Three Things You Probably Didn't Know About Sushi
Sushi is perhaps the most popular seafood. Like many other people, what you might have heard about sushi might have made you curious enough to want to try this dish.
Before you set out for your first sushi experience, you might want to learn a thing or two about the dish. Here are three interesting facts you probably don't know about sushi.
Sushi Is Not Raw Fish
This will probably come as a shocker to many. You've probably always thought that the term sushi refers to a plate of raw fish served with various accompaniments. In the real sense sushi refers to the entire dish whose main ingredient is vinegared rice.
Many people falsely believe that sushi is raw fish because the vinegared rice is often served with various types of fish. The fish component that may be served with sushi is referred to as sashimi. Also, sashimi doesn't necessarily have to be part of the ingredient list for the preparation of sushi.
You might also be surprised to find out that sashimi doesn't necessarily have to be raw. For example, unagi sushi is served with cooked eel and it's quite popular. In fact, it's so popular that freshwater eels were included in the list of endangered fish species in Japan.
The Original Form Of Sushi Was Made Using Fermented Rice
Narezushi (fermented sushi) is considered the original sushi and is famous for its sour taste. Before the advent of refrigeration, natives of South East Asia would preserve fish by salting it and wrapping it in fermenting rice. Thanks to the fermenting rice, the fish would remain edible for months on end. The fish would later be eaten while the fermented rice would be thrown away. Today, funa-zushi is perhaps the most common type of fermented sushi available to seafood lovers
Narezushi has since grown into the several varieties of the sushi that are available from seafood restaurants today.
Sushi Is Not The Best Dish For Expectant Women
Pregnant women are often advised to be careful about the type of sushi that they eat. Raw fish is known to contain high quantities of mercury and exposure to mercury leaves unborn children vulnerable to various complications. These include brain damage, hearing problems and problems related to vision.
Expectant women are advised to eat sushi made using fish species that contain lower quantities of the harmful metal. These include eel, crab and salmon.
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