Sushi

The rice is what makes it sushi

The word sushi goes back to an old method of preserving fish: it was packed in rice and left to ferment, and the acidity kept it from spoiling. Over the centuries this developed into the sushi we know today, where the sourness no longer comes from fermentation but from rice vinegar folded into freshly cooked rice. That is why the rice is still the true heart of every piece of sushi.

Good sushi rice is served at body or room temperature. It is slightly sticky but never mushy, every grain stays distinct, and it tastes gently sour and faintly sweet. It forms the neutral frame that lets salmon, avocado or cucumber shine. In Japan, chefs often spend years perfecting the rice alone.

The main styles of sushi

Nigiri is the hand-pressed style: a small oblong of rice topped with a slice of salmon, tuna or another topping. Maki (more precisely norimaki) are rolls with the nori seaweed sheet on the outside, wrapped around rice and filling. Uramaki, or inside-out rolls, reverse that: rice on the outside, nori inside. The California roll and the rainbow roll are well-known examples.

Other styles are less common in Europe: temaki (cone-shaped hand rolls), gunkan (a rice base wrapped in a strip of nori and topped with roe) and chirashi (a bowl of rice with fish scattered on top). Inari is a special case – the rice is tucked into a deep-fried tofu pouch simmered in a sweet and savoury broth, with no fish at all.

Is sushi always raw fish?

No. Raw fish is typical, but far from compulsory. Many favourites use cooked ingredients or no fish at all: cucumber maki, avocado maki and inari are vegetarian, unagi is grilled eel, ebi is usually cooked prawn, and a California roll contains no raw fish. If you are new to sushi, these are an easy place to start.

Where raw fish is used, quality is everything: it has to be suitable for eating raw, properly chilled and freshly cut. A good restaurant will also tell you where its fish comes from.

How to eat sushi

Sushi is traditionally eaten in one bite – with chopsticks or, for nigiri, quite properly with your fingers. Dip nigiri fish-side down into the soy sauce, not rice-side, so it does not fall apart. Pickled ginger is there to cleanse your palate between pieces, not to be piled on top. A small dab of wasabi goes straight onto the fish rather than being stirred into the soy sauce.