Easy Sushi

“Fujiwara no Asahira (917 – 974)had problems with obesity and asked his doctor how to lose weight. He was told to eat pickled rice in water in summer and boiled rice in winter. So he ate pickled watermelon and sweet sushi as a side dish, but in the end, he did not lose weight, because he ate too much.”
Konjaku Monogatarishū
Heian period (794–1185)

Konjaku Monogatarishū, Volume 28, Episode 23
Uji Shūi Monogatari, Episode 94 (Volume 7, Episode 3)

In China, the character for “sushi” dates back to the 3rd to 5th century BC. However, historical records show that sushi was not popular in ancient China and was considered a “foreign food originating from the south.” This method of keeping fish probably originated in Southeast Asia, which has a monsoon climate, where fish only came deeper inland during the rainy season and thus had to be caught and stored in a supply for the dry season.

The first appearance of sushi in Japanese literature can be found in the Yōrō Code (Ceremony Order) (養老律令)in 718. This document mussel sushi and mixed sushi.

The history of sushi (すし, 寿司, 鮨) began with the fermentation of fish with vinegar, salt, and rice in paddy fields. This early form of sushi, called narezushi, was created in Japan during the Yayoi period(ca. 300 B.C.–300 A.D.), which dates back to the early Neolithic to early Iron Age. As time progressed, people in Japan began eating rice and fish together during the Muromachi period (1336–1573). During the Edo period (1603–1867), vinegar replaced fermented rice in sushi preparation. Sushi has since become a food closely associated with Japanese culture.

The inventor of modern sushi is believed to be Hanaya Yohei, who created nigirizushi, the type of sushi that is most well-known today. Nigirizushi involves placing seafood on hand-pressed vinegared rice. Hanaya Yohei is said to have invented this form of sushi around 1824 during the Edo period. It became popular among the chōnin class and was considered fast food during that time.

Uramaki

During the Meiji era, Japanese immigration led to the formation of Japanese-American communities across Central and South America and North America. The first Japanese restaurant in the U.S., Yamatoya, opened in San Francisco in 1887, followed by Miharitei in Los Angeles in 1893, later known as Little Tokyo. After WWII, Little Tokyo hosted only one sushi restaurant, serving simple inari and maki sushi. Initially, sushi had few Western fans, but by the late 1970s, it experienced a boom as more people embraced it.

However, because nori looked like black paper to Westerners who were not used to eating seaweed, a style called “uramaki,” in which nori and toppings are wrapped in vinegared rice, became popular. Uramaki (裏巻, “inside-out roll”) is a medium-sized cylindrical style of sushi with two or more fillings and was developed as a result of the creation of the California roll, as a method originally meant to hide the nori. Uramaki differs from other makimono because the rice is on the outside and the nori inside.

The outer layer of rice can be quite difficult to handle with your fingers. It’s surprisingly easy once you get the hang of it, though. You can make it with your favourite ingredients and it’s fun.

Enjoy!

You will need:

sushi rice
large avocado
sheets nori seaweed
salmon
soy sauce
surimi
rice vinegar
cucumber
dried parsley

Makisushi

Add the rice a little at a time, leaving a gap. Place rice on top to fill the gaps. Put your hands on the edges (left and right) to shape the rice firmly, spreading the rice evenly. Place the ingredients (cucumber, crab sticks, rice vinegar) on top of the leaving no gaps. Ensure the ingredients are lined up to the edge (it’s okay if they stick out) as this will affect the final result. Carefully start rolling the sushi to form a firm roll. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, sushi ginger.

Salmon uramaki

Cover a bamboo sushi mat with cling film to prevent the rice from sticking. Place a sheet of Nori seaweed on the mat and gently spread sushi rice evenly over the seaweed using wet hands to prevent sticking.
Add fillings: Turn the mat upside down so the rice faces down. Add cucumber slices, rice vinegar and surimi (imitation crab sticks) to the rice on the nori sheet. Carefully roll up the sushi using the mat, applying light pressure with both hands to ensure a tight roll. Once rolled, decorate the salmon uramaki sushi by adding strips of fresh and juicy salmon on top. Serve with soy sauce.

Avocado uramaki

Cut the avocado in half, remove the pit, and gently run a spoon along the edge of the flesh in one piece.
Cut each half into thin slices. With wet hands, place the rice on top of the sheet of Nori, then turn it upside down. Insert the cucumber, rice vinegar and salmon using the bamboo mat. Place the avocado slices on the sushi roll. Cover with cling film and shape using a bamboo mat.
Remove the cling film. Season to taste with dried parsley and soy sauce.

Sushi – Art of Transience can be found here

Bamboo Sushi Rolling Mat

$3.51

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