Some perceive Japanese cuisine as something completely familiar. A festive trip to the restaurant, ordering a snack in the office - all this is quite common. But even today there are those who have never tried sushi and have no idea which rolls are the most delicious. But I want to start acquaintance with the unique cuisine of the Land of the Rising Sun with a positive experience so that the ordered dish does not disappoint, but delights.
The first trip to the sushi bar
If you were invited to a Japanese restaurant and you are afraid to appear ignorant, rather proceed to the study of materiel! Of course, even the most detailed article will not help you find out which rolls are the most delicious, but at least give an idea of ​​the features of Japanese cuisine.
Try to remember a few names of the most common types of rolls, as well as the culture of consumption of Asian delicacies. You can easily make a choice, enjoy a delicious meal and leave the most pleasant impressions about your first trip to the sushi restaurant.
Down with the stereotypes!
Among those who cannot decide to taste the rolls, there are many people who are convinced of their unacceptable composition. They say that the Japanese prepare their dishes from raw fish, live octopuses, poisonous mushrooms and other completely indigestible foods. If you are sure of something like that, then there are a lot of sushi to surprise you with. As part of gourmet dishes, you will find quite familiar ingredients: salted or smoked salmon, baked eel, cucumber, cream cheese. Of course, familiar tastes are emphasized by specific oriental seasonings. The first rule - when ordering a roll, read the composition and focus on products that you like.
Menu guide: how not to get confused?
The menu of a good restaurant always indicates the products of which the rolls are made. But the hint can be given by the names of Japanese dishes themselves. For the first time reading them, you probably will not be able to get rid of thoughts about Chinese literacy - after all, this is how a set of obscure characters is often called. However, in words unusual for Slavic rumors, there is a strict system. The names characterize the dish:
- Hosomaki - small rolls consisting of rice, nori and one ingredient as a filling (cucumber, avocado, tuna, salmon).
- Futomaki - large multi-component rolls.
- Mosaic poppies - rolls with a unique block design, decorated with tobiko caviar.
- Uramaki - “inside out” rolls, wrapped not in nori, but in salmon, trout, cucumber slices or boned in sesame, caviar, tuna flakes.
- Spring rolls are not wrapped in seaweed sheets, but in omelettes, pancakes or rice paper.
- Spicy rolls are usually sharp - because of the spice sauce.
- Tempura - baked or fried rolls that are served hot.
This cheat sheet will help you determine what are the most delicious sushi and rolls. Reviews from more experienced friends are, of course, also informative, but you should always consider your own culinary preferences.
Turn on receptors
Surely you know that along with the rolls, the Japanese serve ginger and two sauces: wasabi and soy. This is not a complete list of additional ingredients. In Japanese cuisine, only 52 basic sauces are known! Harmonize with rolls unagi, mirin, oyster sauce, teriyaki. But do not try to immediately understand all the secrets, it is better to start with a simple one.
Therefore, grab the chopsticks with several petals of pickled ginger, put in your mouth and chew thoroughly. The spicy taste will excite your receptors, neutralize the aftertaste from the dishes and drinks that you have tasted before and will perfectly prepare you for a meeting with the beautiful. Now you can with full responsibility begin to research on it "What are the most delicious rolls."
Easy start
Leave the huge multicomponent sets for later. An excellent solution for the first time can be just a small and concise roll of Hosomaki. You can appreciate the taste of nori, rice base and the main ingredient, as well as try a combination of these components with each other and with sauces. Start with soy, and add the wassabi later, stacking a small seed on the roll. Is a harmonious union wrong?
One dish is not enough to determine which sushi rolls are the most delicious. Perhaps the time has come to try something more interesting?
Fancy combinations
The next step may be to get acquainted with the classics. It is noteworthy that several of the most popular rolls in the world, which are deservedly considered the most delicious, were not invented by Japanese sushi at all, but by their colleagues from the United States. About "Philadelphia" and "California" must have heard even those who have just started acquaintance with refined oriental cuisine. By the way, those who decided to find out which rolls are the most delicious, reviews of avid sushi lovers will tell you that almost everyone likes California and Philadelphia.
Their composition is similar, both rolls belong to the category of uramaki. "California" is prepared from crab meat, avocado and cucumber, and is decorated with small orange caviar (tobiko or capelin). “Philadelphia” is based on the most delicate cream cheese and cucumber, and the roll is wrapped in thin layers of salted salmon. As you can see, not a single product that would seem too unusual.
The aesthetic side of the issue
It’s important not only which rolls are the most delicious, but also etiquette. Practice using chopsticks in advance. Remember some taboos that are simply unacceptable. For example, rolls should never be used to bite sake. The Japanese do not serve rice dishes with rice drinks at all. You can’t take rolls with your hands, but a man is allowed to use a fork. Do not put pieces cut off from different rolls in one plate. Compliance with etiquette will help you enjoy a great meal and find your favorite types of rolls among the assortment.