Sushi Otaku

Japan is a fascinating country. Steeped in tradition, yet quick to adopt new technologies and trends, Japanese culture is an interesting melange of the old and the new. That said, while they took the transistor from its western inventors and changed the world, some things I’m hearing don’t sound like progress to me. If you read my previous entry about declining Bluefin tuna stocks threatening the future of sushi dining, you would know that the tuna situation is close to dire. Not willing to give up without a fight, inventive Japanese sushi chefs have come up with a new item… get ready…Venison sushi. Yes, you heard right, Deer sushi. If you don’t believe me, check out this article in the New York Times (free subscription required to view).

I’m a foodie and always eager to try new things. I eat insects, jellyfish, and I happen to love venison (mmmmm… jerky). I love steak tartar. But I have to say that I have no interest in trying this. It’s like Tofurky, one food should not be trying to masquerade as another, it should be appreciated for its own merits. Maguro, toro, o-toro, all these tuna sushi items are prized for the innate qualities that make them unique. This cannot be duplicated with a four legged critter, it is an entirely different kind of food. Personally, the last thing I want is to be eating my tai, suzuki, sake, and then but a piece of raw deer in my mouth. It just doesn’t fit. Without getting into the difference between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle tissue, suffice it to say that fish cannot be any further from deer, biologically speaking. While many don’t like to view their food as once thinking, I am just trying to point out that deer is not a pelagic beast and it can never replace one. It will have a different taste, and a different texture. I admire risk taking and adaptability, but some things just shouldn’t be. Maguro is not a rich, meaty food, and just because a piece of venison may somewhat, ever so slightly resemble a piece of maguro, it is not maguro and I think shouldn’t be used in its place.

There are many fish in the sea, if I may, and it is certainly a tragedy that our species feels the need to decimate other species for our own gain, but a simple hiatus on tuna fishing would help the situation greatly. We wouldn’t need to eat red meat to replace our tuna if we just took a break. A little while without toro won’t kill any of us.

The New York Times article concludes with a statement I never thought I would hear from a Japanese chef; “We can learn from American sushi chefs,” Mr. Yamagata said. Without Japanese culture being the way it is, sushi would never have achieved the artful grace unique to the dish. The last thing I want to see is a Big Mac Maki, and I’m sticking to my guns on this one.

Meshi Agare!
Warren
The Sushi Guy

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