Rookie Sushi Eater
- Thread starter LuckyDuck
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone that enjoys cooking.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
sushi in general is sooo good and you should def. try some. I'm not big on eating raw fish, for example the raw tuna rolls aren't my favorite. But I could eat the ones with tempura shrimp, crab, and crawfish everyday!! Restaurants also should have delicious appetizers such as spicy tempura egg rolls and salads like the avocado and crab salad! Just get your feet wet and try something different everytime! I'm sure you'll love it!
lpb
lpb
Nicholas Mosher
Sous Chef
Sushi just means vineagared rice, so technically sushi can just be seasoned balls of rice (a common bento box item in japan from what I hear).
It's really not the flavor of raw fish that turns most Americans off from raw fish, but the texture and the idea that you are eating raw meat (muscle). The other flavor that sometimes seems foreign to Americans is the flavor of toasted seaweed.
I would recommend that you try the handformed bitesized pieces of sushi called "Nigiri". Start with Tamago Nigiri (sweet rolled japanese omelet), then try Unagi Nigiri (Freshwater Eel) which just looks like a piece of BBQ'd fish with some sweet sauce called Nitsume.
Personally, I find the imitation crab meat in California rolls to be absolutely disgusting, and would not recommend trying them unless you are at a higher-end bar that uses real crab meat.
But sushi is only one area of Japanese food. Try some things that others have mentioned like Edamame, Miso Soup, Sunomono, etc. Traditional Japanese food is very beautiful (and I'm not just speaking in terms of presentation). It is often quite simple with very few ingredients, and hinges entirely upon great ingredients that are in season (or preserved) and proper preparation.
My personal favorite is Hamachi Nigiri. A common thing in sushi bars is to springle finely sliced spring onions on them, but I'm always sure to tell the sushi-chef to "hold the onions". My local haunt always serves my order with a couple pieces of Tamago. Many people judge a sushibar by it's preparation of the omelet - I do so as well, and find it to be the perfect opener. I also enjoy shiro-maguro, or albacore tuna. It is quite delicate, and one of my top ordered items. I also enjoy flying fish roe in battleship style sushi (Tobiko). It is very different than the similar looking masago that most sushi bars roll california rolls in, or mix into spicy tuna rolls.
Anyhoo... just try to let go of past preconceptions and explore!
It's really not the flavor of raw fish that turns most Americans off from raw fish, but the texture and the idea that you are eating raw meat (muscle). The other flavor that sometimes seems foreign to Americans is the flavor of toasted seaweed.
I would recommend that you try the handformed bitesized pieces of sushi called "Nigiri". Start with Tamago Nigiri (sweet rolled japanese omelet), then try Unagi Nigiri (Freshwater Eel) which just looks like a piece of BBQ'd fish with some sweet sauce called Nitsume.
Personally, I find the imitation crab meat in California rolls to be absolutely disgusting, and would not recommend trying them unless you are at a higher-end bar that uses real crab meat.
But sushi is only one area of Japanese food. Try some things that others have mentioned like Edamame, Miso Soup, Sunomono, etc. Traditional Japanese food is very beautiful (and I'm not just speaking in terms of presentation). It is often quite simple with very few ingredients, and hinges entirely upon great ingredients that are in season (or preserved) and proper preparation.
My personal favorite is Hamachi Nigiri. A common thing in sushi bars is to springle finely sliced spring onions on them, but I'm always sure to tell the sushi-chef to "hold the onions". My local haunt always serves my order with a couple pieces of Tamago. Many people judge a sushibar by it's preparation of the omelet - I do so as well, and find it to be the perfect opener. I also enjoy shiro-maguro, or albacore tuna. It is quite delicate, and one of my top ordered items. I also enjoy flying fish roe in battleship style sushi (Tobiko). It is very different than the similar looking masago that most sushi bars roll california rolls in, or mix into spicy tuna rolls.
Anyhoo... just try to let go of past preconceptions and explore!
Cajun Cook
Senior Cook
I started out with the crunchy roll and worked my way up from there. Still have had the guts to try raw eel yet though. Good luck!
GB
Chief Eating Officer
Actually the eel is cooked. Give it a try. I bet you will find it to be your new favorite.
Cajun Cook
Senior Cook
Thanx for the tip GB. You would think I wouldn't be a big sissy about eel if I eat crawfish and alligator. I will give it a try on my next visit to the sushi bar.
GB
Chief Eating Officer
You won't be disappointed.
