Sushi Confidential: The Futomaki
Sushi Confidential
Yes, sometimes I make single grain sushi because I’m a total chach. I like playing with food. It’s probably my favorite thing to do when it’s slow.
It’s weird and a fault of mine. I can tell you about hamachi, what it looks like pending on what section of the filet you cut it from because it doesn’t always look the same. I could tell you how it tastes, if it’s lean, and how it’s skin is a little thicker than kanpachi so skinning it, you have to be gentle not to bruise the meat while also putting enough pressure to get the blade under the skin, not too much or too little.
But I can’t tell you what hamachi is in English.
It’s yellowtail, for the record. It’s an odd dynamic for me because I learned the names in Japanese first. It’s only after when customers ask questions where I should articulate by their Japanese name, then also English.
A lot is like that but mostly because we just don’t really eat those foods. Kampyo is a gourd. Takuan is a radish. Yamagobo is burdock root or mountain burdock. You just call those things by their names. The irony is that at times, the Japanese just turn other-culture words into Japanese. Croquettes, korokke. Omelette rice, omurice. Even tempura is a derivative of the word “tempero” from the Portuguese.
All three of the aforementioned ingredients go into the roll with probably the most rich history, the futomaki. I’m not going to give it any crowns, but it’s one of the more popular rolls in Japan. Very old school, and you know I’m old school. Probably my favorite. Kampyo, takuan, yamagobo, shiitake, tamago (egg), kanikama (crab), spinach, and furikake (just call it fish flakes).
I asked my teacher why it’s so popular, and he told me that fish comes from the water. The majority of the roll’s ingredients are grown. The egg has to be transformed/cooked. In this, in old times you will know the quality of the roll by the quality of those who farmed the ingredients that go in it, as well as honoring the people in your region. It’s very much a roll of the people.
One could chalk all of it up as myth told from a stoic 74 year old Japanese man, or just his perspective.
That's good enough for me.
Ganbatte,
E
#ARTiculate