By Joseph Devine

There are many different types of sushi available. While sushi rice is the common ingredient, the dishes vary in the way they are made as well as the fillings and toppings included. There are often traditional and contemporary versions available. Two main varieties are Makizushi and Nigirizushi.

Makizushi is rolled sushi. It is made with a bamboo matt called a makisu that rolls it into a cylindrical form. The sushi is generally wrapped nori but can also be wrapped in soy paper, an omlette, cucumber, or parsley. One roll is cut into six or eight pieces. There are many types of Makizushi. Futomaki is at fat roll measuring about one and a half inches of diameter. It is rolled in Nori and traditionally vegetarian. Hosomaki on the other hand is a thin roll measuring about ¾ of an inch. They usually only contain one filling. Kappamaki is a type of Hosomaki filled with cucumber. It is used to cleanse the palate. Tekkamaki is another kind that contains raw tuna. Temaki is a type of Makizushi that has cone shape formed by the nori. It measures 4 inches in length and must be eaten with fingers. It must be eaten soon after it is made as the nori will loose its moisture and thus crispiness. Lastly, uramaki is an inside-out roll. It contains a couple of fillings surrounded by nori with the rice on the outside of the nori. Additionally, sesame seeds are often added.

Nigirizushi is hand formed. A ball of sushi rice and a little bit of wasabi is hand pressed. Then a topping, typically fish, is draped over the rice. Salmon and tuna are very popular toppings. In addition, ika (squid), tako (octopus), unagi (freshwater eel), anago (sweet eel), and tamago (sweet egg) are used. These toppings however are attached to the rice by a thin strap of nori. Gunkanmaki is a type of Nigirizushi. Its name literally means warship. It uses nori to contain a loose ingredient, and it’s invention has expanded the repertoire of toppings as oysters, sea urchin, and quail eggs are included. Temarizushi is a little ball formed by pressing the fish and the rice together. It is very easy to make and good for beginners.

While Makizushi and Nigirizushi are two of the most common types of sushi, there are many more. If you would like to learn more information about sushi and cooking, visit http://www.cdkitchen.com today.

Joseph Devine

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This elegant steamed-rice tub, or ohitsu, is made of sawara cypress, and is used to keep rice warm at the table. The sawara comes from the forests of Kiso in Nagano Prefecture, and is rated so highly that it is protected by the government. In fact, the shrines at the sacred Ise complex, on eof Japan’s most revered sites, are ritually rebuilt in twenty-year cycles, using Kisa sawara.

Traditionally, rice would be transferred from a cooker to an ohitsu and placed at the edge of a low table on the tatami, where the housewife would sit. It was her job to dish the rice into family members’ bowls and replenish them.

Today, as busy schedules mean that families rarely share their mealtimes, we often see family members serving themselves directly from the rice cooker. It’s more likely that ohitsu only make an appearance on special occasions or when entertaining guests. I’ve even seen one creative hostess using ohitsu small enough to hold only one or two portions of rice, for individual place settings. While most ohitsu today are made by machine, this vessel was made entirely by hand using a round plane. It took more than eight hours to finish.

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Makisu mats are essential in the making of makizushi sushi rolls, and tend to be the same size - ten inches square. It may look like a snap in the hands of a seasoned cook, but making sushi rolls is far from easy. The nori seaweed is laid on the mat, then coated with vinegared sushi rice and filling before being rolled. But without years of practice, spreading the rice evenly and rolling it in a smooth, even motion to create an aesthetically pleasing spiral of filling can be maddeningly frustrating.

Makisu have long been used to shape other items as well, such as omelets, or to squeeze off excess liquid from food materials. One friend, for example, uses hers to strain off the last traces of water from spinach while shaping it for ohitashi. For this dish, spinach is cooked whole, with the ends dipped in the boiling water first before the leaves are plunged. While the spinach is still firm, it is removed and squeezed into a tight roll before slicing.