4111 Voltaire St.
San Diego, CA 92109
(Between Ocean Beach and Point Loma)
Tel: 619-223-3388

Please visit our new
location in Santee!

8790 Cuyamaca Rd
Santee, CA 92017
Tel: 619-562-5151

Copyright 2006 Kirin Sushi

Wasabi [Eutrema wasabi]

Wasabi is a native Japanese plant found around clear spring water. Shogun Iyeyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616) started cultivating wasabi in 16th Century and spread the method all over Japan. Its root is grated to be used as a condiment for sushi, sashimi or soba noodle. Its distinctive pungent taste is a result of enzyme action. It has been widely used when eating raw fish because of its effect of killing germs and parasites. It is said that wasabi also helps digestion. Wasabi powder is commonly used, but is a substitution made from dyed horse radish. The term "hon-wasabi" is used to distinguish the real one from the substitutions. As you have guessed it, hon-wasabi is available at Sushi Zen.



Shari

Sushi rice is called "shari" (means a tiny piece of Buddha's bone) because of its shape resemblance and preciousness. It is a basic part of preparing sushi, yet requires special skill to make good one. There used to be specialists called "shari-ya" who devoted himself in making sushi rice in large sushi shops in Japan. Good sushi rice has a delicate balance of sweetness and sourness, proper firmness and stickiness, and it shines like a pearl.
Aged rice is usually preferred to make sushi rice. The cooking method called "yudaki" where rice is cooked with hot water is used widely among sushi shops in Japan. Cooked rice is marinated with "awase-su" (mixture of rice vinegar, sugar and salt), then kept at the right temperature (about the temperature of human skin) and humidity.




More knowledge coming soon.