One of the national Japanese delicacies is sushi, which has been eaten for many centuries. Today they are becoming more popular in the West. This delicious dish contains very few calories, quite rich in vitamins, protein and carbohydrates. Sushi is made from various types of toppings, cut into small pieces and served, beautifully laid out on a plate. The name “sushi” itself comes from the words “SU” - “vinegar”, “SHI” - “mastery of hands”.
The main ingredient in sushi and its derivatives is special rice. The choice of fillings is simply huge and is not limited only to fish. But it is vinegar for sushi ( sushi-su, su, sushinomoto) that is without a doubt considered the most important spice in the process of preparing this dish. Rice vinegar is an important addition to all Asian cuisine. It is used not only for sushi, but also for pickling meat and fish, as well as in the preparation of offal.
Sushi-tsu or vinegar for sushi is created by mixing one or more rice liquids with other seasonings. Professional chefs make it their own, creating an unsurpassed product in taste and smell. Another such acetate can be purchased in specialized stores. Despite being light in taste, apple cider vinegar is not recommended as a substitute. White acetate is also not suitable, because it has a too strong aroma that can drown out the dominant taste of sushi. According to gourmets, rice vinegar is softer and not as acidic as apple or wine. In addition, it perfectly stimulates the appetite.
Typically, sushi vinegar is made from fermented rice, corn or wheat. Another variety of this seasoning is a mixture of rice vinegar, wheat, fermented glutinous rice and corn. By the way, sushi rice vinegar is obtained from fermented rice and sour wine. Still add water. This acetate is the most famous Japanese product.
Depending on the type of rice, vinegar may be white or red. Sometimes it is seasoned with soy sauce, ginger, dried mackerel flakes, sesame seeds, onions, horseradish, hot pepper or mustard. There is also black vinegar, which is made from wheat, sorghum and millet. Salt, both simple and sea salt, is always included in the recipe for spices. Sugar is added in order to sweeten the liquid, but more characteristic is the use of sweet rice wine or mirin as a sweetener. Sake, another type of rice wine, is also added to sushi vinegar, just like seaweed. If additional flavors are included, the vinegar should be simmered, where the ingredients are gradually added. If algae is not used, all components of vinegar are mixed and heated so that any alcohol evaporates during heating. Like all typical additives, sushi vinegar usually tastes better if cooked several days before use. When preparing sushi, acetate is added directly to rice when it is still hot. Then it is mixed and spice is added again to prevent sticking.
It is worth noting that sushi vinegar can be of different types: Mitsukan - a mixture of vinegar, sugar and salt, Kikkoman - ready-made spicy acetate and Sushinokopulver - a mixture of otset, sugar and salt in powder form.
To make sushi vinegar, the recipe for which is quite simple, you need ¼ cup of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of sea salt, which can be replaced with ordinary table salt . Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan, dissolve over low heat, stirring constantly. Without bringing the mixture to a boil, cool it at room temperature. In the process of cooking, be careful with sugar, so as not to burn or spoil the taste of otset.