Sushi 101

[Pea-n-Me]

Have always wanted to try sushi but was a little squeamish about it.

Finally tried some tonight but really had no clue what to order. The server helped me - I got marinated vegetable tempura maki, plain, and spicy with tuna. It was good, but I'll admit I liked the plain better than the tuna.

So, will some of you sushi veterans help those of us uninitiated figure out what the best sushi is to try, and why?

 

[Master Mason]

I like the cooked shrimp, cooked eel, salmon, tuna, and several of the different rolls. The abalonie is fanstastic as well, but is pretty hard to find anymore.

 

[emer95]

I don't eat seafood at all, or meat, but I LOVE sushi! I know, the kind I eat isn't "technically" Sushi, it's a garden roll. I love the cucumber avacado roll. Mmmm... my mouth is watering for soy sauce and wasabi.

 

[sha_lyn]

DS finally got DH to try sushi when we went to eat where DS works.
There they have something called the NY roll. DH really liked it.
I will eat anything but DH doesn't like raw fish, a real fishy taste or the taste of the seaweed.

My fav is seared Tuna. Other favs are snow crab roll, spicy tuna, fresh water eel, dragon roll (usually it is either California roll or tuna roll with eel on the outside)
submarine roll. the one where DS works is a tempura fried roll. Can't remember but I think it is a California roll.

DD loves any roll with cream cheese. A bagel roll is pretty good. It is salmon and cream cheese

 

[paintnolish]

I need advice, too. I recently got a prepackaged sushi thing from the grocery store (for shame, lucky I didn't get food poisoning). I don't know what I ate, but it was good!

 

[Pea-n-Me]

OK, a couple of questions from these posts.

1) I didn't know you could get cooked fish/seafood sushi.

and

2) what is wasabi? The server mentioned it but all I had was soy sauce.

 

[Master Mason]

OK, a couple of questions from these posts.

1) I didn't know you could get cooked fish/seafood sushi.

and

2) what is wasabi? The server mentioned it but all I had was soy sauce.

Yes you can get cooked ones. Sashimi is always raw, but sushi doesn't have to be. Shrimp, eel, crab are the most common cooked ones I believe.

Wasabi is Japanese horseradish, it is usually a green paste that you mix with the soy sauce, you need to be careful as it will clean out your sinuses if you're not used to it.

 

[christineann]

Wasabi is the very spicy-hot sauce served with sushi. Awesome stuff!

 

[Laura]

OK, a couple of questions from these posts.

1) I didn't know you could get cooked fish/seafood sushi.

and

2) what is wasabi? The server mentioned it but all I had was soy sauce.

The word sushi actually refers to the rice; it's a very specific kind of rice made a certain way to stick together the way it does. Sashimi is just raw fish. I love sushi, and I'm a vegetarian. Avocado and tempura sweet potato are great in sushi. Many sushi newbies who eat seafood often like the California roll, which has crab in it.

Wasabi is a kind of Japanese horseradish. You likely just got it put in your sushi, it's not always on the side. If it is, beware--very hot! But it's gone in a flash if you get too much. It's supposed to be good for your teeth, killing bacteria in your mouth!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wasabi

 

[sha_lyn]

I've had a cooked salmon one in the past, back before I was brave enough to try the raw. It is really good, but now I prefer the raw.

 

[agentpleakley]

I like the barbecued eel. California roll is good for beginners. I also just tried a cajun roll - which was very very filling - but pretty good -- had crawfish.


My problem is I never know what to order.

 

[sha_lyn]

I like the barbecued eel. California roll is good for beginners. I also just tried a cajun roll - which was very very filling - but pretty good -- had crawfish.


My problem is I never know what to order.

If you are adventurous just tell them to surprise you LOL.
The sushi chef sent over something for DH's birthday that was really good. Don't know if he was trying out ideas for a future menu, or what.
It had several raw and cooked seafoods, spring mix lettuces and several sauces. I believe it had the orange roe on it too.


oh and someone mentioned supermarket sushi. Hey I really like the sushi from Publix and whole foods.
Publix has a Hawaii roll that is really good. Tuna, avocado, spicy mayo, roe...I think that is everything

 

[Tinijocaro]

I don't eat seafood at all, or meat, but I LOVE sushi! I know, the kind I eat isn't "technically" Sushi, it's a garden roll. I love the cucumber avacado roll. Mmmm... my mouth is watering for soy sauce and wasabi.

Yes- you were eating sushi. Anything rolled in seaweed with vinegered rice is sushi. Sometimes it involves raw fish, sometimes not. Sashimi is slices of raw fish with the rice.

 

[Laura]

Yes- you were eating sushi. Anything rolled in seaweed with vinegered rice is sushi. Sometimes it involves raw fish, sometimes not. Sashimi is slices of raw fish with the rice.

Sashimi doesn't come with rice, it comes with a dipping sauce. What you're describing is more like nigiri sushi, the type that's in your avatar and also isn't always raw (like the tamago on the top right). Sushi isn't just rolls.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I did spot some nice shrimp at the sushi bar and saw scallops on the menu, too. I like them so maybe next time I'll order something that has them in it, cooked/seared.

I also like the sound of the California roll, and maybe the Cajun roll, too.

Another question - are people choosy about where they eat their sushi?

 

[Laura]

Another question - are people choosy about where they eat their sushi?

Yes, some folks are VERY choosy. It's not such a big deal for me, since I don't eat sushi with raw fish, but for those who do it's a big deal. Freshness and quality of the fish is very important to them.

 

[bean]

My husband and I love sushi and usually go to a nice sushi restaurant near our house for our date nights. We usually have edemamme as an appetizer and then a seaweed salad. Nigiri sushi is usually served in pairs and is the type of sushi with a formed piece of rice with a piece of fish on top. Maki sushi is sushi in a roll. They usually come in 6 to 8 pieces although you can sometimes get a large hand roll. Restaurants often have special rolls that they create and can tell you what the ingredients are. Some common and favorite rolls are spicy tuna, spicy salmon, crunchy roll, shrimp tempura roll, dragon roll, and philly roll. Yummy yummy now I'm hungry!

 

[sha_lyn]

I would say check the health dpt score and frequent a place that is busy. The busier they are, the more likely it is that everything is fresh.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Thanks for all the info! I'm looking forward to trying some more now.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I am more of a sushi newbie too but I love fish and trying stuff out.

Wasabi is a spicy hot dry green mustard ball. Reminds me of the "spicy mustard" packet that you get in a Japanese/Chinese restaurant.

I don't know the names but just try stuff out.