If you’re from this planet, then you’d probably already heard about sushi from one place or another. Sushi is actually a Japanese type of preparation of food that is mainly made up of cooked rice, which is flavored with sugar, vinegar, and salt. Although you’ve probably heard of sushi, you may not have tried it yet so the big question is, “What does sushi taste like?”
When consuming this tasty treat, you should be able to taste all the elements of it – the rice, seafood, vegetables and other ingredients and seasonings in perfect balance. This is because in preparing sushi, as per Japanese preparation, precision and balanced blending of sweet, salty and savory flavor are essential.
Genuine sushi is a mélange of different and distinct flavors, which makes it a unique and succulent dish which many truly enjoy.
It is then combined with different raw, pickled or cooked delicious ingredients like vegetables, seafood, and even egg, in some cases. There is a special kind of rice needed to make sushi – a short grain sticky type of rice is needed to be able to shape it into the sushi we all know and love.
There are different types of sushi out there and each of them has subtle differences in their flavors. Answering the question “What does sushi taste like?” is not as simple as describing the taste of other food, but it is entirely possible to do so.
The Flavorful Main Ingredient
All types of sushi have one thing in common – and that is they all have rice, which happens to be the main and most essential ingredient in making sushi.
Preparing the rice for sushi takes precision and skill. The special type of rice needs to be cooked with the right amount of sugar, salt and vinegar to a tee otherwise the taste of your sushi will be affected.
In fact, in Japan, where sushi originated from, they grow the rice specifically used for sushi locally. They are proud of their crops and they are of the highest quality.
Genuine sushi rice uses only red rice vinegar with salt when being cooked. However, in America, sugar is usually added to the mix to make up for using a different type of vinegar. Rice used in sushi should be served a bit warmer than room temperature and never cold or chilled
One thing is for sure though; any type of sushi should not have just one dominant flavor.
Different Ingredients Give Different Flavors
Different types of sushi are prepared using different types of seafood or other ingredients, creating a variety of flavors as well.
There are varied textures of sushi as well, which also affects the taste of it. For the most part, sushi has a comparatively subtle taste and the main thing you actually taste is the rice mixed with the seasonings.
The main protein used in sushi will have a great influence on its taste, and the fairly common sources of protein used are tuna, salmon, shrimp, eel and sometimes even tofu.
The best choice for novice sushi eaters would probably be sushi with tuna as it is the most common and acceptable type of fish.
Having sushi with a tough textured protein such as octopus may be a tricky choice for new sushi eaters. You could instead go for tuna or salmon, which have soft and smooth textures or eel, which may be denser, akin to the texture of chicken meat.
Types Of Sushi And Their Flavors
There are lots of different types of sushi available, and some restaurants even go as far as deviating from the “traditional” types and coming up with more modern variations. Of course, if you’d like to go for authentic sushi, it would be helpful to learn about the most common types out there.
Maki
This is a type of rolled sushi made with a combination of meat or fish and vegetables. The rice and other ingredients are rolled in a piece of seaweed or nori using a bamboo mat or makizu.
The California roll maki is probably the most common and most popular choice for newbie sushi eaters but if you’d like to try maki with a raw element, you can go with tekka maki, which has tuna as its protein.
Nigiri
This type of sushi looks and tastes good. It is a type of sushi with the ingredients stuffed in a small edible pouch. This is a more inventive type of sushi as several ingredients can be added to the pouch to make it more delicious.
Inari
This type of hand-pressed sushi would be the best type to try after you’ve already had maki or sashimi. Usually, a bit of wasabi is added to between the rice and seafood to add a spicy element to the taste.
Chirashi
This is a different type of sushi, which is actually more alike to sashimi. To make this, sushi rice is placed in a bowl and topped with raw fish or seafood.
Conclusion – Getting The Best Taste From Your Sushi Experience
So “What does sushi taste like?” That depends on what type of sushi you’d like to try. There are many types available and all of them have a flavor that keeps people coming back for more.
There are also ways of eating sushi correctly. For example, wasabi is traditionally placed right on the piece of sushi rather than mixed with the soy sauce, which people commonly do. Some types, like Nigiri, are meant to be eaten with your hands instead of with chopsticks.
When dipping your sushi in soy sauce, be sure to dip the side opposite the rice. Dipping the rice in the soy sauce would allow it to absorb way too much, which would overpower the whole taste of the sushi.
Usually, ginger is served with sushi – this is meant for you to eat in between sushi pieces to cleanse your palate and prepare for the next set of flavors.
Now that you’ve learned all about sushi, all you have to do is go out and find a sushi place for you to be able to enjoy this tasty delicacy and finally find out what sushi tastes like. Enjoy!