Whether it’s wine or sake, finding a perfect drink to pair with sushi is a matter of personal prefrence. Riesling works best for me. The light, fruity and palate cleansing quality of Riesling offers a perfect balance against the saltiness of sushi. Sparklers and wine coolers are also surprisingly good match. Although I prefer wine to sake with a plate of sushi, a warm dry sake becomes my companion if I have to eat alone.

Important Facts About Sushi Knives
by David H. Urmann

Sushi knives are used by professional chefs for making sushi. It can be made from carbon steel or stainless steel.
Sushi knives are cutting tools made specifically for making sushi. They are usually made from the highest quality of carbon steel. This is the same type used in making a “katana,” a traditional Japanese sword. The more affordable sushi knives now are made from stainless steel.

A sushi knife is differentiated from a regular western knife with its sharpness. Western knives are sharpened on both edges of the blade. A sushi knife, on the other hand, has only one end sharpened. This style is recognized as “kataba.”

Because only one end is sharpened, it takes a great deal of precision to perfect cutting sushi or other Japanese food. Because of this also, there is a different knife for lefthanders. And lastly, a sushi knife produces cleaner cuts because the food being cut is kept on the sharpened end only.

Making sushi is considered an art. Take good care of a sushi knife by following some simple guidelines.

Before using it, always hone a sushi knife. A dull blade will crush a maki. A sharp knife will require little pressure to cut through a sushi.

When cutting “maki,” make sure that the blade of your knife is barely wet. It makes sure to produce clean cuts. It is recommended to first dip the knife tip in water. Turn the knife up so that it points upward, and then tap the handle on the table for water to flow down on the cutting edge.

There are many different types of sushi knives depending on a specific cut to be used.

In slicing sashimi, there are three common knives used. First is the yanagi. It looks very much the same as the paring knife of the West. This is mostly used for fish. The second one is the fugu hiki. This is generally used for filleting. The puffer fish is the most common to be filleted. The third sashimi knife is called a yanagi ba. It has long and thin blades that can cut more difficult meat like octopus or squid.

Some fishes can be very large, like a tuna. For this kind, there are special heavy duty knives. It can measure to around 6 feet long and has very sharp blades.

Another common sushi knife is the deba bocho. This looks like a carving knife used by Westerns and is wider than a yanagi. Deba bocho is designed for cutting thick meats of big fishes. This can also be useful in cutting through beef and chicken.

Next in the popular line of sushi knives is unagisaki hocho. This is used in filleting fishes like eels. There is a sharp pointed tip specifically designed to take off the heads of eels. The body is shaped like a square and used to slice the meat afterwards.

To cut vegetables, there are two sushi knives usually used. First is the usuba bocho. And the other one is the nakiri bocho. Because of their unique straight edge feature, both knives can slice vegetables very easily without have to push down the blade.

The thin blades make clean and precise cuts without damaging the vegetables. So what is the difference between the two knives? The usuba bocho has only one sharpened edge. Nakiri bocho has both sides sharpened. For those who love Japanese food like sushi, making your own sushi is part of the fun. Make sure to procure a sharp and durable sushi knife.

About the Author
For more information on Sushi Knives and Sushi Plates please visit our website.

Japanese Cooking for Your Health – Kitchen Equipment You Need
by Martin Roth

Japanese food is amongst the healthiest cuisine on earth. But most Western people eat it only in restaurants. Most Japanese dishes are considered too hard, or too exotic, to cook at home.
So it is time to be adventurous. Japanese food is not difficult to prepare, although you need the right ingredients. You also need some special equipment.

Here are six items you should have.

* Long, kitchen chopsticks – actually, you could probably make do with tongs or a long spoon, but you will find that chopsticks are so much better. They are perfect for use with delicate foods. You can hold them in just one hand. You can stir or beat food with them.

* Bamboos mats – these are used for rolling sushi. Now you might decide that sushi is something that is just too difficult. In fact, sushi is easy to prepare and delicious to eat. But you do really need a bamboo mat.

* Grinding bowl (mortar) and pestle – known as suribachi, this bowl is pretty similar to those used in some other cuisines for gridning spices.

* Skewers – these are used in numerous dishes, particularly yaki-tori (flame-grilled chicken). Bamboo skewers are best.

* Steamers – a set of round bamboo containers – similar to those used in some Chinese cooking – is placed over a pot of boiling water, and the steam cooks the food inside.

* Knives – Japanese knives are world famous for their quality. The best ones are expensive, but will last a lifetime. They come in many, many varieties and are extremely versatile.

About the Author
Martin Roth is a full-time author, with a specialty in health and nutrition. You can read more at his website Food Calorie Calculator

Saving Money by Making Your Own Sushi at Home
by Harry Goh

It is not wrong to say that sushi is a favorite for most of the people. However, the price of sushi is not cheap as well. Heading off to sushi restaurants frequently can be a painful experience for some people. This is because the bill is very costly for most of us. So, the best way for sushi lovers to save money is by making sushi at home.
It is not hard to make sushi on your own, especially when sushi does not require any cooking skills. Even if you are not a professional chef, making sushi can be easy once you know the skills. With the variety of books available in the market now, it is not hard anymore to acquire knowledge to make beautiful sushi as seen in the sushi restaurant.

Although sushi appears to be in a smaller quantity, it is still fulfilling. Food like sushi makes you worry free. This is because all the ingredients in it is light, and not much calorie found. Moreover, the nutritional benefits are numerous!

As long as you pick the correct ingredient for your sushi, it can be in high protein and high in nutrition. In addition, it is full of Omega 3 and low in fats as well as cholesterol. There is practically nothing bad if you consume sushi. Hence, it makes a perfect food source, even for those who have restricted diets!

In summary, making sushi at home is something worth learning. With the guidance of a recipe book, making sushi is not hard at all. Do your wallet a favor, and please yourself with some homemade delicious sushi.

About the Author
Harry Goh is a regular writer for a wide range of topics. He also writes on tension headache symptoms and headache on one side of head.

Interesting Facts About Sushi Rice
by David H. Urmann

Sushi or “vinegared rice” is a favorite delicacy not only in Japan but in many other countries too. It is interesting to know the different types of sushi
For the Japanese, sushi implies vinegared rice typically topped with meats, fish and vegetables. Outside Japan, sushi is more often mistaken as “raw fish” or “raw seafood.”

In Japan, they call sliced raw fish, sashimi. It is different from sushi because sashimi implies purely on the raw fish part. In Archaic grammar, “sushi” literally means “it’s sour.”

There are several types of sushi. The Nigirizushi sushi consists of toppings laid with “hand-formed” rice clumps. Aside from topping it with vinegared rice, it is also dabbed with wasabi and a bite-size, thin slice of fish, egg or various other seafoods.

Although the egg is cooked, the seafood and fish can be served raw. The types of fish you can use are salmon, tuna, mackerel and eel.

When eating Nigirizushi, make sure that the rice side is not dipped into the soy sauce. The fish side should be the one dipped or it will fall apart. You can do this alternately, not dipping it completely in soy sauce.

Makizushi is a type of sushi rolled inside some “nori,” a pressed and dried layered sheets of alga or seaweed. It can contain vegetables, fish, seaweed and rice. These are rolled into a cylindrical form with the aid of a bamboo mat or makisu. Afterwards, it is cut into suitable widths. Futomaki refers to the thicker rolls. Hosomaki refers to the thinner rools. Uramaki refers to the “inside-out” rolls.

Inarizushi has toppings stuffed inside a tiny pouch of fried tofu. This is more uncommon compared to Chirashi-zushi. You still need to go to a sushi restaurant in Japan to order this type of sushi.

Chirashi-zushi has toppings scattered and served over a sushi rice bowl. This is not regularly served in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. The toppings are either raw seafood or sashimi.

Temaki Sushi is also called the hand roll. It is almost the same as maki except for the part where you roll it into a cylinder and slice it. With Temaki Sushi, you roll it with your hands and form cone shapes. Then, it is eaten as is, not sliced.

In any sushi, the common denominator is always sushi rice. They only vary on toppings, condiments, fillings and the procedure these ingredients are placed together. These ingredients can also be collected using contemporary or traditional ways, making distinct results.

Sushi is not only a favorite dish in Japan. It is well-loved in other countries also.

If you want to learn how to make sushi rice, it is easy. First, you need a sushi vinegar called sushi-zu. Mix it with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Stir frequently in the process. Afterwards, let the mixture cool to room temperature. This mixture is called tezu.

Using either a spatula or just a regular spoon, cut and fold the rice as gentle as possible. Avoid smashing the rice grains.

Get a bowl and moisten the sides with tezu. It is ideal to use a wooden bowl because it absorbs moisture. If none is available, any bowl is fine with a flat bottom.

Place the rice in the bowl and add a quarter of sushi vinegar. Mix them together, making sure you follow a folding motion to avoid smashing the rice. Afterwards, fan to dry the mixture for about 5 to 6 minutes. This process will remove the excess moisture and will make the rice look glossy and shiny.

As a tip, a good sushi rice is somewhat chewy in the mouth, and sticky to your touch.

About the Author
For more information on Sushi Rice and Rice Cookers, please visit our website.