Japanese foods--sushi/sashimi

[JasonTrue]

These are rather rare in sushi in Japan, although avocado is popular in other contexts. I can't say I've seen cream cheese used much outside of "rare cheesecake" in Japan.

Chilies are a Western ingredient everywhere, as all of them originated in the Americas, but the chili has worked its way into many cuisines in the last few hundred years. I rarely found fresh jalapeno in Japanese supermarkets or even department stores, though.

Americans seem to want strong, heavy, dramatic flavors in their Japanese food, which tends to make the food not very Japanese.

I usually laugh (when I'm not wincing) when I read a Japanese restaurant review that contains a paragraph like "the standards like California roll, spicy tuna roll, and spider roll were good, but..." because not one of the "standards" would be found in an ordinary restaurant in Japan.

Edited December 5, 2006 by JasonTrue (log)

[Hiroyuki]

Are there ingredients that originated elsewhere, other than America, that have been imported back into Japanese sushi cuisine?

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I can't think of any.

The Japanese are not as creative about such traditional dishes like nigiri zushi as you might think. We are creative about foreign foods like pizza and spaghetti, though.

I googled "youfuu (= Western style) nigiri" (洋風握り in Japanese), and got only ten results. I was unable to determine what they were like.

The Japanese are creative about home made versions of sushi like temaki (hand-rolled) and chirashi.

I googled "youfuu temaki" in Japanese, and got 421 results like this one.

I googled "youfuu chirashi" in Japanese, and got 620 results like this one.

Edited December 5, 2006 by Hiroyuki (log)

[kimosabe]

I've had avocado and cream cheese in makizushi in Japan in quite a few restaurants. Even though I know it's not traditional, my American palate just thinks it's tasty sometimes. I've seen Japanese eat these as well, though.

Of course, I lived on Okinawa; because there are so many more Americans living on the island, there are bunches of restaurants that cater to them.

"We are creative about foreign foods like pizza and spaghetti, though."

OOh, boy, that is the truth! I got so used to getting corn on any type of pizza I ever ordered off-base that it doesn't even seem weird to me anymore...

[GlorifiedRice]

BTW- Philadelphia cream cheese was invented in NYC, and was called "Philadelphia" cause at the time Philly was where all the Top Quality foods came from...

[JasonTrue]

Actually, there is some creativity with sushi, but not in the same way that would be expected in the US. But I would say generally not at sushi places (I've only been to a small number of restaurants that serve sushi in Japan, since it's considered a specialty, and not nearly as commonplace in Japan as in the US). Another key point is that US restaurants seem to emphasize makimono (rolls) rather than nigiri-zushi; some Japanese say makimono are "not sushi."

I've had some innovative "nigiri-zushi" in kyoto made with yuba, and at Yuuan in Nishi-Shinjuku several years ago, where various vegetables like pickled myouga (a sort of sweet leek) and maybe even a kind of marinated anzu were served. It's been a long time so I can't remember the details, but they were all simple and surprisingly nice. (My second visit to Yuuan more recently was less impressive, but I don't know if that's because I changed or they did).

While unconventional, they were much more Japanese in approach because the fundamental flavors were refreshing rather than heavy.

Eric Gower's book is probably a better example of how Western influences can be incorporated into Japanese cuisine while still being equally palatable to Japanese and American mouths.

On cream cheese in Okinawa... I'd say Okinawan cuisine is almost another category in itself (though most of my experiences of Okinawan foods have been in restaurants in Tokyo or Kansai area), and is not reflective of Japanese cuisine in general.

[Hiroyuki]

I think that avocado is the only sushi ingredient that is considered American in origin by the Japanese.

I looked at the menu of one sushi restaurant, and found "califonia roll" was listed under the category "kawari zushi" (different, strange sushi).

[kimosabe]

JasonTrue, Okinawa cuisine really is in its own category. While I absolutely adore traditional Okinawan foods (I find them more "comforting" than many other Japanese foods), you're right, it's hard to judge what's really "Japanese" from the island. Also, I think Americans probably had more influence in Okinawa than in the rest of the mainland; just look at stuff like taco rice.

[FistFullaRoux]

Video shot from a conveyor belt in a sushi restaurant.

4 minutes of a slow pan, but includes a glimpse of the kitchen and a 360 degree view of a restaurant.

Oddly fascinating.

[orangeman747]

that was oddly fascinating... thanks for posting it!

[rarerollingobject]

This is fantastic..thanks for posting!

[Peter Green]

that was oddly fascinating... thanks for posting it!

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Aside from possible invasion of privacy thing, it would make a good permanent loop.

The inarisushi in the kitchen looked good.

[Hiroyuki]

I forgot to update this thread.

From here

農林水産省は昨年11月、海外の日本料理店に的を絞り、「正しい和食」の店にお墨付きを与える認証制度を創設すると発表。米国メディアなどから「スシポリスを派遣するのか」「国粋主義の復活だ」などと猛烈な批判を受け、今年3月になって認証から「推奨」へ格下げすることを決めた。

The certification system, announced to be established in November of last year, set off a firestorm of criticism from the U.S. and other media, and in March of this year, it was downgraded to a "recommendation" system.