Sushi


Sushi:

Sushi is a traditional dish in Japan. It is made from raw fish which is surrounded by rice and wrapped in seaweed.

History:

The origin of sushi can be traced back to the 4th century BC in Southeast Asia. Rice was used to help preserve the fish (The clean and gutted fish were placed in rice, which because of its natural fermentation was a good way to keep and store fish for a long period of time). After a few months of storage it was taken out and only the fish was eaten.

Sushi was first introduced to Japan in the 8th century AD. Ever since this time sushi has been a popular dish in Japanese Cuisine. It was the Japanese who created a way to eat not only the fish but the rice as well. This dish was unique to the Japanese culture. Today, many different kinds of sushi have been created. Instead of rice being used to ferment and preserve the fish, it is now combined with other vegetables and dried preserved food to form many different kinds of sushi. However the original sushi (made from raw fish, surrounded by rice and wrapped in seaweed) will always have a place in the heart of the Japanese. Below in a recipe that uses raw tuna to flavor the sushi.

Recipe


Ingredients:
4 cups sushi rice
4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
4 ounces raw tuna (sashimi)

Note: Tuna can be substituted for many other kinds of raw fish, and even flavored with vegetables and other dried food.


Directions:
1-Cut the tuna into thin and long sticks.

2-Put a nori sheet on top of a bamboo mat (makisu) and spread the sushi rice on top of the nori sheet.

3-Place the tuna (or other choice of filling) lengthwise on the rice.

4-Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi.

5-Cut the rolled sushi into bite-sized pieces.

This recipe makes 4 rolls