Sushi Love Boat Kaisen

If you are new to Japanese foods, start your introduction to Japan cuisine with vegetable and fish rolls with a tempura dish. These foods are made with seafoods that have mild flavors and delicate aromas meant to be enjoyed with flavorful sauces.

More than seventy percent of Japan’s geography is mountainous, including the famous Mount Fuji. Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan and is also one of more than 200 active volcanoes that are present in the country!

Wonder how sushi chefs prepare the raw fish so it doesn’t make their customers sick. Because of their extensive training, sushi chefs can recognize certain attributes such as color, firmness, and smell to ensure meat that is parasite-free.

Did you know that sushi was developed from a method of preserving fresh fish? Raw fish was salted and pressed between layers of rice by a heavy stone, keeping it edible for months.

So what exactly is wasabi? It's an Asian plant that grows in rocky streams or riverbeds. Because wasabi is difficult to grow, most American sushi restaurants serve an imitation wasabi made from horseradish, mustard and green food coloring.

"Scattered" sushi or “chirashizushi” is a type of sushi that is served in a bowl of rice and covered with traditional Japanese toppings called "gu." Gu toppings, surprisingly, seldom contain fish but instead consist of fried tofu, eggs, and fresh vegetables.

Sushi was introduced to America after WWII, though it was mostly available in Japanese-American communities. It wasn’t until the 1970s, and the invention of the California Roll, that sushi’s popularity took off.

There are many different kinds of sushi. Chirashi is sort of like sashimi-style sushi. it is slices of sushi-grade fish over a bowl of vinagared sushi rice, as opposed to having plain rice on the side.

If you like tuna in your sushi roll, you're in good company. According to some industry estimates, more than 80 percent of the global bluefin tuna caught annually is used in sushi. Think spicy tuna roll. Yum.

While maki sushi, or sushi rolls, are the more popular variety in America, Nigiri sushi is the most popular variety in Japan.

Here’s an interesting fact you didn’t know: In Japan, people actually eat Miso soup at the end of their meal as opposed to the beginning to aid digestion.

The most popular and identifiable type of sushi served throughout Japan and in the United States is Maki sushi (rolled sushi). Although traditionally this is rolled with nori (seaweed) on the outside and sushi rice and fish on the inside, many variations have emerged.

Authentic wasabi is made from wasabia japonica root. The heat in wasabi comes from antimicrobial chemicals which pair perfectly with raw fish to make it safe to eat. Since authentic wasabi is so expensive, most of what we eat today is made from horseradish.

Sushi-grade fish that’s intended to be consumed raw must actually be frozen for 7 days first at -4 degrees Fahrenheit or flash frozen for 15 hours at -31 degrees.

In the world of sushi preparation, new chefs can be chastised for a number of improper preparation techniques. Such offenses include not slicing fish thin enough, under-cooking the rice and being too stingy with the wasabi.

Professional sushi chefs sharpen their knives every single day, kind of like a sushi samurai. In order for them to properly make sashimi, it is absolutely crucial that their knives be as sharp as possible.

Sushi is considered an artful dining experience that was once uniquely Japanese. It has now evolved to another level beyond the traditional Japanese methods. Western influences have given rise to new styles of sushi, such as California rolls and the many elaborate “fusion” creations now available.

Although rice may seem like the simplest part of a sushi roll or piece of nigiri, the proper preparation of sushi rice isn’t so easy. Sushi chefs spend many years learning to cook and prepare the rice to the perfect, slightly sticky consistency.

Did you know that in America, all seafood used in sushi is required by law to be frozen prior to de-thawing and eating? This is mandated by the FDA to help kill off bacteria.

Do you like your sushi in fancy shapes with a bigger portion per serving? If so, temaki sushi may be perfect for you. It's a western take on classic sushi that's cone-shaped. It has an attractive nori wrapping that makes the sushi vegetables look like a presentation bouquet.

Not sure what to order in a sushi restaurant? If you’re an adventurous eater, feel free to ask for the chef’s recommendation. This can be a great way to discover new favorites that you wouldn’t have ordered otherwise, and the chef gets to show off his skills.

Modern sushi first started to show up in the 1600s. That's when Matsumoto Yoshiichi started seasoning his rice with rice vinegar in Edo (Tokyo). This became a hit, since sushi could be eaten immediately instead of waiting months for fish to flavor the rice.

If you want a unique sushi experience, try ordering 'omakase.' Translated as "I leave it up to you," omakase means that it is up to the chef to impress you with by preparing a custom meal just for you.

When sitting at a sushi bar, only the sushi itself should be ordered from the chef. Kitchen items such as soup, drinks, appetizers, and other dishes, should instead be ordered from the waitress.

Clean dish well and fast
Keep clean restaurant

In Japanese sushi tradition, it's considered rude to bite into a piece of food and then replace the other half on your plate. Rather, the entire thing should be eaten at once. Leaving food of any kind is considered improper - particularly the rice.

The variety of sushi ingredients in modern sushi bars is endless. Branching out from traditional fish dishes, sushi can now accommodate vegetarian and vegan diets. One thing for sure is that sushi is a healthy option, being low in fat, high in protein and rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Inari sushi is a fried tofu pouch that is full of sushi rice. Abura aged tofu is thinly cut, deep fried, and then deep fried a second time. Inari sushi is both sweet and salty, as it is flavored with dashi, soy sauce, and sugar.

Fluke is a type of flatfish which can have a sweet taste. It is an excellent source of Vitamins B12 and B6, plus it contains high amounts of selenium and potassium. Fresh fluke is a delicious seafood to use for Nigiri or Sashimi Japanese dishes.

A common ingredient in sushi is raw fish, but cooked meats and seafood are often used, too. Here are some delicious sushi ingredients you may not have tried: prosciutto, hamburger, Spam (a Hawaiian favorite), liver pate, shrimp, and crab.