Julie A. Coffey
JPT 3500: Dr. Murphy
The Art of Sushi
A quick drive through any major city in the United States will immediately inform the viewer that Americans love food. Hamburger joints, sub shops, Chinese restaurants, steakhouses, and pizza places alike dot nearly every street. In the past few years, however, I have noticed that among these common places, Sushi bars have become increasingly popular among Westerners. What started out as a few restaurants here and there, quickly turned into a mass spread of multiple sushi bars in one town, mini sushi bars in the back of health food stores, "How-to-do" books and instructional videos on the art of sushi. In this critical analysis of sushi and its introduction to the Western world, I will discuss a few major points on Sushi, including the origin of sushi, its introduction to the United States, the health benefits of sushi, and sushi as an art form.
First off, the history of sushi and where it originated needs to be addressed. Although sushi today is regarded as a Japanese cuisine, its origin is not found in Japan. "Sushi is mentioned for the first time in a dictionary compiled in China at the end of the second century A.D." (Mishima). However, the sushi mentioned is not the type we are accustomed to eating today, but rather, the first basic form that was eaten hundreds of years ago. Sushi was invented when the people of China needed a way to preserve fish when there were no salt or refrigerators around. The word sushi itself is derived from su, which means vinegar in Japanese (Terzani 78). The fish were wrapped in cooked rice and vinegar and left to mature while the rice fermented. The people would then unwrap the fish and eat it by itself. Rice was originally not part of the recipe (Mishima).
It is believed that sushi was not introduced into Japan until the seventh century A.D. (Mishima). The Japanese gradually adapted their own tastes and needs until sushi was no longer considered a foreign dish, but rather, a completely Japanese cuisine ("Local"). In the fifteenth century A.D., sushi became more closely related to rice and it eventually evolved into how we eat sushi today. After a month of fermentation, the rice and raw fish were eaten together (Terzani 82). Today’s form of sushi, with the rice, wasabi, and ginger, was very common during the last century on the streets of Tokyo’s cafés. "People began to clap and sing: ‘The monks should stop living as monks and become sushi sellers!’" (Terzani 32).
After sushi made its debut in Japan and became the sushi we are all familiar with today, it found a new customer in the Western world. Through a combination of foreigners traveling to and from Japan, apprenticeships with Japanese chefs, and the sudden health craze present in America, sushi was introduced to the United States. "Artistic sushi chefs are often enticed away from Japan by Western—above all, Californian—restaurants" (Terzani 76). The first sushi bar opened in 1978 in Palo Alto, California, setting the trend for others to follow ("Fuki"). Today, the state of California, without a doubt, consumes the most sushi in the United States.
With sushi’s low-calorie and low-fat content, it quickly became the new food craze. The California Roll, which consists of avocado, crabmeat, rice, and seaweed, has only 300 calories and .8 grams of fat. In regards to the various other rolls available, "A typical setting of seven to nine pieces contains about 300-450 calories" (Mishima). The fish provides protein and also an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids. Vegetables such as cucumbers, avocadoes, and wasabi are rich in vitamins—especially vitamin C. The rice provides complex carbohydrates while the seaweed is rich in iodine. The seaweed usually used in preparing sushi is Nori, which is also rich in calcium, phosphorus, and vitamin A. It also serves as an excellent digestive aid ("Sticky…").
In various medical reports, such as the McDougall Newsletter, it states: "Japanese people are the longest lived on earth and have in the past enjoyed good health with a trim vigorous appearance because of their diet" (McDougall). It is believed that ingredients such as the ones in sushi give people a full head of shining black hair, elastic arteries, and slim figures (Mishima 66). It is no wonder that sushi’s popularity spread rapidly due to these many health benefits—especially in the society in which we live, where the general populace is preoccupied with image, weight, and appearance.
As with all things introduced to a new society, sushi underwent some changes to suit Americans’ needs. Originally, sushi was meant for only special occasions. Japanese homes only prepared sushi or ordered sushi from an expensive restaurant when celebrating a festival or holiday (Mishima). Sushi was considered a delicacy and not meant for everyday consumption. Today in the U.S, however, sushi has almost reached "fast food" status, where one can order sushi and sashimi virtually anytime and in every city. In fact, many supermarkets in California are now offering pre-packaged sushi that you can buy and eat on the go ("So..").
Dining etiquette in a typical sushi bar has also changed from the traditional manners of the Japanese (Lo). Customarily, the Japanese remove their shoes and are provided with special slippers to wear in the restaurant. This practice is usually not seen in American sushi restaurants. Luckily, Japanese chefs and restaurant owners are "very tolerant of the western abuse of their formalities" (Lo). In many Japanese sushi bars, the customer is given a choice of dining in a traditional tatami room, where the experience is "nearly like being in Japan", or dining in a western style table or booth ("Fuki").
The price of sushi was also adjusted once it reached the Western world. "In real sushi restaurants [in Japan], sushi is very expensive since they select the best ingredients. It can cost nearly $100.00 per person" (Mishima). Only at places called kaiten-zushi, can one buy sushi at a fairly decent price. The sushi plates circle around a bar on a conveyer belt and customers can pick and choose what they would like to buy. This type of sushi is very inexpensive and convenient in modern-day Japan. In the United States, sushi is far less expensive than the pricey restaurants in Japan. Prices range from $3.00 to $8.00 per roll, which amounts to only $10.00 to $25.00 for a decent meal. Perhaps this difference in price range corresponds to the differences in amount of time and care of preparation that the two countries expend.
The types of sushi offered have also been modified to satisfy Americans’ tastes. Sushi in America can be served with tofu, ice cream, ham, meat, cauliflower, tomato, cheese or even strawberry and apple toppings (Terzani 76). Many of the classical sushi recipes are not popular with Americans and new rolls have been invented. When I recently ate out at a Sushi restaurant, I found to my surprise a roll called "MPD", named after the Melbourne Police Department who requested their own personalized roll.
At Kotobuke in Gainesville, the menu offers a wide variety of choices that were obviously created to suit a Western taste. Rolls such as the "E.T. Roll", "Hunky Dory Roll", "U.F. Roll", "Japanese Bagel Roll", and "Sushi Pizza Roll" are favorites among the cliental. "All this is difficult to make and has an unpleasant taste," is the comment of one sushi master chef in Tokyo (Terzani 76). "[It] is good enough for foreigners who
have not got a finely-developed palate. But our Japanese customers come back to real sushi after a few experiments [with the Western style]" (Terzani 76).
The status of the Sushi chef has also changed in American society. In Japanese culture, the chef retains an elevated position compared to other cooks. A highly trained and masterful person, the Sushi chef’s high rank is treated with respect and admiration (Lo). The art of sushi making is taken very seriously in Japanese society and great detail is put into each and every product. A true sushi roll will have all the grains of rice pointing in the same direction. This technique of shaping the rice can only be learned through years of training (Terzani 76). Women are not permitted to become Sushi chefs since the Japanese believe that only cool male hands are the right temperature to deal with and shape the sticky rice (Terzani 76).
Going back to etiquette in the sushi bar, the chef should only deal with making sushi and sashimi and should not be bothered with other services. Beverages, appetizers, soups, salads, and the check should only be requested from the waitress. "The United States’ casual society often breaks this rule and in most Sushi establishments, you won’t raise too many eyebrows if you order drinks from the Sushi chef" (Lo). However, this practice in Japan is a different story.
Although sushi’s introduction to the Western world has been highly successful, this achievement is only in respects to consumption. Sushi as an art form has greatly lost its value and popularity among Americans. In Hideyuki Oka’s book, "How to Wrap Five More Eggs", he states, "The art of Japanese packaging has been disappearing almost as fast as my interest in it has increased". Americans order, eat and digest the sushi without even the slightest appreciation for the art involved in it. Within the Japanese family, or ura, they generally eat plain food, without much concern for its appearance. However, when serving guests or eating in a formal restaurant, much care is taken in the artful arrangement ("Japan"). With careful precision and some time, sushi can depict flowers, butterflies, and leaves. "They are whispered evidence of the Japanese ability to create beauty from the simplest products of nature" (Oka 9).
Many Americans cannot grasp this love of nature and the need to make food beautiful (Oka 12). The Japanese regard all things as being of value and see the food on the table as meaning something. The art of presentation became a sacred ritual that was meant to appeal to all the five senses and create a personal relationship between the host and his guests (Terzani intro.) Sushi as an art form is so treasured that decorated sushi is often given away as gifts and presents in Japan (Terzani 80). Packaged sushi expresses love in the effort and time it took to make it and is very popular in Japan today. In American society, however, sushi as a present would be absurd and not really appreciated.
A slight variation on sushi is the Japanese hors d’oeuvre called sashimi. Sashimi is the freshest of raw fish, served in slices and eaten without any rice or vegetables (Terzani 24). Eaten in Japan as early as the sixteenth century, sashimi is a favorite among locals. Delicacies such as amoeba, sake, and even the infamous puffer fish fugu, are pricey specialties in Japan. Since the risk of microbes and bacteria is high due to the raw fish, sashimi is always served with wasabi, which is believed to prevent fish poisoning (Terzani 24). Although sashimi is not far off from sushi in basic structure, it did not experience the same popularity as sushi did. Perhaps this is due to the American habit of rarely trying foods that "don’t look appetizing". Sushi’s main ingredient is rice, which many Americans are familiar with. Therefore, sushi is not as foreign as sashimi, which makes sushi easier to accept. Sashimi, on the other hand, incorporates nothing appealing to the eye and is often viewed as slimy, gross, and too raw.
In conclusion, many of the things that we enjoy in our society today--we owe to other countries. With foreign cars, video games, and cartoons circulating everyday, sushi is without a doubt just as influential. Websites such as Japanime.com and Japan-shop.com only make the assimilation easier. These organizations were established for the sole purpose of providing Japanese goods to people outside of Japan—to make the Japanese culture more readily accessible. Sushi is certainly one aspect of Japanese culture that has gained much popularity in the United States. It has evolved throughout the centuries and has become the delicacy people all over the country enjoy today. Partly due to its nutritional value and partly due to its unique taste, sushi is one cuisine that cannot be substituted.
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"Fuku Sushi Japanese Restaurant." http://www.vic-biz.com/fukusushi/
Bibliography
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