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The Art of Sushi Making - Itamae Guide

9 September 2019

Many of us have been made to believe that sushi is less than what it actually is. It isn’t just rice rolled into a ball, with some tuna stuffed in it and then wrapped in some seaweed. And it certainly isn’t cucumber and crab wrapped in rice that is served in plastic containers. There is an art to proper, good-quality sushi, and we decided to take a closer look into this.

The Art of Sushi

To become a master in sushi, it can take many years, and this is due to its complexity in preparation and presentation. There are two primary forms of sushi, Maki and Nigiri. Maki is the style of sushi that is most recognised in western culture. It is formed by using pressed seaweed paper called ‘nori’, then adding the desired ingredients to the centre of the strip, rolling it into a log to then cutting it into bite-size pieces. Whereas, Nigiri is a far more delicate technique. When looking at Nigiri sushi, it appears rather straightforward; however, mastering the technique can take a few years! To prepare nigiri style sushi, you first start with a rectangular lump of sushi rice, which you can then press with a secondary ingredient, such as wasabi. You then top it off with your chosen topping; most traditional forms use raw fish, such as salmon, eel or octopus.

What is an Itamae?

Itamae can be translated into English to mean “in front of the board”. An Itamae is a sushi chef who stands in front of the chopping board. The Itamae is head of the sushi kitchen and is in charge of all the sushi preparation and presentation. Often, in a more traditional style Japanese restaurant, the Itamae is also responsible for entertaining their guests and calculating the bill at the end of the meal.

If you would like to attempt your own sushi at home, take a look at our online supermarket for Japanese food in the UK . Best of luck with your sushi and be sure to share with us your creation via our social media channels!

Please include attribution to www.orientalmart.co.uk with this graphic.

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