International Sushi Day: an overview of this piece of joy

By a staff reporter: It really is absolutely one of the biggest trends in the Indian culinary scene across metros and the regional cities of India. You can find sushi on the main street of Gangtok to the beach shacks of Goa or on the beautiful mountains of Leh Ladakh!

Sushi is no longer raw fish rolled in rice balls and sheets of seaweed. It has evolved into a delicious roll-up of vegetable or plant-based dishes, appealing to non-vegetarians as well as vegetarians.

Today, Jun 18, 2023 is International Sushi Day. This joyous occasion pays tribute to the irresistible allure of sushi, a traditional Japanese dish that has transcended borders to become a global sensation.

It is basically made of fermented fish with rice, vinegar, salt and other ingredients. What we know today though is the brainchild of Japanese restaurateur Hanaya Yohei. In 1924, he introduced nigirizushi, or nigiri, in which seafood was cooked in hand-pressed vinegared rice. 

It is a misconception that sushi is only limited to seafood lovers. Ingredients like asparagus, avocado, cucumber, cream cheese, etc. are gaining popularity not only in India but all over the world. Making sushi at home is not difficult; It's just about all the tools, ingredients and practice.

All you need is sushi rice, nori sheets, rice vinegar and sugar. There are two things you will absolutely need for equipment: a rice cooker for cooking sushi rice and a sushi mat. If you don't have the latter, you can also use butter paper to make sushi. A sharp professional knife is just as important if you want to get perfectly shaped sushi.

You can easily use vegetables like carrot, beans, cucumber and asparagus to make sushi at home. Avocado, fish caviar, crab meat are some more delicate items that can be added which is subjected to availability. While making sushi at home you can use shrimp, which is easily available in the market. Salmon is another option that can be pre-ordered or purchased through online specialty stores. Mix sushi rice in vinegar and place nori sheets on top, put your choice of ingredients and roll up to from the sushi roll. Sushi goes well with light soy sauce, wasabi paste and pickled ginger or gari.

There are various shapes and forms of Sushis available such as nigiri, urimaki, hoshomaki, temaki etc. Keep experimenting with them and let this delicacy fill your hearts with joy.