If you’re a fan of Japanese cuisine then you’re probably one of the millions of people who love sushi.  As one of most populated city in United States Las Vegas, is brimming with amazing Japanese Restaurant on Las Vegas strip and diners that serve mouthwatering disuse that are sure to satisfy your palate. And Sushi is actually a staple Japanese dish that consists of rice mixed with a bit of vinegar, sugar and salt. The dish is often combined with various ingredients like vegetables, seafood and sometimes fruits. Traditionally, in making sushi, medium-grain white rice is used. However, you can opt to use short-grain rice or brown rice. As for the seafood, you’ll find salmon, tuna, eel, squid and crabmeat on top of the rice. For vegetarians, they can opt to get vegetarian sushi. It usually comes with pickled ginger or pickled radish.

The Difference Between Sushi and Sashimi

People often get confused with sushi and sashimi and they tend to use the two interchangeably. These two are different. Sashimi is a unique Japanese dish that consists of raw and fresh fish that are thinly sliced and often paired with a rice siding. To put it simply, sushi always has rice but it doesn’t necessarily have to have fish. The most challenging part about preparing sashimi is the meticulous and laborious cutting technique. All sushi chefs are required to undergo training on how to properly slice fish. It should not be too thin nor too thick as it will affect the taste of the fish.

The Different Types of Sushi

Sushi looks simple but the preparation required to make sushi is complex which is why sushi chefs need to practice and master the craft of preparing sushi to get the desired cut and taste. The following are the different types of sushi:

Nigiri Sushi – the most common sushi in Japan is nigiri sushi. Nigiri sushi is prepared by pressing rice to form a cylinder. A foil of raw fish will then be placed on top of it. When you order a nigiri sushi, you will be served with soy sauce where you’ll dip the sushi. The name of the sushi is actually derived from the technique used to prepare it. Nigiri actually means, “Hand pressed”. Wherever sushi bar you go to you will definitely find nigiri sushi. It takes on an oval form that has rice, fish and wasabi on it. To enjoy nigiri sushi, you must dip it in soy sauce nad consume it slowly in a single bite.

Maki Sushi – In Maki sushi, the rice is placed on top of dried seaweed called nori seaweed and is combined with fruit, vegetables and fish. Everything is rolled and cut into eight equal pieces. The term Maki means coiling. The difference between the two is that black seaweed is used in making maki sushi. The taste is very delicate and often it is described as diverse since you can add different types of fruits and vegetables and meat to make maki sushi. You can add avocado, mango, cucumbers, Philadelphia cheese, steak prawns and many more.

Preparing Sashimi

There is so much skill and mastery needed to perfect the unique and accurate slicing technique to make sashimi. In fact, out of all Japanese dishes, this is by far the most complicated to make. Creating beautiful slices of sushi requires constant practice.

Sushi Grade Fish Explained

The term sushi grade fish is used to describe raw fish that is considered safe to consume. There are no official guidelines for this and it’s thought to be used for the purpose of marketing. However, fish vendors use the term sushi grade to describe the highest quality fish they have as well as the freshest. This fish is given extra care to significantly reduce the risk of foodborne diseases. Basically, fish vendors freeze the fish before selling them. It is important to mention that this sushi grade is not a regulated terminology and it’s entirely up to the interpretation of the vendor whether or not they consider a fish as sushi grade.

FDA Regulations

Even though there aren’t any actual regulations set that will determine if a fish is considered sushi grade the FDA or the Food and Drug Administration placed strict and specific regulations when it comes to handling and preparing fish that are to be eaten raw. The guidelines called Parasite Destruction Guarantee discuss the required temperatures and times for a number of fish species. The temperatures and times must be strictly followed for the fish to be considered safe.

Freezing and storing at surrounding temperature of -20°C or below for a total of one week.

Freezing at the surrounding temperature of -35°C or below until it is solid and storing at surrounding temperature of -20°C or below for one whole day.

Freezing at surrounding temperature of -35°C or below until it is solid and storing at surrounding temperature of -35°C or below for a total of fifteen hours.

It is believed that the extremely low temperature will destroy the parasites living inside the fish when they were caught. It is important to note that the process of freezing and storing must be done immediately as soon as the fish is caught in the boat. Once the fish is caught it has to be cleaned and gutted and must be stored in a freezer for at least eight hours.