International Sushi Day – June 18th
Happy International Sushi Day from Tegner-Miller Insurance Brokers! A traditional Japanese dish, sushi has become an increasingly popular and trendy dish for Angelenos. In archaic Japanese, sushi literally means “sour-tasting”, a nod to the earlier fermented form of the dish. Today, sushi can be found in a variety of forms, ranging from more traditional dishes like the fermented “narezushi” to Western varieties like the ever-popular “California roll”.
1. Sushi and sashimi are not the same thing. Because raw fish make up the backbone of both of these Japanese dishes, people often confuse them, or believe that sashimi is a type of sushi. In fact, sushi and sashimi are considered different dishes in Japanese cuisine. While sashimi is simply raw fish, sushi incorporates vinegared rice.
2. Sashimi made from the second most poisonous vertebrate. Pufferfish, or fugu in Japanese, is perhaps the most notorious traditional Japanese dish. While extremely toxic and deadly even in small quantities, fugu is famously served as sashimi in Japan and at a handful of American restaurants. Fugu chefs must complete a 2-3 year apprenticeship and receive a license to prepare the dish. Only 35% of chefs pass the test, and the Emperor of Japan is forbidden by law, for his own safety, from eating the dish.