Sushi, wasabi, soy sauce
As far as I know, in Japan, wasabi is automatically inserted, by the chef, between the slice of fish and the rice in a piece of sushi. Hence, all the diner has to do is to dip the piece of sushi (holding it with chopsticks such that its the fish portion that is dipped into the sauce) before savouring it.
I vaguely remember that when I first had sushi in Singapore, it did have wasabi within it. However, soon enough, chefs there and in Malaysia forwent wasabi and instead provided it to diners to add it to their liking. Perhaps there were complaints of sushi being "too spicy" due to wasabi? *shrug*
Anyway, not sure how it came about but what prevailed till today was the act of mixing wasabi and soy sauce in a saucer before dipping sushi in it. Apparently this is something frowned upon by Japanese and anyone who appreciates Japanese culture. One reason is that this method severely masks the taste of the fish which is supposed to be the main ingredient.
However, given that wasabi is left out by chefs in making sushi, how can one remedy this? One way is to do this:
Yes, separate them. Take some wasabi and place it on a side of the sushi. Then dip the sushi piece (remember it's the side where the fish is) in the soy sauce, without the wasabi sullying the sauce.
I tried it the last few times I had sushi. I admit that it had much less "kick". Somehow wasabi that is already mixed in soy sauce is spicier. However, it does result in a a different taste. I can taste the fish more clearly and thus better in differentiating the different fishes.
Obviously the overall taste is milder but I'll continue this way for a while.
I vaguely remember that when I first had sushi in Singapore, it did have wasabi within it. However, soon enough, chefs there and in Malaysia forwent wasabi and instead provided it to diners to add it to their liking. Perhaps there were complaints of sushi being "too spicy" due to wasabi? *shrug*
Anyway, not sure how it came about but what prevailed till today was the act of mixing wasabi and soy sauce in a saucer before dipping sushi in it. Apparently this is something frowned upon by Japanese and anyone who appreciates Japanese culture. One reason is that this method severely masks the taste of the fish which is supposed to be the main ingredient.
However, given that wasabi is left out by chefs in making sushi, how can one remedy this? One way is to do this:
Yes, separate them. Take some wasabi and place it on a side of the sushi. Then dip the sushi piece (remember it's the side where the fish is) in the soy sauce, without the wasabi sullying the sauce.
I tried it the last few times I had sushi. I admit that it had much less "kick". Somehow wasabi that is already mixed in soy sauce is spicier. However, it does result in a a different taste. I can taste the fish more clearly and thus better in differentiating the different fishes.
Obviously the overall taste is milder but I'll continue this way for a while.
Comments
Kurotsuchi Mayuri, memang lah :P