Posts Tagged ‘aesthetics’

Pairing Your Sushi Set With Great Food: Preparing the Sushi


March 1st, 2010

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:

  1. 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!
  2. 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.
  3. 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 Sushi Setsbest 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.
  4. 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.

Shopping For A Sushi Set


March 1st, 2010

There are plenty of issues that come up when looking for a sushi set, many of which might not spring immediately to mind.  Not every set is created for the same purpose or audience:  One Japanese sushi set might be better suited to someone who is new to sushi in general, while other sushi sets are tailor-made for more experienced people who are looking for subtlety and high grade materials.  Both approaches are complete and valid and depend highly on the experience level of the person who will eventually own the set.

So what kinds of things should you be considering when purchasing?  Here are a few of the most important factors:

Japanese Sushi SetNumber of Pieces

This factor really comes into play when you consider how much separation you like between the different types of sushi (and other food items) being served.  The more separate plates that you have, the more separation you can achieve.  While this may seem like a purely aesthetic concern, do consider the fact that you may want to share your sushi with friends or family.  More plates will mean a better ability to pass the food around to a larger number of people.

Physical Features of the Plates

This is one that trips a lot of people up, but there’s no need to stress about it.  Simply consider whether you are going to want sushi set plates that have curved or up-turned edges:  Would this feature better suit your sushi eating style?  The answer is going to be different for everyone.  For instance, one might like to park a little bit of ginger or wasabi on the up-turned curve of the plate for more efficient placement on each sushi roll.  Other people will simply prefer a straightforward plate design that allows each food item to sit on a flat surface without toppling over or mixing in with everything else.

Design

Color and texture are absolutely essential to a great sushi experience, so give careful consideration to what will best spark your imagination and hunger.  Some people will invariably go for the stark white minimalist sushi plate, a style that has been steadily gaining in popularity for years now.  On the other hand, there are plenty of beautiful sushi sets that feature dark plates with striking lines of bold color that flow throughout, almost drawing a map on the plate which will guide you through the sushi eating experience.

Price

If you’re not absolutely sure about how dedicated you are going to be to the world of sushi, why not start with a smaller investment?  This will allow you to ease into this wonderful food experience without having to worry about dropping a bunch of money on something that may not be well-suited to your dietary needs a few months down the line.  My best advice is to buy something that is made out of high quality materials, but don’t worry about too many fancy aesthetic features until you’re totally comfortable with making sushi a regular part of your diet.