OISHII is delicious!

OISHII!

                                  Sanbiki's Masa Roll looks delicious and it is!

If it's "OISHII" it's got to be good! Oishii translates as "delicious". Hopefully you won't hear "MAZUI" often. The opposite of yum, "mazui" means yuck/horrible!

Japanese also may use gestures to show their appreciation of a good meal. While uncommon outside Asia, slurping ones noodles is a signal to the Chef that they are being enjoyed. When they are served in hot soup, this also helps cools the noodles as they make their way down your throat.

                This ain't your white Momma's table...slurp up and enjoy!

Many Japanese believe in completely cleaning their bowl, reluctant to waste even a single grain of rice. Excessive or wasteful use of soy sauce is similarily frowned upon. Drowning your sushi in soy sauce in front of a Japanese sushi chef (ITAMAE) is a good way to offend him...

                            Just a little soy sauce on the edge of the fish is enough

A few more'sushi ettiquette" pointers...

The more time we spend in and around Japanese people and restaurants, the more phrases and expressions begin to sound familiar. Naturally we are curious to know who's saying what..  You'll probably be greeted with IRASSHAIMASU! Welcome!
Other phrases you'll hear include...

                                                        KANPAI!

                       Beer, sake or wine; the battle cry is the same....KANPAI!

"Cheers" is sometimes heard as well. The Italian "Cin Cin" may elicit a giggle or a gasp depending on your Japanese table guests. Cin cin in Japanese slang refers to a male body part...one that generally hangs below waist level, if you get my drift....

"ITADAKIMASU!" is said before the start of a meal. It means "I gratefully receive".

                                Even cartoon characters give thanks before a meal!

And after eating......"GO CHISO SAMA" ("It was a feast") You can say this in thanks to your Chef or hosts when you leave as well.

Next time we'll cover "sushi terms 101". Is "sake" something you eat or drink? Both! Stay tuned...

Umami

UMAMI is often referred to as the "5th" taste. Sweet, salty, sour and bitter are considered to be the 4 "primary" tastes. "Umami" in Japanese translates as "deliciousness". Foods high in "umami" have a full flavoured savouriness and unique mouth feel that can be difficult to describe. "Yummy" works...

     Seaweed, mushrooms, tomato, parmesan cheese and cured meats are foods high in "umami"

For many centuries, the received wisdom was that all flavours were a combination of the 4 primary tastes. At about the same time however, a Japanese scientist named Ikeda and the famous French Chef Auguste Escoffier were having their doubts. Escoffier was in the process of revoloutionizing French cooking. He had invented a heavily reduced veal stock that formed the basis for many of his sauces. His customers were going wild over his new creations. "Like nothing they'd ever tasted before..."

   Continuously cooking, straining and reducing the veal stock concentrates the flavours 
            and is the starting point for hundreds of Escoffier's most famous recipes

Oceans away, Ikeda-san was puzzling over what it was that made his wife's homemade dashi stock taste so damn good. Dashi is the starting point for many Japanese soups, sauces and recipes and is made from dried tuna, seaweed and small anchovies. It wasn't a salty taste, but richer; complex and more flavourful. And it certainly didn't fall under the categories of sweet, sour or bitter, so what exactly was it?

        Making Japanese dashi the traditional way. Unlike most French stocks, dashi is quick 
                            to make and does not need to be reduced

Years of lab work paid off and in 1908 Ikeda succeeded in isolating an amino acid that is a "glutamate" or glutamic acid. Glutamic acid is tasteless. Until you break it down by cooking, curing, fermenting or ripening the food in question. The deconstructed glutamate ("L" or "D" glutamate) is what lights up your tastebuds. It also combines with the foods that it is prepared with and makes them taste better as well.

   Fresh fish is delicious, but low in glutamates. A drop of soy sauce is a "U-bomb"; a powerful source of umami that elevates sushi from so-so to spectacular

Back in France, Chef Escoffier was also hard at work. By cooking down veal bones and vegetables, he had hit on a highly effective way of drawing out and concentrating umami in his stocks, which formed the base for his sauces. His use of tomatoes, mushrooms and cheeses (all high in glutamates) further elevated the yummy factor in his hundreds of new recipes.

        "Chicken Chasseur" is a classic Escoffier recipe packed with umami rich ingredients

Curing, drying and aging meats and cheeses builds umami and boosts the flavour factor in these foods. A thin slice of a well-aged sausage or fine cheese atop a slice of fresh bread is a simple, savoury delight. In the past, curing, drying and fermenting foods also helped preserve them without refrigeration.

                      Italy, Spain and Germany are famous for their sausages and cured meats

Some of our favourite dishes are superb combinations of foods naturally high in glutamates. Think of a ceaser salad. Crisp lettuce by itself is blah. It's the dressing that makes it. Anchovies and parmesan cheese are packed with umami.

Bacon is another "U bomb'. Probably why it ends up in salads and sandwichs; on burgers and pizzas; even finding it's way into ice cream and chocolate. Is it the umami in bacon that allows it to make almost anything taste good?

                  Bacon Maple Miso Milkshake? From an umami standpoint, it should work......

Tomatoes, mushrooms and potatoes are high in natural glutamates. They pair well with cheeses and these combinations are found in kitchens around the world. Pierogies or piroshki are popular in Russia and eastern Europe. Savoury versions are often stuffed with umami laden potato, mushroom, meat and/or cheese.

Italian cooks have come up with countless recipes incorporating tomato and cheese in pastas, salads and, of course, on pizzas....

Ikeda was the first to chemically isolate and name L-glutamate. But umami rich fermented products have long been a staple for Asian and South East Asian cooks. Soy sauce, fish sauce and fermented bean pastes all pack a powerful umami punch. Thai and Vietnamese Chefs rely on different "fish sauces" to elevate the flavour in their dishes.

Many brands/grades of fish sauce are produced throughout South East Asia

As with olive oil and balsmic vinegars, fish sauce comes in many different "grades". The quality varies depending on the kinds and parts of the fish used, and the production process. Colour is another important factor, and generally speaking, a lighter, golden colour fish sauce is preferred over a dark, coffee-coloured one. Personal preference plays a part; a strong, salty taste pleases one palate while another prefers a sweeter, lighter sauce.

Interestingly, fish sauce was first used in ancient Rome. "Garum" was made using larger fish like tuna and mackerel as well as small fish like anchovies. It's use spread to kitchens across the Roman Empire and beyond.

            The ancient ruins of a Roman fish sauce factory. Fish guts would be removed as quickly as possible, mixed with salt and other ingredients and allowed to ferment in the sun
 Many believe that Britian's famous Worcestershire sauce borrowed from fermented fish sauce recipes originating in ancient times. Impossible to believe? Maybe not....anchovies, tamarind and cloves are all ingredients in the sauce that can season anything....

                                                           "NEW!"....probably not so much....

MSG is a chemical derivative of naturally occuring glutamates. It is also marketed as "Ajinomoto" and other names by companies around the world. It is commonly found in processed fast foods and prepared sauces and seasonings. Many people are looking to avoid MSG consumption and look for "no MSG" added restaurants and packaging. At Sanbiki we do not add MSG to any of our dishes. Instead, we use homemade stocks that harness the natural glutamates in our seaweed, seafood and other ingredients.

"Umami". It sounds very Japanese; very new and trendy. But the glutamates responsible for umami are anything but. Chefs and housewives around the world have long recognized that certain ingredients could be used and combined to develop flavour and add depth to their dishes. Umami's universal appeal is perhaps to be expected. You could say we've developed a taste for glutamates before we develop "taste". As babies in the womb we are surrounded by amniotic fluid that is rich in glutamates. It's also present in our mothers milk!

More next time...

MISO

Nearly everyone who has been in a Japanese restaurant has ordered miso soup. But what are you getting? Chances are you can identify the cubes of tofu that sink to the bottom of the bowl. The tiny rings of green onion floating on the surface are an easy garnish to guess. But the muddy looking paste that is the actual miso? Where did that come from?

                                  Many kinds of miso, all start with the humble soybean

MISO PASTE is made from varying combinations of soybeans, rice, barley and/or other grains. The ingredients are mixed and fermented for anywhere from a few days to several years. "Koji" is added at the beginning and acts as the fermentation culture to start the miso making process. Thousands of different varieies of miso exist, and classifying them can be a challenge. Basically, they can be differentiated by colour and grain type.

                              Red (aka) miso on the left with white (shiro) miso to the right

AKA miso is red miso. A favourite in Tokyo and other areas of Eastern Japan it has a strong, salty flavour due in part to it's relatively long fermentation time. SHIRO miso is sweeter and milder than aka miso. Often called "white" miso, it's commonly used in Osaka and the Kansai area of Western Japan. No hard and fast rules apply regarding the types of miso and how they are used. Misos may be mixed, served in hot or cold preparations, and have a smooth or course texture.

            "Sano Miso" in Tokyo sells hundreds of different miso pastes from all over Japan

Some people make their own miso. It is not difficult, but takes patience and time for the miso to mature. Most Canadians buy prepared miso from their Japanese grocer. Sweeter, mild shiro (white) miso lends itself nicely to seafood marinades and preparations. Red meats stand up well to the strength and saltiness of red miso. Both can be used for miso soup. Other less known but delicious miso pastes include genmai miso made with brown rice. Mugi miso brings barley to the party, and tsubu miso uses whole wheat or barley. Hacho miso is made with almost 100% soybeans and has a rich, earthy flavour. It is almost black in colour.

      Hacho miso ages in 200 year old wooden vats according to a method from 1337

AWASE refers to the "special blend" of misos (usually red and white) that is particular to one family or region. "Awase" means "to adjust", and the proportions of awase miso are altered to suit the tastes and recipes where it is being used. Don't be shy! Try it at home...experimenting is part of the fun.

Miso is excellent for marinating just about anything. Vegetables and tofu served with miso are healthy, tasty meat free options. Japanese eggplant (the long, slender variety) is superb when grilled after a long rest in a miso marinade....

                                            Drooling over my keyboard even as I type...YUM.

MISO SOUP is miso paste mixed with DASHI (a Japanese stock). The soup is often garnished with fresh or deep fried tofu, green onion, spinach or seaweed and in some cases clams or shellfish. A staple in Japan, miso soup can show up at breakfast, lunch or dinner. Many instant varieties are available that do not require refrrigeration.

DASHI is a Japanese stock made from konbu (dried kelp), niboshi (small dried fish) and katsuboshii (shaved, dried tuna). Specialty dashi varieties are available that do not contain seafood (seaweed only and vegan) or ones that are flavoured with mushroom, fish etc. At Sanbiki, we use homemade dashi.

        Masato makes dashi with dried tuna, konbu (kelp) and niboshi (small dried fish)

DIY miso recipes are easy! For soup it is possible to buy DASHI MISO which has dashi stock mixed in with the miso. Just add hot water and garnish. Easy! We sell many kinds of miso at Mori Mori Grocery, but dashi miso is the favourite for fans of miso soup.

You can also buy powdered dashi, (or make it yourself) and then mix it with your preferred miso paste. Be careful not to boil the soup after adding the miso. It is said that boiling miso spoils the taste. High temperatures also kill off the microorganisms that help make miso such a healthy food. Some people add miso to sauces and foods after they have cooled believing this maximizes miso's health benefits.

TIPS

Miso paste can be refrigerated after opening. It lasts a long time (months!) if it's kept covered in the fridge. Like some kinds of cheese, mould that forms on the surface can be scraped off and the product underneath remains usable.

Dashi miso is not usually used for marinating as it has a seafood stock already added. It is only used for miso soup.

Miso soup is not eaten with a spoon in Japan. It is entirely acceptable to drink from the bowl, using one's chopsticks to pick out any tasy solid tidbits in the soup.

Miso can be used by iteself (or combined with mayonaisse) for a deliciously different dip. Cucumber, carrots and other veggies work especially well!

DONBURI

The first part of DONBURI names usually indicate the tasty rice topping. "DON" refers to the method of delivery, the rice bowl. So Ten ("tempura") + Don (bowl) = TENDON!

Tempura veggies and or seafood over rice with a sweet and savoury sauce. TENDON, like other donburi are often eaten with a small vegetable side dish or salad and a bowl of miso soup (as below)

Beef ("gyu") is simmered with onions in a sweet soy based sauce to become GYUDON. A little salty pickled ginger gives the flavour a final kick.

KATSUDON
A Japanese take on a "schnitzel". A pork cutlet ("katsu") is breaded in a crispy breadcrumb ("panko") batter and may be served with tonkatsu sauce. The sauce is savoury with a hint of worcester and fruit. With katsudon, an egg is added in the final minutes of cooking and the dish is garnished with green or fried onions.

UNADON

Grilled or BBQ freshwater eel is "unagi". Pop a few thick slices onto a bowl of steaming hot rice and garnish with sansho (a Japanese peppery herb) Voila! UNADON...

 

OYAKODON

Many cultures (and thus cusines) have certain foods that are considered "taboo" to serve. One of the best known is the Jewish reference to "not boiling a kid in it's mothers milk". A "child" is never served alongside it's "mother". This is reversed in Japan. OYAKODON roughly translates as "mother and child" and consists of chicken cooked with egg, veggies and seasonings.

IKURADON is similar in the sense that slices of salmon sashimi are served with salmon roe over seasoned sushi rice.

Other "sushi bowls" include CHIRASHI, NEGITORODON and TEKKADON. Sushi rice is used instead of hot steamed rice and topped with raw fish and seafood. CHIRASHI often has tamago (omelette), unagi (eel) and veggies mixed in with sushi rice on the bottom, and is topped off with slices of mixed sashimi. Sanbiki's chirashi (below) is a customer favourite. 

NEGITORODON is made with fatty tuna (toro) and finely chopped spring onion (negi) Like other donburi, sushi bowls are popular "Grab and Go" meals for busy bodies.

TEKKADON has raw tuna (not fatty) that is sometimes marinated with soy, sesame or a spicy sauce before being put over rice. Finely cut nori (dried seaweed) garnishes the tekkadon below.

Unlike sushi or sashimi, no special etiquette or rules pertain to eating and enjoying donburi. Japanese people do not themselves pour soy sauce directly on to plain white rice but it may be added sparingly to donburi if desired. And of course never leave you chopsticks sticking straight out of the rice bowl. This is how offerings are presented to the dead!

 Instead rest your chopsicks on the rim of the bowl or on the "hashioki" (chopstick rest) that may be provided. If one is not provided in a restaurant, some Japanese will fashion their own from the chopstick wrapper....

 More soon! Enjoy DONBURI sit down at Sanbiki or visit Mori Mori for Grab and Go sushi and bowls. Made fresh daily!

Sashimi

SASHIMI roughly translates as "pierced body". Usually raw product, but sometimes cooked. Most often creatures that come from the sea; but those raised on a farm, or foods from the field are certainly not unheard of. No rice invloved. Slices of the finest product a Japanese Chef can procur for his guests goes under the name of "MORIAWASE". A mixed plate of the best available sashimi items.

An example of Sanbiki's "Moriawase" sashimi includes (left to right); Big Eye tuna, squid, tamago (savoury omelette), BC Albacore tuna and Sockeye salmon)

MAGURO refers generally to tuna. In Canada, salmon and tuna are bestsellers. BC Albacore is a wonderful, sustainable "white" tuna that has a mild flavour and melts in your mouth. "Red tuna" is usually Big Eye or Ahi and has a meaty texture and deeper flavour than Albacore. The very expensive, very delicious King of Tuna is the Bluefin. Sadly it has been fished to near extinction in most of the waters where it was once plentiful. Big eye is an excellent alternative and our choice for the "red" tuna we serve at Sanbiki.

Big Eye Sashimi, hook and line caught from the Pacific. Sustainable sashimi!

"SAKE" or salmon, has traditionally not been served raw in Japan. Usually it is prepared salted and grilled. Salmon can harbour parasites that can cause serious illness if not destroyed by cooking or freezing the fish. No doubt there were more than a few cases of food poisoning that made past Japanese Chefs realize salmon was not the best candidate for sashimi/sushi fans! Nowadays, all salmon served as sashimi must be  frozen under Health Department regulations. This ensures the fish is safe to be consumed raw.

                                             Wild Sockeye salmon sashimi at Sanbiki

Other popular sashimi seafood includes "HOTATE" (Scallop) In Japan the best of the best scallops come form the North (Hokkaido and northern Honshuu) Firm and sweet they are sometimes garnished with TOBIKO or flying fish roe. The tiny orange or gold eggs add a touch of saltiness and provide a splash of colour.

                                               Scallop Sashimi from Aomori in Northern Japan

"HIRAME" translates as "flounder", although in Japan there are many different species, large and small served as sashimi. "TAI" is another delicate "white fish" that is perhaps the most prized fish in Japan and a symbol of good luck. Like many fish, some parts are served raw as sashimi or sushi, but nothing goes to waste. The head and cheeks are often grilled, and any leftover bits and pieces find their way into hot pots or stocks.

                                 Like many "white fish", HIRAME is served very thinly sliced with a ponzu (citrus  soy) dipping sauce. Wasabi and straight soy would destroy the fish's delicate flavours.
                             
SABA is mackerel. A fish with a high oil content, it is often lightly cured in a vinegar mix before serving. This balances the natural oiliness of the fish. Very finely chopped fresh ginger or green onion commonly accompanies saba sashimi. Again, it adds a lovely fresh, herbal note to the dish.

Saba sashimi

IKA is squid. Sometimes served completely raw, but often blanched or seared to make the texture firmer and crunchy.

                                                    Ika sashimi right out of the sea!

Another member of the "cephalopod clan" is TAKO (octopus) For sashimi and sushi the octopus is often blanched to transform some of the creature's chewiness into crunchiness. Squid, octopus and cuttlefish may be large or small species and adults or babies depending on where and when they are served.

Octopus ("Tako") sashimi

TORO is the fatty belly of the tuna and melts in your mouth. Interestingly, toro is a realtive newcomer to the sashimi plate. Fatty tuna used to be considered lower quality than the lean loin part of the tuna. Some people say that as Japan opened up trading and ties to Western countries, richer, fatty foods becamer more prized. As tastes changed, people began to appreciate the fatty tuna.

Various cuts/grades of toro show their differing fat contents and marbling

Horse meat is uncommon in North America but in Japan it can be found served raw as sashimi. Again different marbling and fattiness can be seen in the various cuts.

Basashi (horse meat) sashimi

TAMAGO is a slightly sweet and savory omelette that also finds its way on to sashimi plates. Many Japanese sushi fans will order tamago to start their meal when they visit an unfamiliar sushi bar. It is said that if the Chef can handle the preparation of tamago well, then chances are other sashimi will be delicious.

Tamago is prepared using a special rectangular "omelette" pan

Sushi and sashimi quality seafood can be difficult to obtain outside of Japan. Most Western countries insist that all seafood served in raw preparations be frozen to ensure that potentially harmful parasites are destroyed. This is particularly important with salmon and certain kinds of reef fish. It may surprise some Canadian sushi fans, but studies have shown that over 90% of the seafood served in their local Japanese restaurant was frozen at some point. Usually the quality is also better if a fish is Frozen-At-Sea (FAS) and stays frozen until it is ready to be served.

In Japan fresh is of course preferred. However eating good sashimi and sushi in Japan involves taking the Chefs advice on what is in season, locally sourced and delicious. What you find on a menu in Japan varies widely depending on where you are and the time of year. Of course, some frozen product is used in Japan and Canada exports lots of frozen tuna, Spot Prawns and other seafoods abroad.

                                    Frozen sashimi quality seafood is available at Mori Mori Grocery

IKIZUKURI is the somewhat contraversial preparation of live seafood. A Chef will pluck an unfortunate creature from a tank, slice up the body (leaving the internal organs intact) and reassemble the body to be consumed by waiting diners. Lobster is also served this way. Antennae weaving even as his body is consumed...

There are many more kinds of sashimi out there. Sanbiki has all your favourites and we always have sustainably-sourced options available. In season, we can also sometimes get specialty items like UNI (Sea Urchin Roe) Hope to see you soon for Sashimi Supper!