A Taste of Japan: Sushi Time!

Sushi, which means snack and rice doesn't contain any raw fish like many believe. In Japan, sushi is an old time favorite that combines raw fish and vinegared rice. Fish was later added to sushi during the 7th century when China introduced raw fish. Raw fish was used in fermentation with salt to preserve it longer and then eaten with rice. There are many different kinds of sushi: Nigari-zushi (a ball of rice added with wasabi and some kind of fish), Maki-zushi (sushi rolls wrapped seaweed), Inari-zushi (deep-fried tofu pouches stuffed with rice), and Chirashi-zushi (rice with mixed vegetables and fish). Most people usually dip their sushi with soy sauce, wasabi, or pickled ginger, that is suppose to help your palate. Sushi is a very nutritious food that has everything needed for a healthy diet such as omega 3 fatty acids, carbs, iodine, and vitamins. It's also very low in fat, with 7-9 pieces of sushi equaling 400 calories, but you still should eat sushi in moderation. Today, the making of sushi has evolved into an art form, with many chefs adding their own creative techniques. Sushi always begins with making the rice, where you should only use short-grain white rice that you can buy in any local Asian store. The rice should be at least a month old to make it easier to absorb the water and vinegar. Then when adding raw fish, always make sure the color of the fish is bright and has no strong smell. Most importantly, clean your cooking utensils and hands thoroughly. Here's a recipe to make delicious smoked salmon sushi rolls (you will need a bamboo mat or you can use a pastry sheet to roll the sushi):

Ingredients

2 cups of rice
6 tablespoons of rice wine vinegar
6 sheets of nori (seaweed)
1 avocado-peeled, pitted, and sliced
1 cucumber-peeled and sliced
8 ounces of smoked salmon, cut into long strips
(you can substitute with different fish or vegetable)
2 tablespoons of wasabi paste (optional)

Soak rice for 4 hours.
Drain rice and cook in a rice cooker with 2 cups of water.
Rice must be slightly dry as vinegar will be added later.
Immediately after rice is cooked, mix in 6 tablespoons rice vinegar to the hot rice.
(tip: you can also add 2 teaspoons of brown sugar in the rice vinegar to add extra flavor)
Spread rice on a plate until completely cool.
Place 1 sheet of seaweed on bamboo mat, press a thin layer of cool rice on the seaweed.
Leave at least 1/2 inch top and bottom edge of the seaweed uncovered.
This is for easier sealing later.
Dot some wasabi on the rice.
Arrange cucumber, avocado and smoked salmon to the rice.
Position them about 1 inch away from the bottom edge of the seaweed.
Slightly wet the top edge of the seaweed.
Roll from bottom to the top edge with the help of the bamboo mat tightly.
Cut roll into 8 equal pieces and serve.
Repeat for other rolls and enjoy your sushi!


source: http://allrecipes.com/Cook/10923420/Profile.aspx



other sources: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Smoked-Salmon-Sushi-Roll/Detail.aspx,
http://www.eat-japan.com/sushi_perfect/sushi_perfect.html