THE STORY of SUSHI

 

Authour : Trevor Corson

Publisher : Harper Collins (under the name The Zen of Fish), Year 2007; Harper Perennial, Year 2008; Pages 372

 

Review by Indra Mani Lal

Extracts :

( ) Japanese knives are among the sharpest in the world, made from laminated high-carbon steel. The blade holds a sharper edge than western knives, and are beveled on only one side, instead of on both sides, like a western knife. Zoron told the class they would have to sharpen their knives by hand – every day. The high-carbon blade allows for a very sharp edge, but the edge is more fragile, and the metal rusts easily, so require daily care.

( ) Dashi’s role in sushi making goes unnoticed, particularly in the USA. Most Americans think they are supposed to dunk all their sushi in soy sauce. But full-strength soy sauce overpowers the delicate flavours of raw fish. A good sushi chef adds all the flavouring the sushi needs before he hands it to the customer. He mixes his own sauce and uses it behind the sushi bar. This sauce is called nikri. Each chef has his own secret formula.

( )   Like the robots that build cars in the factories of Toyota and Honda, sushi-making robots have become commonplace in Japan, at mass-market sushi establishments. In Europe, owners of conveyor-belt sushi restaurants have been known to install elaborate stainless-steel sushi robots in plain view, where customers admire their high-tech wizardry. But in the USA, sushi robots are a well kept secret. Most restaurants owners keep them out of sight, and use them for take-out and delivery orders.

( ) In early 1800, hand-squeezed sushi called nigiru was the hot new trend, chefs squeezing each square piece of fermented rice by hand as it was ordered. Toppings were various kinds of fish, eel, clam etc. Gradually marinated tuna started taking its place. It became popular with the samurai and with the theater goers.

(  ) The stores prepared sushi to go or delivered it to the customer at his home or business. When it was packed to go, they separated the nigri with decorative bamboo leaves. The leaves prevented the flavours from contaminating each other and added a mild antibacterial function. For their customers who were aristocrats, they even carved the family crest from a bamboo leaf and used it to decorate the sushi. The green pieces of decorative plastic that are still served with takeout sushi are a carryover from these early practices.

( ) Apart from preparing rice, a true sushi chef’s most crucial skills involve converting each creature of the sea into a useful piece of neta, ready to be cut into small slices for nigri. The process often starts early in the morning with a chef’s purchases at the fish markets and continues during the afternoon in the kitchen. By the time the customer shows up for dinner, the chef has already been hard at work for many hours. The chef saves the final slicing of small pieces for nigri until the last minute, when the customer places an order. That way, the meat will spend only a short time exposed to the degrading effects of oxygen.

( ) When Howard Dean was running for president in 2004, a conservative political group attacked him in the Iowa primary by referring to his campaign as a “latte-drinking, sushi-eating, Hollywood-loving … freak show.” The funny thing was, Starbucks Coffee and Blockbuster Video were opening locations one after another, and sushi bars were popping up, too. Teenagers were ordering so many rolls that the chefs can’t keep up.

( ) If customers who ate sashimi had any idea of the work that went into preparing the garnish alone, they would never leave the shreds of radish on their plate. In fact, chefs serve radish with sashimi for a good reason, and it is meant to be eaten. The same chemicals that give radish its spicy taste also help inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria.

=======

My Take : The author has done first hand reporting of events he has seen, where all activities and happenings are real. A knowledgeable, entertaining narrative with sushi history,  tid-bits of sushi making, both in Japan and USA; along with  sushi restaurants, sushi eating and student chefs becoming experts in making sushi. Interesting to know the history and background of an item, which people are fond of eating. In short a Documented nonfiction book.

=======

Subject Type – Culture and history of a popular food item

Narrative Style – Excellent

Readability – Excellent

Maintaining Readers Interest – Excellent

====

Available on Amazon at the time of posting the blog

Available on Flipkart at the time of posting the blog

====

Check current availability and  price , which would change with time