Teach me Japanese: Sushi culture!!! 🍣 🍱
Irasshaimase! (いらっしゃいませ)! (Welcome)!
Welcome to the learn Japanese Series with fun themed quizzes for your weekly Ni Hongo (にほんご｜日本語） learning progress!
Let’s touch on a little Sushi Culture, shall we?
Sushi is one of the most notable delicacy in Japanese cuisine. It is also the epitome of the underlying Japanese culture, simple yet refined.
Many people assume that all sushi is made with raw fish, but in fact, there are many types that are made with cooked toppings. There are also plenty of vegetarian and vegan choices, ie. Inari zushi (いなりずし) (a la fried tofu pouch stuffed with sushi rice)
As well as Wakame Gunkan Maki (わかめぐんかんまき）(Seaweed “Battleship” Roll because the shape is reminiscent of one, a la pickled umami kelp a top sushi rice). Sushi rice is actually vinegar infused rice, and sushi is typically dipped in Shoyu (しょうゆ) (Soy Sauce) before eaten.
Popular Sushi toppings:
1. 蝦 🦐 (Shrimp)(Ebi) えび
2. 玉子🥚(Tamago)(Egg) たまご
Here is a video of how a chef has refined her Tamagoyaki recipe, it is all the more intricate and technically demanding. To be honest, it looks like fluffy cake on sushi rice. （☆ω☆*）!!!
3. 鮪 (Maguro)(Tuna) まぐろ
4. とろ (Toro) (Fatty Tuna)
5. いか 🦑 (Ika) (Squid)
6.たこ 🐙 (Tako) (Octapus)
7. うに (Uni) (Sea Urchin)
Uni is actually Sea Urchin Roe, this is how they look like right from the sea.
8. いくら (Ikura) (Salmon Roe)
9. 鮭 (Sakeさけ) (Salmonサーモン)
10. 鮭 (Hamachi) (Yellowtail) はまち
Above listed with pressed sushi rice topped with a piece of fish, shellfish, or roe and seasoned with Wasabi (わさび)(Green Horseradish) are called Nigiri sushi (にぎりすし).
Most Maki Sushi (まきすし| 巻き寿司) , rolled up sushi rice with various ingredients, have nori (のり) seaweed on the outside, but some also have it on the inside.
Temaki Sushi (てまきすし| 手巻き寿司) very similar to Maki sushi is rolled into a cone shape by hand (手). It is one of the easiest style to DIY at home! You pick your favorite ingredients and just roll~~~
Chirashi Sushi (ちらし寿司) is a box filled with various toppings and yummy ingredients placed beautifully over a bed of sushi rice.
If you have not been to a Kaiten Sushi (かいてんすし| 回転寿司) , a.k.a. Conveyor belt Sushi Restaurant, I definitely recommend visiting one to maximize the sushi eating experience! Here is an example of one, you can keep your plates to exchange for collectibles and prizes! ♡〜٩( ˃́▿˂̀ )۶〜♡
Here is also a video of the proper way to eat 寿司.
There you go! I hope you learned plenty in this little post! I am super hungry now writing about of of this!
Quick Reference Sheet
| English | Pronunciation | Hiragana | Kanji |
| Shrimp | Ebi | えび | 蝦 |
| Egg | Tamago | たまご | 玉子 |
| Tuna | Maguro | まぐろ | 鮪 |
| Fatty Tuna | Toro | とろ | N/a |
| Squid | Ika | いか | N/a |
| Octapus | Tako | たこ | N/a |
| Sea Urchin | Uni | うに | N/a |
| Salmon Roe | Ikura | いくら | N/a |
| Yellowtail | Hamachi | はまち | 鮭 |
Are you a sushi and Neko lover too?
(๑ↀᆺↀ๑)✧
Here is UltraMunch T-shirt made just for you guys!!!
What is your favorite sushi? Let us know down in the comments below!
(=^ↀωↀ^=)✧
