Hoping for a resurgent Japan and its cuisine

I too have been deeply saddened by the recent natural disasters in Japan. My deepest condolences to those who have lost loved ones and I do hope all the survivors will recover and be well. I also hope that any Long Islanders who were in Japan at the time are safe and sound.

Prior to these most unfortunate events, there was an upsurge in Long Islanders heading out to Japan, taking in their fabulous gardens, enjoying their accommodating hospitality, and above all their “kosher” fish menus.

Hopefully, tourists and even diners and shoppers in the Five Towns will continue to enjoy the popular Asian Fusion and sushi restaurants and fresh sushi and sashimi offerings in Key Food and the kosher Brach’s supermarkets.

I have been aware of the recent concerns over the safety of the fish but have been assured that the stock has been cleared for consumption and declared safe by all the necessary health authorities.

A “Condé Nast Traveler” magazine feature ‘Etiquette 101’ pointed out that being a foreigner in Japan is a double-edged sword where you’re not expected to conform to all the intricacies on Japanese etiquette that Japanese children are engrained with at home, in a restaurant or in their neighborhood locale. Tourists are considered honored guests and are catered to in this land of the ‘rising sun’. But it is certainly a plus to go beyond the basics of skillfully using chopsticks, executing a quick bow, and bestowing a nice gift on your host.

Another helpful source was the author Hiroko Shimbo in his book, “The Sushi Experience “published by Knopf. He starts off with advice that upon entering a restaurant in Japan to tell the chef, “Yuroshiku” which means, “Please take care of us.” You should order as quickly as possible and eat the sushi the minute it comes out and then say “yummy”. There is no set sushi meal; the chef will propose (and you should accept) the season’s freshest offering that include the following:

Clam or Mackerel. You meal will probably begin with lighter, less oily fish and get fatter as it progresses. Don’t eat nigiri with chopsticks. ”Sushi is finger food” and should not be eaten with chopsticks. Additionally the rice will be too loosely packed to be held with chopsticks. Pick up the piece with your thumb toward the bottom and quickly flick it over. Dip it gently, fish side down, in the soy sauce. The rice should not make contact with the sauce. Pop it into your mouth and cut it in one bite. Add wasabi VERY sparingly, if at all — using it implies the chef hasn’t properly seasoned his rice. And if the chef has used a more complicated sauce for the nigiri, using too much soy sauce would also insult him.

Sardine. Much of what you get will depend on what was fresh at the market that day. One thing you will not see in Japan is salmon. Do not ask for it. It will displease him.

Skipjack Tuna. An alternative to toro that’s also cheaper and more seasonal. Your chef will be impressed if you forgo the default fatty tuna.

Sashimi. This should be eaten with chopsticks. If you want to season it, place a small dot of wasabi in the middle, fold the fish in half over it, and then dip a corner of the fish into the soy sauce. Do not season to taste if the sashimi comes with its own sauce, as does unagi or eel.

Miso Soup. As a rule you will not be given a spoon. Fish out the bits of food with your chopsticks and then drink the broth in a few quick drafts.

Wasabi. Bottled wasabi (the kind you’ll find at cheap conveyor-belt places) is generally just seasoned horseradish. The real thing is grated with a stone off a large green root. You should almost never blend soy sauce and wasabi. It destroys the root’s potency and results in a muddle of flavors and is not the proper way to eat sushi.

Ginger and Garnish. Ginger is used as a palate cleanser between pieces of fish, not as a sushi topping. Eat the entire garnish as it is thought to aid digestion.

Beer and Sake. Do not pour either for yourself; pour for your companion and then he or she will do the same for you. Men will use one hand when pouring, and women will use both hands.

Whether you’re in Japan or here in the states, here are some admonitions on how to use chopsticks:

Don’t rub them together in a nice restaurant. You only do this in dives, where separating them creates splinters. The rounded kind needs no rubbing, and doing so implies that you think the restaurant is cheap.

Don’t point them at anyone. This is considered even ruder than pointing your fork at someone in a fancy Western restaurant.

Don’t stick them perpendicularly into your rice or anything else. This symbolizes death, because chopsticks are stuck into the urn of a family member’s ashes during a funeral service.

Don’t leave them lying around when not in use. Place them parallel to the table, below your plate on the ceramic block provided by some restaurants.

Again, hopefully Japan and its cuisine will thrive once more. I suggest using Shimbo’s book “The Sushi Experience” to add to your pleasure in visiting Japan, in your own kitchen or local Japanese Fusion Eatery.

Copyright by Marcia Abramson

EMAIL: mascribe@aol.com