The original “fast food”, sushi is a Japanese specialty that has become popular worldwide and for good reason.  Sushi is low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories.  It has high levels of protein and trace minerals.  The toasted seaweed used is rich in iodine and iron.  It is flavorful, portable and versatile.  Though many assume sushi automatically contains raw fish, this is not the case.

The term sushi refers to a variety of dishes based on seasoned rice, delicately flavored with sweet rice vinegar, fresh vegetables, and in some cases, cooked crab, or shrimp, or smoked fish that are formed in a roll with toasted seaweed or into individual bite size pieces.

To help you venture into the world of sushi, here’s a short list of terms.
 

• Nigiri Sushi is perhaps the most well known sushi sometimes due to talk alone.  This sushi is made with a thin slice of raw fish atop a cake of sushi rice seasoned with wasabi.
• Inari Sushi  is a soybean pouch filled with sushi rice.
• Temaki Sushi is hand rolled sushi.
• Maki Sushi, which is a rolled sushi consisting of rice seasoned with rice vinegar and vegetables rolled in seaweed. 
• Nori is the Japanese term for dried seaweed.
• Sashimi Sushi is often served as the first course of a Japanese meal.  It is usually a form of Nigiri Sushi.
• Hosomake and Futomaki are made by combining a variety of ingredients and rolling them in sushi rice and nori. Ingredients can include shrimp, crab, vegetables, raw fish and pickles.  The rolls are then cut into slices and served as a compact, flavorful and easily eaten snack or meal.
• Wasabi or Japanese horseradish, is often a condiment served on and with sushi.  Green in color, wasabi is fiery to the sinuses and quite pungent. Due to its strong taste, the wasabi (nestled between the raw fish vegetables, and rice cake) is sometimes minimized, when served outside Japan.  Many sushi lovers develop a taste for wasabi and add more to both the sushi itself and to the soy sauce for dipping.
• Gari, known as pickled ginger, is served with sushi, but is not meant to be added to the sushi or to soy sauce.  Its purpose is as a palate cleanser, so enjoy a bit between each bite of sushi for a refreshing taste change.

The Japanese consider one portion of sushi to be two bite size pieces.

Sushi may be eaten with chopsticks, or with bare fingers.  It is best served at room temperature on the day of purchase.

Some individuals prefer to dip their sushi in a light soy sauce or a wasabi horseradish sauce.  Others prefer pickled ginger (gari) eaten either with one’s fingers or with chopsticks. Legend has it that spicy ginger cleanses the palate for the flavor burst associated with eating each type of sushi.

California Roll  Consists of seasoned rice, avocado, carrots and cucumber wrapped in seaweed.

Snow Crab Roll  Consists of avocado, cucumber, and real crab with rice and sesame seed wrapped in seaweed.

Remember sushi is a healthy choice, low in fat, cholesterol, sodium and calories.  A typical serving of sushi contains about 2-3 grams of fat, 3-4 mg. of cholesterol, 70 mg. of sodium and 70-90 calories.