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1. It’s raw fish.
Back before sushi was first introduced to the world
outside of Japan, Japanese were topping pillows of seasoned rice with
vegetables, cooked shellfish and choice pieces of fresh uncooked fish.
So revolutionary was this concept of eating raw pieces of fish, that
this completely stunned the world. However, one
major misconception about sushi is that sushi means raw fish. Although
sushi often times contains raw fish, sushi refers only to the rice.
Sushi is rice combined with a seasoning composed predominantly of a
mixture of vinegar and sugar. After seasoning, the rice can then be
combined uniquely or in multiples with raw or cooked seafood, meat,
vegetables, and even fruits. The possibilities are endless. The dish
which is strictly raw fish is called sashimi.
2. All fish used in sushi is fresh.
Although a lot of sushi is made with fresh fish,
the
FDA warns that fish, not including tuna, should first be
frozen to -4°F
for seven days or -30°F
for 15 hours to kill parasites. These precautions have been established
to protect consumers and allow them to feel safe when consuming raw
fish. Because of these safety procedures restaurants, grocery stores
and food service providers have turned to the use of frozen sushi.
While freshly prepared sushi has a shelf life of two days or less,
frozen sushi can be kept in the freezer for months. Therefore, though
the sushi fish prepared at sushi restaurants may appear to be fresh,
most have been previously frozen for your protection.
3. Frozen sushi isn’t authentic Japanese.
A concern that has been voiced is that frozen
sushi is an inauthentic, American version of Japanese sushi. It often
surprises people to know that frozen sushi was first developed in
Japan. Many Japanese companies, such as Takibun, Foodreams Inc.
and Ajinomoto, have their own lines of frozen sushi. Companies all
over the world, including countries in Asia, North America and Europe,
are taking advantage of the versatility of frozen sushi and developing
their own series of products. Sushi doesn’t have to be made in
Japan in order for it to be authentic, nor does it have to be freshly
made in order for it to taste good. |
