Tools of the Sushi Chef

The tools of a sushi chef can be quite expensive and also quite important. You can go cheap on some items but then there are things like the knifes that you just can't scrimp on.
A good sushi knife can cost on average about $600.00. A sushi chef usually has at least two knifes and maybe more. These are constantly sharpened so the knifes get smaller all the time.

Other tools are for fanning the rice, cooling the rice, mixing, and scooping rice. There are also rolling devices to make makizushi with. Since most of these are made with less expensive materials, you can go cheaper on these items.

O Hashi or Chop Sticks

If you want to really fit in while eating sushi, you will need to get a pair of hashi (chopsticks) to practice with. I remember watching children two or three years old using chopsticks and wondering why my hands could not do the same thing! I picked it up pretty quick though with some practice (I practiced because I couldn't find a fork!).

There are many designs of chopsticks and they can range from about a dollar to fifty dollars for a set.




Here is the correct way to use chopsticks:

Types of Sushi

Sashimi: Raw seafood served chilled and sliced, and elegantly arranged. It's usually prepared with fish fresh from the water, refrigerated but never frozen. How to slice the fish for sashimi is one of the most rigorous skills to learn during the itamae's (sushi chef) training. Fish cut too thick or too thin make a different impression on the taste buds, and different fish require applying different techniques. Depending on what was served, you will be handed soy sauce, ponzu, or red pepper to dress it.

Nigirizushi: Nigiri means something like "hand pressed". This type of sushi is the most common type at the sushi bar: A small oval made with rice, with an expertly cut slice of fish on top, and with a dab of wasabi on it. Most types of nigirizushi are meant to be dipped in soy sauce, and must be eaten in one bite, slowly. Close your eyes and feel the different textures in your mouth while you eat every piece.

Makizushi: Maki means "rolled". This kind of sushi consists of fish (or crab) and vegetables rolled in a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and rice. Makizushi is usually served sliced into bite-size portions. In some restaurants it will be listed as norimaki (seaweed roll) in the menu. Makizushi is an excellent choice for those venturing into the sushi bar for the first time, particularly if they are squimish about eating raw fish. The taste and crackling texture of the the seaweed, the visual delight from its appearance, and the combination of salty seaweed, sweet rice, and delicate fish and vegetables soon win even the most reluctant experimenters.

Temaki: Te = hand. Temaki describes the hand rolls, something like a Japanese nori taco, that you bite into. Many of the ingredients you'll find in makizushi also exist in temaki.

Preparation of a $600.00 Tuna for use in Sushi restaurants in Japan.

How to Make Sushi

Love for Sushi

Where did my love of Sushi come from?
Years ago, I lived in Japan where sushi was invented and I remember my first experience with raw fish.
There are many types of sushi. See my post on "Types of Sushi".

• Sashimi - Raw slices or chunks of fish or other sea creatures.

So, my first experience was with Sashimi. I was given some very thinly sliced octopus (Tako) with some soy sauce (shoyu) and spicy green horse radish mixture (wasabi). I was really hooked.

Of course, with any sushi, preparation is the key and not knowing that at the time, I went to the local market and asked for some "tako" or octopus. The butcher threw a large 3 foot portion of a tenacle on the counter and asked me how much I wanted! I motioned with my fingers showing him that I would only need about 2 inches worth. He chopped it, wrapped it, and sent me on my way.
Once home, I unwrapped the small cylindrical piece of tenacle and began to slice off a piece and eat it. Like I said, preparation is the key and I didn't fancy it as much as what I had previously experienced but it got me going and I have been searching for good prepared sushi ever since.