. For these reasons,
many sushi chefs choose not to serve it. Even when
it is available, shiro maguro is almost never on a
sushi-bar menu.
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Yellow Tail |
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YELLOW
TAIL
Hamachi (young yellowtail): Yellowtail is the common
name of a number of species of amberjack -- sleek
migratory fish similar to the tunas. The japanese
variety called hamachi has light golden flesh and
may display a dark streak along the edge of a fillet,
a characteristic of the two-toned musculature of fish
that cruise the open seas. Since hamachi is not listed
on many American sushi menus, it may be overlooked.
It's one of the most rewarding discoveries you can
make at a sushi bar.
Hamachi can be as rich as toro, smooth and buttery
with a deep smoky taste, but not as overpoweringly
fatty. The area around the pectoral fins is considered
the tastiest part and is often set aside for special
customers. Some sushi bars grill the skeleton and
the bits of meat left on it and serve it as an appetizer
or snack.
Although varieties of yellowtail are plentiful in
waters off both U.S. coasts, hamachi are usually flown
in frozen from Japan, where they are raised in hatcheries
and harvested when they weigh between fifteen and
twenty pounds -- just right for sushi. Yellowtail
caught here are usually too lean to qualify.
Hamachi is available for import year round, but you
may have to try a few sushi bars before you find it."
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