Sushi Otaku

Archive for the ‘General Information’ Category

If your desire for sushi is as strong as mine, but you are trying to keep costs down, recession friendly sushi isn’t that hard to find. While I could eat sushi every day, not only is it impractical, but I would quickly reduce my nest egg to a scramble. But I am usually able to satisfy my sushi craving and remain within my budget by observing a set of guidelines that I was prompted to share. Sushi is great food and a healthful treat, so there is no reason why a person should not be able to enjoy it on a regular basis. By keeping the following tips in mind, you should be able to enjoy it more often than you realize without breaking your budget.

1. Avoid the fancy house rolls
House rolls tend to be mixes of a lot of things, and the more items they pile on, the more expensive the item is. While one or two huge rolls may be filling, you will probably have a more nutritious and filling meal by ordering a few basic items, along with the satisfaction of variety. Often you are paying for the name of the roll rather than the food itself, and these rolls can be loaded with fillers such as panko (bread crumbs), sprouts, and other tasty yet valueless items. By ordering rolls or sushi/sashimi with items that you specifically want, not only will you spend less money, but you will get more of what you specifically want.

2. Order the sashimi platter
Fat and protein fill you up much better than carbohydrates (rice) so a nice filling meal can easily be made of the default sashimi platter, or a few choice pieces of sashimi. Restaurants will often have a sashimi platter that is a great value versus ordering sashimi items a la carte. One additional benefit of the platter is that you may end up trying items that you would never think to order and find that you enjoy them. And if you particularly dislike a certain type of fish, they will often make substitutions if you ask.

3. Drink tea with your meal
You might be tempted to try that great house wine, or the Momokowa Diamond sake, but green tea is usually offered for free, and goes well with sushi. It’s a great way to shave off a significant amount of cost from your overall bill, particularly for those who like to sip something other than water while dining. Green tea is quite good for you as well, so it’s a double benefit, you can keep to your budget and have a healthful and tasty treat too.

4. All You Can Eat
There are restaurants that offer “all you can eat” sushi buffets. They usually won’t not include the top of the line items (e.g. toro), but they will have plenty of the basics, and lots of them. I used to do this every Sunday morning at a local restaurant and always rolled away satisfied. By searching the Internet you can easily find many lists of these restaurants, so prepare yourself for a sushi feast without breaking the bank (“all you can eat” is often abbreviated “AYCE,” which may come in handy for those searches).

5. Eat more of the filler foods
Order a roll or a few pieces of sushi along with one of the many inexpensive items on the menu. Often for just a few dollars you can also have a bowl of rice, or edamame (steamed immature soybeans), soup, or some other simple yet filling food. A bowl of edamame and a salmon roll can make for a filling meal.

6. Make sushi at home
Easier said that done you may think, however making sushi at home is actually easier than you realize. While the initial learning curve may be steep, it is fun. Making sushi at home is significantly cheaper than going out to a restaurant, you would be amazed. I make sushi at home just about every month and the costs are in line with any other normal dinner expense. All you need is some sushi grade fish (I get mine from Catalina Offshore Products), and a decent guide to making sushi at home, which I have made.

Meshi agare!
Warren
Sushi Otaku

Where does sushi come from? This is a question with a number of answers, and while the obvious one is ‘from the sea’ a more thorough answer explores the markets through which our favorite food passes, if it makes the grade. Top quality sushi must come from high quality fish, processed and handled appropriately, chosen carefully at the point of sale, and transported to your local sushi-ya speedily. One weak link in this chain will result in a sub-par dining experience, a sushi meal that is so-so instead of satisfying. Few people stop to appreciate the complexity of finding the perfect fish, and getting it to the restaurant, ready for the rush of diners who expect the best.

In articles to come, I will explain the sushi supply chain in greater detail, but for now, I would like to highlight the end-all be-all of sushi sources, the largest wholesale market on Earth: the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, otherwise known as the Tsukiji Fish Market. Located in the district of Ch??-ku, Tokyo, the Tsukiji Fish Market facilitates the sale of over 2,800 tons of more than 450 types of seafood per day, almost 1/6^th of the world’s fish. The market is open every day except Sunday, with the day beginning at 3:00 am, ready for the rush. The auction houses inspect the fish that arrive daily, calculating the potential value, and preparing for the upcoming auctions. Licensed buyers are already present, having inspected the fish themselves, determining the ones they will be bidding on, and the auction begins at 5:30 am. Once complete at 7:00 am, the buyers ship out the fish they have purchased, or cart them over to one of the many processors who have set up shop on premises. It is an amazing sight to behold, literally tons of frozen fish being wheeled around the market, then being summarily cut into manageable pieces with giant band saws, while fresh (unfrozen) products are cut apart with giant knives (some of which are over a meter in length) called oroshi hocho (the largest at 150 cm) or hancho hocho (a shorter blade at 100 cm, which is also called maguro kiri). By 11:00 am the market has wound down for the day and is then cleaned at 1:00 pm.

The Tsukiji market is not just tuna, but has just about any product from the sea that you can imagine, from shrimp to seaweed. Creatures both living and processed can be found, and the bustle is immense. Guided tours are available, and visitors must obey strict rules when at the market to keep interruptions to a minimum. The auctions are no longer accessible to tours, but the rest of the market is available for exploration.

The Tsukiji Fish Market was established in the early 1600’s, as an “Uogashi,” or riverside fish market. The first Tokugawa shogun had invited fishermen from Tsukudajima, Osaka, to supply Edo castle with seafood in return for allowing them to fish the waters of the area. What was not supplied to the castle was then sold near the Nihonbashi Bridge. Over time, Nihonbashi Uogashi developed into a thriving market led by wholesale merchants licensed by the shogunate. Expanding in size and transaction volume, the market attracted secondary markets to the area, and the vegetable markets brought with them the tradition of auctioning foodstuffs, previously not done by fish sellers. By 1923 Tokyo (Edo’s new name) had a great number of markets which were all destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake. This led to the reconstruction of the three major markets in the region, Tokyo, Kanda, and Koto. The Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo is perhaps the most famous today, and has established a reputation of mythic proportions. It is a place where the most expensive fish in the world was sold, and perhaps the largest port of call for fish destined for the sushi markets of the Japan, and even North America. When I think of sushi, the Tsukiji fish market if one of the first things that comes to mind, as the bustle of the trade there has become synonymous with the delivery of the freshest food the sea has to offer.

Meshi agare!
Warren
Sushi Otaku

With Bluefin tuna stocks at what seem to be a critical point, Japan, with the help of Canada and a few other countries, has decided to reject a ban on Atlantic Bluefin Tuna fishing, which means that maguro may become a thing of the past. As stocks are down about 80% since the 1970s, and not allowing the stock to replenish could very well be the death knell for the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna.

Japan (and other countries) had been demanding that they would only recognize the sanctions of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) when it came to regulating international fisheries, rather than the United Nations. This meant that the impetus to ban trade in Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, organized by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), was rejected. While ICCAT has been the body which has set fishing quotas for the fish, it has for years set quotas well above what it’s scientists say are sustainable levels. It has therefore been viewed in many circles as largely ineffective at regulating stocks.

A press release from CITES offered a brief summary of what happened:
“Japan, Canada and several members States of the Arab league opposed the proposal arguing that regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs) as ICCAT [the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas] were best placed to tackle the decline of bluefin tuna stocks. They added that an Appendix I listing [which would ban trade in the species] would not stop the fishing of the species. After a passionate but relatively short debate, the representative of Libya requested to close the deliberations and go for a vote. Iceland called for a secret ballot. The amendment introduced by the European Union and Monaco’s proposal were defeated (20 votes in favor, 68 against, 30 abstentions) in the middle of much confusion about the voting procedures and mixed feelings of satisfaction and frustration from participants.”

Apparently there was not much debate before a vote was called, which ensured a quick resolution based on preconceived decisions.

While the hiatus from Atlantic Bluefin Tuna fishing still remains in effect, after this vote, fishing will resume again in May. We will have to wait and see what happens to Atlantic Bluefin Tuna stocks as fishing continues at these levels. There may be a day soon when maguro disappears from the menu. Only when this happens, it will be too late to save these fish.

Meshi Agare,
Warren
Sushi Otaku

As if the serving of endangered Bluefin Tuna were not enough, a Santa Monica, California restaurant called “The Hump” is alleged to have been serving whale as part of its omakase menu, according to the New York Times. They indicate activists surreptitiously filmed themselves being served what was tested to be Sei Whale, an endangered whale still fished in Japan and sold as “Kujira.” Serving marine mammals is illegal in the US, however the Japanese still fish and serve whale under the auspices of “scientific research.” In the US, however, this is a big no-no. There is no word as to what will happen if this is indeed true, however the law suggests up to a year in jail and a $20,000 fine for selling the flesh of marine mammals. Oops?

Whale offered at the Tsukiji fish market in Japan

Warren
Sushi Otaku

From sea to land to space, a fish will travel far to become sushi. Last week, the first hand rolled sushi in space was accomplished by Soichi Noguchi, of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. Donning a chef’s hat, Soichi pressed a floating ball of rice onto a small sheet of nori, added a piece of salmon, and entered the record books as the first itamae (sushi chef) aboard the International Space Station. Now I have yet another reason for wanting to visit the ISS.

Warren
Sushi Otaku

Sustainable sushi is a new movement driven by the need to balance our food supply with our insatiable demand for sushi. Due to the overfishing of some species, guides are now available to help consumers choose food items that will have less environmental impact. The sustainable sushi guides help consumers determine what fish are becoming endangered by overfishing and often list the fish by both the English name and the Japanese name. The pocket guides want people to ask if the sushi they are getting was caught or farmed, allowing them to make responsible decisions when dining.

The Environmental Defense Fund’s guide is slightly more focused on the health of the consumer as well as the health of the oceans. The Defense Fund also, for example, lists Bluefin Tuna as a no-no because overfishing has caused the population of the fish to drop 90% in 30 years. Other “pass on this” selections are; farmed arctic char, red snapper, freshwater eel and monkfish.

The idea is to get more sushi chefs and restaurants to become ocean friendly. Americans love sushi and normally do not think to ask about the types of fish being served or whether they are thriving or dwindling in the ocean waters. Four conservations groups have guides coming out but the Environmental Defense Fund is said to be more informational than the others because it also lists the health benefits of each fish. The ideal is for sushi restaurants to serve more locally produced fish and also to back off from those nearing endangerment. Most seafood restaurants are already on the same page but many feel the sushi industry is dragging their heels which is what prompted the guides.

Besides the guides there are now online pages (including the SushiFAQ Sustainable Sushi Guide) that help consumers to know which fish to steer away from and which are good to go. With more and more focus on the environment it was only a matter of time before this movement took off. Sustainable sushi is all about becoming more environmentally aware and ocean friendly.

The only problem with the guides is that the ecosystem and the conditions in the ocean are constantly changing. What is said to be a safe fish today may not be safe at all tomorrow. The guides promoters have set up websites to keep the public informed of any updates that come along and if any new fish wind up on the “do not eat” list. Currently, farmed salmon is an “eat all you want” fish and has the green light from all concerned. Bluefin Tuna seems to be in real trouble and people are being greatly encouraged not to eat it and to ask if the tuna at a sushi restaurant is actually Bluefin tuna.

There has been a boon in popularity for sushi and fish in general since it became known that fish contains Omega 3 fatty acids. Since then more people have begun eating fish and the oceans are now being converged on by more fishing boats. Our oceans are over fished and the population of many of the species is dwindling. So now that we have found a healthy food that we like (in general) we are told not to eat some of it.

While restaurants in general and seafood restaurants have been fairly quick to take up the hint and start serving ocean friendly fish, it seems to be the sushi restaurants that are doing the most balking. Probably due to the increase in popularity in fish since the health benefits of fish have been realized. It seems that even being environmentally aware, they would still do a great business. So they shouldn’t serve Bluefin tuna, how about Yellowfin? There are just too many other options to hold out on a list of fish that will be out of existence all together if they are not left to reproduce.

It has taken the world long enough to become environmentally aware and it stands to reason that if the consumer becomes aware, they are going to demand that the services they obtain and the products they consume are made by businesses that are also environmentally aware.

Future generations depend on the choices we make today. If we aren’t careful there may not be sushi as we know it for our children and their children. Unless we conserve the resources we have now, we will all suffer. If the Bluefin tuna and other species of fish were given time to recoup from their losses recovery is not out of the question. It is time that restaurants are made to understand the criticality of this issue. Educating yourself is the first step in helping address this situation.  We need to halt the over fishing of many species of fish and animals. There are many alternate choices the sushi industry can make as there are other types of fish that are just as good. We can all agree that sushi is delicious and worth saving. Let’s do what we can to make sure it can be enjoyed by future generations as well. Read our guide to sustainable sushi or find one of the many available find out what you should and should not order next time you go out for fish or sushi. It all begins with you.

Warren
Sushi Otaku

To westerners, the Japanese name for various sushi items can be difficult to remember, but worse even is when terms are used interchangeably or incorrectly. I thought it would be interesting to start a series on clarifying item names (in the vein of my White Tuna – Sushi Confusion piece of yore), providing some insight for sushi fans who may scratch their heads at times over terminology. Or even just for the curious. Someone was testing my knowledge the other day, firing off the Japanese names for various items from a list they had, and when they got to hirame I replied “Fluke.” Nothing odd about that, hirame is the Japanese term for fluke. But hirame was mislabeled on the sheet as being halibut. Apparently there is nothing odd about that as well, as it turns out that many sushi restaurants mislabel halibut as hirame.

To clear up some of this confusion, I have added to the sushi item profile section a combined entry on hirame (Fluke) and ohyo (Halibut) in order to help diners differentiate between the two fish. When two different species are served under the same name in a restaurant, it not only feels disrespectful to the consumer, but it adds to the existing confusion of interpreting foreign names for known fish, in an environment where people should feel comfortable while enjoying a meal.

Fluke (hirame) is a much smaller fish than the Halibut (ohyo). It will also have a firmer texture and will be presented differently due to its smaller size, often as paired, small fillets on top of each piece of rice (shari). Halibut (ohyo) is a much larger fish and is sliced and presented the way any other fish would be,  unlike its flat cousin, the Fluke. Seasonal factors come into play as well since fluke is best in the winter months, being less mushy. Of course, simply asking which particular fish is being served is the easiest way of determining what you are eating, however prior to ordering a person might not know what to expect without asking.

For westerners, just trying to remember the appropriate Japanese word for an item is difficult enough, but then trying to discern between all the different types of a fish, combined with mis-labeling, it is more than a little bit confusing. Hopefully now, though, you will know what you are getting when you ask for hirame. For a more detailed look at these two fish and greater insight into the nomenclature and contrast, please read the Hirame and Ohyo section of the sushi item profiles. A fish by any other name would taste so sweet…

Warren
Sushi Otaku

If there is one type of rice that best represents sushi and Japanese culinary arts, it is Koshihikari rice (often called “Koshi rice”). Koshihikari rice is considered a super-premium short grain rice that is unique in its characteristics, with a firmness, consistency, aroma, and a natural sweetness that is without peer in the rice world. Slightly off white, firm yet creamy, this low glycemic rice has attributes that make it perfect for sushi or general consumption, if one is so inclined. Along the same vein as Kobe or Wagyu beef, Koshihikari rice is a type carefully cultivated and milled in Japan, and was traditionally only grown and consumed there, and for a long time, Westerners were not privy to this Japanese luxury. Eventually, word of this incredible rice spread, and while Japan was happy to export milled Koshi rice to the rest of the world, grain that would germinate was kept from export, effectively prohibiting other countries from growing their own Koshihikari rice. In 2003, Japan began to certify Japanese Koshihikari rice with DNA testing, thus ensuring a compliant product marketed with JAS certification. The intent was to keep this rice a Japanese product; however we all know how well that strategy works with any commodity.

In time, this rice still managed to find its way to different parts of the world, and it is now grown in the United States. California and Tennessee are two states that have found success in cultivating Koshi rice, and even though it may not be grown in Japan, the American variety of rice manages to retain many of its qualities that make koshi rice such a unique product. Being grown locally, it is less expensive and more readily available than the Japanese variety.

In Japan, home cooked rice is consumed generally within a few months of processing. Most ‘new crop’ rice is used as is, but depending on the household and perhaps the intended dishes it is not be unusual to blend shinmai (new crop) with komai (old crop). Shinmai tends to be stickier because the rain grains still retain some moisture. This is ideal for serving rice alone. Komai tends to be less sticky because the rice has lost more moisture, and is ideal for dishes like Cha Han (Fried Rice) or Kare Raisu (curry rice) where a person might want each grain to not stick to its neighbor. Additionally, nearly all Sushi restaurants in Japan use komai or some kind of komai blend because as the rice grain dries and loses moisture it develops small hairline cracks on the surface. These cracks permit the Su (vinegar) to be absorbed better. Outside Japan, sushi-ya do not pay as much attention to the blending of rice, but in a country where sushi is relatively new, this has not been of much concern.

Koshi rice is to sushi rice as single malt scotch is to the scotch world. While many consumers may not be aware of, or even concerned with the difference, to those who place more emphasis on the nuances of their food, Koshi rice is a different game. While I personally use Japanese Koshi rice when making sushi at home and trying to impress my friends with my sushi making skills, I have recently had the opportunity to try Koshi rice made by a Tennessee grower, which I will review in another article. While I am a huge fan of the Japanese short grain variety of rice, I don’t intend to sound like a rice snob, and I am happy to eat a bowl of non-Koshi rice that I am served at a sushi-ya. That said, when I am home, crafting my own meal and taking the time to perfect it, I like to have the ultimate rice to make my meal complete.

Meshi agare!
Warren
Sushi Otaku

I just updated the sushi calories and nutritional information page, making it much cleaner with a tab interface. I added another table with nigiri sushi items as well, so no more back of the envelope calculations for you all. I have also added all the nutritional information I could find about Whole Foods sushi items, which I acquired from their outsourcer, Genji Express. If you are interested in this information, including weight watchers points for all items listed, head on over to that section of the FAQ.

Meshi agare,
Warren
Sushi Otaku

Eight pacific nations have just banned the fishing of Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna from their territorial waters, in what is one of the largest statements to protect the two species from destruction. The tuna fishing ban is being undertaken by all Parties to the Nauru Agreement (PNA), including the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu. These nations have now banned fishing in specific areas adjacent to their exclusive economic zones. With a $3 billion pacific fishing industry at stake, they have realized that a temporary ban, to allow stocks to recover, is the only way to save these fish. I can hear the price of tuna sashimi is going up already…

Not all tuna sashimi is Bluefin tuna. Japan is a major importer of Bigeye and Yellowfin tuna and in fact the wholesale price of Bigeye tuna is up 20% in the past three years, and the price of Yellowfin is up 30%, with no end in sight. This recent ban could easily cause prices to rise at an accelerated rate. Approximately 50% of the global tuna catch is from the Pacific Ocean and a majority of that is from the areas around the PNA. High fuel costs are also impacting the fishing industry, and it has gotten so bad it is now estimated that almost 30% of the long line fishing boats may suspend operations due to the prohibitive costs of remaining in operation. The only way to offset these rising costs is to raise the price of fish, which may end up being the saving grace for these fisheries. As prices increase, more sustainable types of fishing are better able to compete, which is a necessity if tuna stocks are to avoid collapse. Since modern fishing techniques were introduced in the 1950’s, the estimated global yellowfin tuna catch has increased from approximately 110,879 tonnes in 1950 to a peak of 1,436,602 tonnes in 2003. In 2006, that number had receded to 1,129,415 tonnes and has somewhat stabilized there for the time being. Without some conservation efforts, that number will continue to go down due to reduces numbers of fish in the ocean. And tuna are not the only fish in danger of over fishing. Ultimately, there is not simple solution to preserving these piscine communities, but with the push for sustainable fishing, acceptance that prices must go up, and the actions of people who avoid destructive fishing practices, we can ensure our supply of sushi and sashimi ingredients in the future.

<rant>I almost feel as though I’m turning this blog into an activist channel for the protection of endangered pelagic species. While I do not intend that to be the case, I do feel that it is important to raise this issue as it is important for anyone interested in seafood (and sushi/sashimi in particular) to be aware of these facts. I would be unhappy if my sushi dinners became a prohibitively expensive treat. Or a non-existent one. We need a greater impetus to ensure the survival of our aquatic fare, and the best way to achieve this is to be aware of what you eat, where it came from, and act accordingly. And it never hurts to ask questions.</rant>

Meshi agare!
Warren
Sushi Otaku