Know your Sushi!

Hello guys. Based on my last post, I wrote about sushi. So today I will introduce you to the types Sushi.

This is Nigirizushi.

This sushi consists of an oblong mound of sushi rice that the chef presses into a small rectangular box between the palms of the hands, usually with a bit of wasabi, and a topping (theneta) draped over it. Neta are typically fish such as salmon, tuna or other seafood. Certain toppings are typically bound to the rice with a thin strip of nori, most commonly octopus (tako), freshwater eel (unagi), sea eel (anago), squid (ika), and sweet egg (tamago). 

 This is chirazushi which means it scattered sushi and served in a bowl with sushi rice and covered with various toppings called "gu". The number of toppings varies but 9 seems to be a common number. It is popular in Japanese homes because it is simple to make and there is no one set recipe for it making it ideal for using up leftovers

Narezushi (熟れ寿司, "matured sushi") is a traditional form of fermented sushi. Skinned and gutted fish are stuffed with salt, placed in a wooden barrel, doused with salt again, then weighed down with a heavy tsukemonoishi(pickling stone). As days pass, water seeps out and is removed. After six months, thissushi can be eaten, remaining edible for another six months or more.

Oshizushi - means "pressed sushi". It is also known as hako-sushi which means "box sushi". A wooden mold, called a oshibako is used to make this form of sushi. The bottom of the oshibako is lined with topping which are covered with sushi rice and then the lid of the mold is pressed down to create a firm, rectangular box.