Sushi (making your own)

[TaigaStar]

The last time I made sushi, it was acceptable. It's cheaper and less stressful to go out. OK, well, it's not cheaper, but it's comparable.

 

[cynicus]

Read a bit about the parasites in raw fish (I got a nauseating lecture from a guy at the CDC) and believe me, you will stick to cucumber, cream cheese, and veggies. Ever heard of Jewish housewife's complaint. Worms are common among women who make their own gefilte and taste it as they cook and season it. E. coli on spinach is quite enough for me, thank you! I wonder sometime what the hell is going to be safe to eat. But I would rule out any kind of raw meat or fish first.

 

[justsimon]

Read a bit about the parasites in raw fish (I got a nauseating lecture from a guy at the CDC) and believe me, you will stick to cucumber, cream cheese, and veggies. Ever heard of Jewish housewife's complaint. Worms are common among women who make their own gefilte and taste it as they cook and season it. E. coli on spinach is quite enough for me, thank you! I wonder sometime what the hell is going to be safe to eat. But I would rule out any kind of raw meat or fish first.

But that doesn't rule out all the kinds of sushi with cooked seafood. I love sushi.

 

[ComNavFdgPk]

....you should sprinkle water on the mat and the seaweed paper so it does not stick to the mat...

Actually, nori is not seaweed, it's algae. But that's neither here nor there...

There's a great cookbook (if you can use that word when talking about sushi) titled "The Book of Sushi" by Kinjiro Omae and Yuzuru Tachibana. It has virtually everything you need to know to make more than acceptable sushi at home...from rolls to the more exotic Edomae-zushi using such goodies as sea urchin (uni), tuna (maguro) and giant clam (mirugai). It also has photos in the instruction section to show you all the utensils appropriate for sushi-making to tips for shopping at the seafood market. Worth looking for if you are serious about making sushi at home!

 

[tbonez]

Certified sushi nut here. Do "it" several times a week. I eat a predominantly "raw diet" so sushi and sashimi is a big part of the protein component.

A couple of things I have learned about do-in-yourself sushi and sashimi: First off quality ingredients are critical. Fish MUST be FRESH. If it smells fishy, it isn't fresh enough. You need to have a good fish monger who specializes in sushi grade product...be prepared to pay for it. Fish from 'fish farms' is a no-no! Fish bred in farms tend to live in stagnant, crowded conditions and 'fish lice', parasites & worms are a HUGE problem.

About the dangers, they tend to be over-stated. You can get e-coli from spinach or beansprouts just as easily. (Actually, beansprouts are THE biggest source of e-coli poisoning in NA.) If you are concerned you can buy flash-frozen fish and that tends to eliminate much of the risk of biologicals.

As for technique, I thought mine was pretty good. My favourite 'sushi guy' let me show him what I could do and he laughed his ass off. The guys who do this professionally train for years in many cases and it's an artform...One I'm apparently far from mastering.

If raw fish elicits a gag reaction, you can try things like California rolls (Avocado and fake "crab"). As has been pointed out, much sushi contains no raw fish. I can honestly say I have never met anyone who didn't actually like good sushi once they got over their hang-ups and tried it...Most become converts.

 

[sushi_wonderland]

^ the mats are a must....you should sprinkle water on the mat and the seaweed paper so it does not stick to the mat...

I could eat sushi everyday...But I practically eat it at least three times per week at the moment.

oh, no, chance..... wetting the rolling mat and the seaweed paper will just make the two of them stick together..... you end up with a torn sushi.

 

[tbonez]

^^ Me butting in ^^

I keep mine in the cupboard. (As long as it's cool and dry.) The fridge can make it brittle.