“I’ll just order sushi from Japan”- from the song Jackie Chan.
How do we could order sushi from Japan? It could be impossible, but if we think it now to order some sushi has become much more easier than to buy something from the net or a simple pizza near our house.
So: SUSHI IS THE NEW PIZZA?
Who could have ever imagined that a few salmon from Norway and a little of rice would have been all the fashion so much to overcome dishes from ancient traditions?
“SUSHI IS THE NEW PIZZA”. But is it true to define sushi the new pizza?
To make sushi is an ancient art, as to make pizza or Italian pasta.
So why does it seem that sushi has been overcoming the traditional granny’s tomato sauce pasta?
Sushi could be considered a new trend that is catching on among young people and adults, or simply among those who need innovations.
Or why not it could be considered a good healthy alternative to all the junk food we are used to eat.
The purist or who in addition prefers to eat healthy, perhaps due to a diet they are following to stay fit or for the gym, the should assume fish at least 3 times a week in a regular diet, because it is said that fish helps our “memory” and brain and helps our cerebral cortex with its active principles.
From here: sushi as a valid alternative to junk food or fried dishes that children like a lot.
There are many people, including me, that are horrified when they see a dish of fried potatoes or fried chicken because they think it could be dangerous for their health or worse it could get fat.
Let’s see the history of sushi..
Sushi originates in a Southeast Asian dish, known today as narezushi (馴れ寿司, 熟寿司 – "salted fish"), stored in fermented rice for possibly months at a time. The lacto-fermentation of the rice prevented the fish from spoiling;[1] the rice would be discarded before consumption of the fish.[2] This early type of sushi became an important source of protein for its Japanese consumers. The term sushi comes from an antiquated grammatical form no longer used in other contexts, and literally means "sour-tasting"; the overall dish has a sour and umami or savoury taste.[3] Narezushi still exists as a regional specialty, notably as funa-zushi from Shiga Prefecture.[4]
Vinegar began to be added to the preparation of narezushi in the Muromachi period (1336–1573) for the sake of enhancing both taste and preservation. In addition to increasing the sourness of the rice, the vinegar significantly increased the dish's longevity, causing the fermentation process to be shortened and eventually abandoned. The primitive sushi would be further developed in Osaka, where over several centuries it became oshi-zushi or "hako-zushi"; in this preparation, the seafood and rice were pressed into shape with wooden (typically bamboo) molds.
It was not until the Edo period (1603-1868) that fresh fish was served over vinegared rice. The particular style of today's nigirizushi became popular in Edo(contemporary Tokyo) in the 1820s or 1830s. One common story of nigirizushi's origins is of the chef Hanaya Yohei (1799-1858), who invented or perfected the technique in 1824 at his shop in Ryōgoku.[4] The dish was originally termed Edomae zushi as it used freshly caught fish from the Edo-mae (Edo or Tokyo Bay); the term Edomae nigirizushi is still used today as a by-word for quality sushi, regardless of its ingredients' origins.[5][6]
So: if sushi is a dish that was born more than 2000 years ago: my question is : by who or what it owes its success to be an international dishes?
Why people prefer to eat sushi rather than a good handcraft and homemade pizza?
Obviously world is divided into those who think that pizza is something sacred linked to their origins and traditions( here I quote the Neapolitans) and those who go against the current and eat sushi even with passion.
But could we trust in sushi?
We should pay attention where we eat it and what we eat.
Here there are some rules to understand if the sushi bar offers you a good sushi:
- Checking if the fish is well exposed and stored in a fresh place;
- Checking if you don’t smell the typical fishy scent
- Checking if the sushiman washes his hands after every operation;
- Checking if sashimi can be cut with sticks: if yes ,the fish is good!
Of course nobody obliges you to eat sushi as dish in alternative of other dishes: my suggestion is to learn to inform about what we eat without judging it!
