While many people may balk at the idea of taking an extended period of time in order to prepare their sushi properly, you can’t get around the fact that sushi is one of those foods that actually tastes better when it looks nice sitting on your sushi set. Eating is more than a taste-experience, allowing you to fully appreciate the five senses in all their glory. A beautiful, appetizing presentation is an essential part of the puzzle, so let’s go through a small list of things you can consider to make your sushi starter set really shine with some amazing food:
- Rice is all important to a good sushi, laying the flavorful and textural foundation for all of the delectable treats inside the roll. It is also used as a palette cleansing food, clearing the way for new tastes after something has already been consumed. Therefore, it’s in your interest to fill your sushi set with only the best-prepared rice that you can find and cook. Since sushi rice is very starchy, be sure to wash it many times in water before actually using it. After cooking, be sure to use only wooden implements (spoon and bowl) to transfer and store the rice while you prepare everything else. Also, cover the bowl with a damp cloth to prevent moisture loss from the rice. The last thing you want is to sit down to your sushi set and chomp down on dry rice!
- Nori is the seaweed wrap that keeps the contents of a sushi roll in place. This wrapping is vitally important but often overlooked. For best results, lightly toast the Nori for a couple of minutes in order to release the aroma from the seaweed. In addition to tasting great, a toasted nori wrap will be far less likely to stick to your sushi set, making it easier to eat from and clean.
- Rolling the sushi is an art-form in itself. However, as long as you don’t overstuff the Nori and leave yourself about a 1/2 inch of extra material for
best sealing, you should be fine. Once the materials are rolled up in the Nori, roll the result in some rice to add a starchy and delicious outer coating. This coating is both tasty and aesthetically pleasing, so be sure to use a sushi set that plays off the colors of the food. - Cutting and Presentation are the last important parts to preparing your sushi. Since the sushi rolls are going to be somewhat sticky, it pays to use the sharpest knife possible in order to cut down on any “sawing” through the roll. The more back and forth you have to do with the knife, the more chance there is to ruin the roll. After cutting, simply garnish to taste and prepare on your favorite Japanese sushi set.
I remember the first time that I was served this delicious appetizer in a Japanese restaurant. I was pretty confused as to how I was supposed to eat them, but I was very happy when I finally did! These pea pods are referred to as “Edamame,” and are generally served steamed with a light sprinkling of salt. Some sushi sets will come with a dish that is specifically meant to hold edamame that you’ve made at home. To eat the edamame, simply pop out each individual pea and eat it. The trickiest part (it’s not that hard) is removing the peas from the pod; if you’re not careful, you could send them flying all over the eatery. Therefore, it’s best to simply put one end of the pod in your mouth and pop each pea out with your teeth. Although this sounds like a really involved process, I can assure you that it’s very straightforward and the result is absolutely delicious.
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