Sushi Otaku

I had dinner with Mark Kurlansky last night, author of such amazing books as Cod, Salt, and The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell. Well, actually, that’s kind of a lie; I snacked while he spoke of his latest work, The Last Fish Tale. He came to the local Community Association in a small town in Connecticut to mingle, chat, and talk about his new book, and while I expected a packed venue, there ended up being about 40 of us attending. I’m sure it had to do with the town being somewhat off the beaten track, if he were to speak in his native New York City

I’m sure he would have packed the halls, but the atmosphere last night was quite causal and even intimate. He was animated and friendly, and eager to discuss anything we wanted, and as the night progressed, talk became more and more interesting.

What began with a reading from his new book turned into a Q&A session afterwards and an informal chat session later in the evening. After a few questions about his new book, and the city of Gloucester, the real protagonist, the topic quickly evolved into a long discussion about the plight of the creatures in our oceans. The toll that modern fishing techniques, equipment and attitudes are taking on the sea is astounding. I have written many times about the plight of the Bluefin Tuna, but many other species such as Cod, Swordfish, the Patagonian Toothfish (Chilean Sea Bass), and even many species of shark are all in gave danger of disappearing from the waters that once sustained them. Pollution, climate changes, and over fishing are all contributing on what seems to be a war against these creatures who are unable to protect themselves from man. It may make people think when many of our sushi items are no longer available, or are so overpriced as to be prohibitive, but the fear will set in when these foods are no longer available at all, and the reverberations are felt throughout our economies and lifestyle. Many lives depend on the sea, and not just those who fish.

Mr. Kurlansky raised a very interesting point last night. While many people have been calling for a boycott of various fish that are in extreme danger, this will punish all fishermen equally and not effectively solve the problem of groups that essentially fish with malice. In order to keep a fish population healthy, a complete ban is not necessary (or even possible), however a strong push towards sustainable fishing will ensure a species survival. Large trawlers will decimate a species, with collateral damage to others, and will quickly empty an area of life. Quotas can be based on incorrect data, or even ignored. Sustainable hook and line fishing, however, will actually ensure that a species won’t be over fished (you just can’t catch enough fish with that method to ruin the population), and will actually produce a better product. If you have ever seen a comparison of a fish caught in a trawler with a fish caught with a hook and line, you would want to eat the hooked fish without question, and you would gladly pay more for the privilege. It sounds easy, but the only way for sustainable fishing to become common practice is if consumers ask for it. Your fishmonger may not know if the fish he sells originates from one source or the other, but if enough people ask, he will start to ask his suppliers. The information will move through the supply chain, and if fishermen begin to realize that consumers will only buy fish caught by sustainable practices, it may start a positive chain of events.

It almost seems like taking a step back technologically, and it is. But it is the only way to preserve the oceans, and if you want to eat your tuna, or mackerel sushi in the future, it is the only way you can ensure it will happen. Seafood may become more expensive, but at least we’ll still have it.

I grew up on the water. If I wasn’t digging clams on the shore of the Atlantic, I was casting a line into a lake in the Eastern Townships of Quebec. I was fishing before could read, and from the beginning, when my cousin helped me put my first worm on a hook and I reeled in a smallmouth bass, I have always had a healthy respect for the fish that was to end up on my plate. As a youth, I never thought much about the plight of the fish that I landed. It was breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and there would be another one tomorrow. I am no longer a child, and have come to realize that I cannot any longer think that way. The only way to ensure the survival of the oceans diversity is to promote sustainable fishing. The easiest way to do this is to simply ask for it.

Meshi agare!
Warren
Sushi Otaku

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At times, the most minor difference can make a tremendous impact; something that may not seem obvious but leaves a tip of the tongue realization. A new restaurant has opened near me and has grown on me quite a bit, but it is easy to know why. It is a seemingly small difference, however it shows that the itamae has an understanding of sushi that is often lacking in many sushi-ya. A good sushi restaurant is made not just by the freshness or the fish, or the value of the offerings, but also the little things that illustrate the care and understanding of those who provide your meal.

Sushi has always been about more than how fresh the fish is, how it is presented, the attentiveness of the wait staff, etc. But often people miss out on the actual creation of the food items. I’m obsessed with food and tend to be nosy. I am not at all uncomfortable wandering over to the itamae to watch the food preparation and discuss technique. I stare, I study, and I ponder (and silently critique). But I’m friendly and at least so far, no one has shooed me away. One particular thing I have noticed is the preparation of maki (cut rolls). A smart restaurant will do it’s best to reduce waste without sacrificing quality. For this reason, it is a very common practice at Japanese restaurants to prepare blocks of maguro (tuna) for sushi and sashimi, and they scrape and chop the trimmings for use in certain rolls. No one really notices that this is the cast offs and remainders that are being used as they are often mixed with spicy mayonnaise or panko (crunchy Japanese bread crumbs) and rolled up. It makes sense to not waste the meat, and I do not begrudge anyone for doing this.

Here comes the “but.” For me, food is about more than taste and presentation. Food is also about texture. I enjoy the feel of different food items, and when I eat a roll, I enjoy the feel of the meat in the roll. I eat a fair quantity of hamachi (yellowtail). Hamachi maki finds its way onto my plate at almost every sushi meal, and more often that not, it has been macerated prior to inclusion in the roll. To me, it becomes one big mushy pile, no matter how nice it may taste. I greatly value the practice of cutting a piece of hamachi and leaving it intact in the roll, which provides definition and a sense of variety while I eat. There are times when I specifically ask the itamae to leave the fish whole in a roll, it is that important to me (ok, I’m more than just a wasabi snob). Without this contrast, I do not find maki nearly as interesting.

While I believe the practice of including the trimmings in rolls should continue, as it reduces waste, I appreciate the itamae who takes the extra step and realizes that the texture of the meal is as important as quality and presentation. With many sushi chefs having less and less formal training these days, I feel that this perspective is becoming lost. Sushi is more than food, it is art. It is not black and white photography; it is full color, vibrant and nuanced. I do not walk in to a Japanese restaurant and start issuing commands, I am a polite diner, and while I may make my wishes gently known, I can appreciate when a chef has the presence of mind to understand the importance of his work. It is a very small gesture, but one with great ramifications. At least, great ramifications for me.

Meshi agare!
Warren
Sushi Otaku

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Sushi has been a popular item in the west for a few decades now and as with anything that makes its way across cultures, it has readily changed to better match western palates. But unlike noodles and soybeans, sushi has not merely changed to fit our preferences; it has begun to shape how we view our foods in the west as well. Recently, I have seen what I believe to be the pinnacle of intrusion, the actual supplanting of traditional western food culture with an Eastern import, in an unlikely place. And due to this, sushi has become more than, or perhaps less than, just sushi, and I am not yet sure what this might mean. Allow me to elaborate…

I was at an Italian restaurant the other evening with friends, a rather upscale establishment started by a well-known celebrity chef (since New York needs more of these restaurants). Looking for great seafood and not having eaten there yet, it was a perfect choice to meet, and we were all eager to try it out. The menu was enticing, varied, and upon reflection, strange. The appetizer list had a section of raw fish, some ceviche style, and some purely raw, but some of the items were not listed by their Italian names (what I expected) nor their English names (what I also would have expected), but by their Japanese names. I ended up ordering hamachi sashimi in a somewhat upscale Italian restaurant, and it became one of many sushi items I had that evening. The fish was not sliced in the same manner as sushi would be, nor was it the same cut (portion) of the fish that is normally used to make sushi/sashimi. It was also not served in the manner of sushi or sashimi. Yet it was labeled as such. It was quite tasty, but I cannot fathom why they would list it as hamachi instead of yellowtail. It seemed odd to find an item referred to in the third party language without context in an Italian restaurant.

When Italian restaurants list items under their Japanese names, and sushi is available at 7-11 stores, I start to wonder what has changed. While there is certainly no rule that sushi and sashimi must remain in a Japanese restaurant, and that the terms be restricted to such use, it seems more than out of place to find such a dish, and the use of the terminology, in such surprising places. When something has become so pervasive that it can no longer be separated from its counterparts, I question one’s ability to define it. It dilutes the brand, and shows how pervasive it has become that it has jumped from exotic, to mainstream, and then possibly to boring. That said, there is nothing uninspiring about a lengthy and adventurous dinner at Sushi Yasuda in New York, yet still, perhaps, when a once exotic food has so ingrained itself in another culture it becomes something different entirely. Something that only in name retains its roots. What that thing is though is to me uncertain as becomes easy to lose the qualities that make it exotic fare.

We need the great traditional Japanese restaurants such as Sushi Yasuda, and the impressive sushi works of Nobu to keep the art and evolution of good sushi and sashimi ever present in our cultural palate. We need reminders that what to westerners is exotic fare can evolve and remain such, and hopefully there will be no need to lament what sushi has become. Some foods and cultures mix exceptionally well, such as the infusion of French culinary culture into traditional Vietnamese cooking. But a melange can only go so far before it leaves the realm of fusion and becomes pedestrian. My final feeling that we have reached the point of no return will be when I see, in the glass window next to the garish clown, a poster for the new McMaki with cheese.

Meshi agare!
Warren
The sushi guy

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Japan is a fascinating country. Steeped in tradition, yet quick to adopt new technologies and trends, Japanese culture is an interesting melange of the old and the new. That said, while they took the transistor from its western inventors and changed the world, some things I’m hearing don’t sound like progress to me. If you read my previous entry about declining Bluefin tuna stocks threatening the future of sushi dining, you would know that the tuna situation is close to dire. Not willing to give up without a fight, inventive Japanese sushi chefs have come up with a new item… get ready…Venison sushi. Yes, you heard right, Deer sushi. If you don’t believe me, check out this article in the New York Times (free subscription required to view).

I’m a foodie and always eager to try new things. I eat insects, jellyfish, and I happen to love venison (mmmmm… jerky). I love steak tartar. But I have to say that I have no interest in trying this. It’s like Tofurky, one food should not be trying to masquerade as another, it should be appreciated for its own merits. Maguro, toro, o-toro, all these tuna sushi items are prized for the innate qualities that make them unique. This cannot be duplicated with a four legged critter, it is an entirely different kind of food. Personally, the last thing I want is to be eating my tai, suzuki, sake, and then but a piece of raw deer in my mouth. It just doesn’t fit. Without getting into the difference between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscle tissue, suffice it to say that fish cannot be any further from deer, biologically speaking. While many don’t like to view their food as once thinking, I am just trying to point out that deer is not a pelagic beast and it can never replace one. It will have a different taste, and a different texture. I admire risk taking and adaptability, but some things just shouldn’t be. Maguro is not a rich, meaty food, and just because a piece of venison may somewhat, ever so slightly resemble a piece of maguro, it is not maguro and I think shouldn’t be used in its place.

There are many fish in the sea, if I may, and it is certainly a tragedy that our species feels the need to decimate other species for our own gain, but a simple hiatus on tuna fishing would help the situation greatly. We wouldn’t need to eat red meat to replace our tuna if we just took a break. A little while without toro won’t kill any of us.

The New York Times article concludes with a statement I never thought I would hear from a Japanese chef; “We can learn from American sushi chefs,” Mr. Yamagata said. Without Japanese culture being the way it is, sushi would never have achieved the artful grace unique to the dish. The last thing I want to see is a Big Mac Maki, and I’m sticking to my guns on this one.

Meshi Agare!
Warren
The Sushi Guy

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Every once in a while I read something about the restaurant business that makes me so incredibly happy that I am a regular at a few sushi places and trust them implicitly. I walk in, they know I am a regular and I am treated as such. There is a reason that I am a regular too, I trust their practices and I love their food. And most especially, they are nothing like Sushi World.

I don’t think it takes a brain surgeon to realize that making sushi in a place used for pigeons and cats is not a good idea. Especially when your customers are starting to suffer from food poisoning. I can only wonder why it took the Australian authorities so long to shut them down. Places like this are certainly not limited to Australia, and I have heard my share of horror stories about places in North America, but I’ve always associated Australia with fresh seafood (perhaps a stereotype, but at least a good one). I’ll have to get myself over there to test the waters, so to speak. And maintain my status as a ‘regular’ at my local places, so when I’m in the kitchen talking to the chefs, I can be sure that there are no critters present, be they furry or flying.

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And people ask if sushi is safe to eat! The FDA has issued a warning to consumers regarding monkfish, as, apparently the Hong Chang Corp. has imported potentially deadly puffer fish (fugu) into the US and labeled it ‘monkfish,’ While fugu is a well regarded (and potentially dangerous) sushi dish, if not prepared properly the tetrodotoxins it can contain may sicken or kill a person. Monkfish, of course, contains none of these toxins, so what a surprise this must be to anyone who eats the mislabeled fish. Especially since this ‘monkfish’ will be sold by your normal fishmonger, ready to be put in a pan and cooked up at home. Common food storage and preparation techniques do not destroy tetrodotoxins, so while cooking the fish may kill bacteria, if it is poisonous, you’re in for an unexpected treat. Even touching contaminated fish can be enough to seriously injure or kill a person.

Fugu is a unique dish, prepared only by licensed chefs who are skilled in preparing the fish for safe dining. Even so, Japan reports a number of deaths per year related to fugu consumption, so when the fish is sold to unknowing consumers, either accidentally or negligently, it creates a very dangerous situation. It feels like one more example of the dangers of not knowing where your food is coming from or who is in charge of ensuring its safety (currently there are a number of investigations into imports, such as the poisoned pet food from China, as well as possibly contaminated toothpaste).

But, people often ask is sushi safe? Generally speaking, it is as safe as any other food, when prepared properly (with the exception of certain specialties such as fugu). I don’t hear many people ask about the safety of our other foodstuffs, but are worried about that piece of tuna being served rare in a restaurant. If ignorance is bliss, there are going to be a lot of happy people in the hospital as this story continues to develop.

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This is a question I get asked a lot. I have always been pretty conservative in answering for a variety of reasons, mostly because there *are* risks to eating raw foods for anyone, especially during pregnancy, and since I am not a doctor, I don’t want my musings interpreted as medical advice. That said, there are also reasons why I think pregnant women might want to eat sushi.

Seafood is good for you. Seafood is great for developing babies. The fatty acids found in seafood (Omega-3 fatty acids) are pretty much a requirement for growing babies, which means that women who are pregnant or breastfeeding should be consuming omega-3 fatty acids. And we generally don’t get enough of them in our diet. A new study in the British journal Lancet found, after analyzing data from approximately 9,000 British mothers and their children over an eight-year period, that pregnant women who ate less than 12 ounces of seafood a week did not protect their children from adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes. Limiting seafood during pregnancy can actually be a detriment to the developing baby. The study found that limiting seafood actually increased the child’s risk of poor verbal IQ development compared with mothers who ate more than 12 ounces of seafood per week. Those children were also at greater risk of poor social development and poor motor control. Not getting enough of the proper nutrients is obviously quite a detriment to a developing child.

In North America, doctors often suggest that pregnant women refrain from eating sushi due to the risks of parasitic and bacterial contamination. The problem is not always that the particular item you are eating might be bad, but also one of cross contamination. Any contaminated food that is cut with the same knife which is then used for your item, or placed on the same surface as your California roll, will cause your item to become contaminated. My wife and I struggled with this issue during her pregnancies and found two solutions. She only ate the cooked items and the first solution was to simply ask the itamae to use a clean knife and a different surface to make her rolls than the others. We are regulars at our favorite restaurant and were comfortable asking him, and when told she was pregnant, he was happy to oblige our request. We ate sushi a lot during her pregnancies

Our second solution was to make sushi at home. This may seem a bit intimidating to some, but is surprisingly fun and easy. In fact, you can find detailed instructions to make sushi at home at my How to Make Sushi at Home section of The Sushi FAQ. If you are making the sushi yourself, you should have pretty good control over the sanitary conditions, but unless you are sure of the surface and knife used to make your food, you may not be any safer eating California roll in a restaurant than eating the raw tuna.

For those interested in eating sushi when pregnant, California rolls are an excellent choice, as are other cooked items such as unagi maki (eel rolls), and the various tempura rolls that are often offered (e.g. shrimp tempura roll). If you are making sushi at home, your options expand greatly and you can make any kind of roll you want, for example, cooking salmon and making you own cooked salmon and avocado rolls (quite good, especially when still warm). Use your imagination and there are a number of great sushi items to pick from. My only other advice for pregnant women would be to avoid the larger predatory fish, such as swordfish, shark, and tilefish, as some contaminants, such as mercury, concentrate as they move up the food chain. But with sensible decisions, the sushi world is your oyster.

Meshi agare!
Warren
The sushi guy

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Apparently the sushi police are on their way. With the popularity of sushi spreading worldwide, it should be no surprise that everyone and their brother wants to jump on the bandwagon. The problem is that now, it is as easy to find horrible food that is supposed to pass for sushi, being served by people who barely know what sushi is. On top of that, we see combinations in rolls that would mystify the Japanese, but may not seem so unusual locally. After a number of supposedly high profile incidents round the world involving ranking Japanese politicians, Japan has recently decided to begin to develop a system whereby the Japanese government will issue seals of approval to certify that the sushi and sake being served in a restaurant meets with the stringent requirements of the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture.

This ‘authentication plan’ is not a new concept, France has for a long time protected the names of various wine appellations and designations to protect its industry, and even cheese manufacturers worldwide have similar protections in place. While some claim that this smacks of Japanese nationalism, it remains to be seen whether this will really make any difference. While a fizzy California wine cannot be called “champagne,” plenty of bad “sparkling wine” is purchased every year by people to whom the designation does not matter. And many folks will still go to their favorite sushi restaurant and get their “Philadelphia roll” even if it is in no way even remotely a Japanese product.

While some of the more traditional sushi-ya may opt for the new designation, and perhaps even revel in it, ultimately, the dish has been adopted by many different cultures and will forever reflect the tastes and desires of these non-Japanese influences. While I can appreciate the desire to protect something that was so uniquely Japanese (sort of), this seems to me full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. I know what I like and I know what is and is not truly Japanese, and the two do not always meet. For those who don’t know the difference, I’m sure that they are perfectly happy eating what they eat. So bring on the sushi police and feel free to crack down on the places that may have unsafe practices, but don’t try to take away my spicy scallop roll. But if they would like to sit down with me, I’ll gladly pour them a glass of sake.

Meshi agare.
Warren
The sushi guy.

N.B. For an update to this story, please see my entry “Restaurant Certification 1, Sushi Police 0”

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Of course it had to happen. After last week’s ‘sushi pet peeves’ post I was at my favourite sushi-ya last night and there they were. I was sitting at the bar (the drink bar, not the sushi bar) waiting for my second take out order to be filled (long story) and staring hard at the bottle of Geikkeikan Black and Gold sake (my current favourite). As usual, I was eavesdropping on just about everyone’s conversation as I like to hear what other people have to say about the restaurant and the food. A group of three sat next to me and started talking about all sorts of stuff. Up came the question ‘do you like this place?” And his response… “I’ve never been here before. I don’t like fish so I don’t eat sushi.”
That was a real head scratcher for me. He’s come to a not inexpensive sushi-ya with a serious reputation for its high quality sushi. But I guess he figures he’s going to eat chicken teriyaki? OK, I’m not one to judge, but that’s one expensive place to come for chicken, which, in my opinion is the one food I’ll never order out. After all, it’s chicken and frankly no one can prepare it any better than you can at home. Obviously he was there with friends, who probably all ate sushi and were in for a good time. But it’s always funny to hear something like that in a sushi-ya. But when they were aeated I realized that he’s wasting a perfectly good seat at the sushi bar, where I should have been sitting, snacking, while waiting for my take out.

Warren
The sushi guy.

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I’ve been eating sushi for years and have always spoken to everyone I know on the topic ad naseum. Just for the heck of it I’ve created a list of sushi pet peeves that I’ve collected from what other folks say about their sushi experience as well as my own. These are not particular to any sushi-ya or region, but just general annoyances that one may experience when going out for sushi (of course many can be applied to any restaurant, but so what

So… Sushi pet peeves for potential perusal:

• A diner asking in a loud and braying voice what everything is, pointing and gesturing at the bar, at other people’s plates, etc…..
• People talking on their cell phones, especially at the close quarters of the sushi bar.
• Demanding attitudes or other disrespect of the itamae.
• Boorish manners (you can still be generally polite even if you don’t know everything about sushi etiquette).
• Loud TVs in the restaurant (sometimes a problem where they have regular bars in a restaurant).
• Loud, inappropriate music in the restaurant.
• Rolls that are sliced too large (mega-monster rolls). Once you’ve bitten into many of them, they fall apart.
• That one stray tobiko on my kappa maki (for those vegetarians).
• Maki that was made a while ago where the nori is now too chewy.
• Too much sugar in the sushi rice.
• When they don’t clean the rolling mats well and rolls end up covered with tobiko or masago (some folks don’t like them).
• People who go to a cheap sushi place and then complain about the quality or size of the sushi.
• People who go to places known for their sushi and get tempura or terakiyi or worse who complain when they only serve sushi and not other Japanese food.
• Sushi served at the wrong temp (when the rice is still warm it’s nasty).
• Sushi served late, I don’t like it sitting around. I would rather have things come when they are ready than when the order for the whole table is ready.
• People who complain that their favorite rolls aren’t at a particular Japanese place. If you really must have the rock n’roll or avocodo, spicy tuna and mayo bar-b-cue roll then ask nice and they may make it for you.
• People who think eating sushi is a great reason to do way too many sake bombs
• When someone at the next table points to your natto/uni etc and yells GROSS! Or really any other unnecessary comment.
• Friends who claim they like sushi, and then when you take them to a killer sushi place, they order teriyaki bento and tonkatsu.
• Restaurants that charge you extra money for the shrimp heads.
• Places that don’t serve the heads when you order ama ebi, even after specifically enquiring about it when placing the order.
• Ordering anything tempura and getting served something rolled in pako breadcrumbs and told it’s tempura
• Getting an unagi spine/bone stuck in my throat eating unagi
• When people don’t use proper etiquette for using ohashi…stabbing food, sticking it up in the rice…and especially using them as drumsticks.
• No *real* wasabi
• Sushi-ya that insist that you order through a waitress while seated at the bar.

Any other annoyances? Feel free to add your two cents!

Meshi Agare!
Warren
The sushi guy.

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