The Sushi Trail

Paul Murray

Eating sushi is devouring a history lesson. Once a Japanese chef proudly disclosed to me the historical development of the age-old method of eating in Japan as he was busy preparing my board of delectable sushi.

“In the 7th century in South-East Asia, in the absence of refrigeration, the technique of pickling rice and fish was introduced as a way of preserving food. The lactic acid emitted by the fermenting rice caused the pickling of the pressed fish. This is referred to as Nare-Sushi, a time-consuming, maturing method and process that takes as long as for white wine to mature, anything between two months and longer, even up to a year. But sometimes the wait was too long, so around the 15th century, someone invented a quicker method called Nama-Nare, whereby the pickling process was speeded up, and then, even later, to prevent the rice from fermenting and thus to enable the sushi to be eaten straight away, vinegar was added.”

Sushi as we know it today is born out of these time-honoured traditions.

Sushi is the roll of wrapped rice held together by strips of nori seaweed around ingredients such as slices of fish and avocado, cut into medallions. Sashimi is the term referring to slices of raw fish, especially tuna and salmon. The combination of sushi and sashimi served together developed from the sushi stalls in Tokyo in the early 1800s. During the Second World War in Japan, the portable stall emerged as a kind of fast food venue. Gradually, in the 20th century, sushi was exported around the world, and today there are many varieties to choose from. The most common forms are Nigiri-Sushi (hand-shaped sushi), Oshi-Sushi (pressed sushi) and Maki-Sushi (rolled sushi). These different forms of sushi, together with sashimi and other accompanying ingredients, all add to making the experience of eating sushi a combination of the appreciation of bright colours, delicious tastes and sensations. As a food writer once said: “Just the history of these rolled treasures warrants a taste, so give in and enjoy an authentic Japanese edible art form.”

When I embarked on my sushi trail, I never realised just how many places there are in Cape Town that serve sushi - too many to mention. There are the sushi restaurants that have been around for a long time, such as the very popular Willoughby’s at the Waterfront, the personal and unpretentious Maz in the Adelphi Centre in Main Road Sea Point, that serves delectable sushi, and then the friendly, excellent Minato in Buiten Street off Upper Long Street, not forgetting the elegant Wasabi in the Old Village Centre in the Constantia Shopping Centre. Then there are others that are newer establishments, such as the trendy Wakame on Beach Road in Mouille Point, which serves divine sushi. Furthermore, there are a few restaurants that have added sushi bars to the existing establishments, such as at JB Rivers in Cavendish Square, where the sushi I had the other day, prepared by Jacky, was delightful.

Eating sushi seems to be quite fashionable at the moment. It is also a healthy way of eating. Many people suffering from CHD (coronary heart disease) tend to be opting for food containing omega-3 fatty acids such as the fish used in making sushi and sashimi.

My introduction to Sushi was with Chutney. Sushi was the younger of the two beautiful golden Labradors of James, my student. No doubt they were named thus because of the colour of their coats. My first sushi-eating experience followed on from a series of visits to Willoughby’s at the Waterfront in Cape Town, where my favourite dish on the bill of fare was curried prawns, served in an open pan, with the delicate tastes of fresh ginger and lemon grass accompanied by a glass of chilled chardonnay.

I arrived one evening at Willoughby’s, where I was usually most comfortable eating said curried prawns, when my eyes fell on the pair of expert hands rolling, stuffing and arranging pieces of pretty looking things on a wooden board that resembled a Japanese landscape. I would not be the only human taking inspiration from Japanese landscapes, I thought, as I recalled my art teacher explaining how Picasso had been inspired by Japanese landscape paintings. (By the way, Likeng Tan, my Chinese tutee, when I was discussing my column on sushi with my tutor group at school one day, revealed that, as is the case with me, his introduction to sushi was at Willoughby’s. How much closer do you get than a Cantonese enjoying Japanese fare?)

One of the features of sushi and sashimi is certainly the aesthetic dimension. It rubbed off on French Nouvelle Cuisine, which “borrowed greatly from Japanese culinary aesthetics”. Kisetsukan (Japanese for “sympathy with nature”) is strongly reflected in the way of presenting food in Japanese culture. The appearance of the dish must echo nature and so each dish must therefore be a mini-landscape, reflecting flavour in a graceful way.

This justifies the three years a Japanese trainee chef needs to train just to cut fish, and the seven years to become a true Itamae-San (expert chef). (By the way, long ago the training period was ten years.) It was interesting to learn from the friendly chef at Willoughby’s about the texture of the fish. Saltwater fish are preferred above freshwater fish because the latter are prone to carrying parasites, which can be killed only by cooking. If eaten raw, freshwater fish can cause food poisoning. I recall reading about a case, which was investigated by the FDA, of food poisoning in the Los Angeles area where each person suffering from the complaint had eaten in the same sushi bar and where the salmon had come from a specific lake in Alaska.

Of course you do not have to leave it solely in the hands of the chef. What about trying to make your own, or fish the fish yourself? If you are catching fish from a boat, make sure that it is handled correctly from the time it is caught. Bleed the fish the moment it is landed, and place it on ice, keeping the fish below five degrees at all times. The only time the fish is meant to reach room temperature is just before serving. Remember to wash the fish in clean water!

If you want to make your own sashimi, begin by slicing the fish very thinly, going to thicker pieces as you become more of an expert. Have the sushi prepared and the soya sauce for dipping. Essential condiments include wasabi, the spicy green horseradish, and pickled ginger.

According to an old Japanese saying, as you transgress the borders of a foreign culture, such as by eating sushi and sashimi, you are greatly blessed by your adventurous spirit.

29/1/2004

boontoe / to the top

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