12 August 2010
Guest Post: Earl on Growing to Love Sushi
Sushi is definitely on my short list of foods I never get sick of and always am happy to eat. In this guest post, Earl, from Toastable, tells his sushi story and explains how you can come to love raw fish, too!
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Hi, my name is Earl Lee, and I am a huge health nut. I run a website/blog called Toastable where I post healthy food recipes, restaurant reviews, and articles about molecular gastronomy (food science).
Growing up as a kid, I never liked the idea of raw fish. I would watch grown-ups eat sushi or sashimi and stare in wonder. How could they eat raw fish? Don’t people die by eating raw fish? To this day, I still am amazed at how we can eat raw fish and, for the most part, not get sick.
What has changed though, is my attitude towards raw fish. Quite frankly, I love my salmon fresh out of the water with no heat added. At sushi buffets, I’ll consume raw fish like a machine. I’ve come to embrace raw fish so much that I’ve even tried raw beef.
Raw fish feels so fresh compared to cooked fish because it is cool, clean, and natural. The difference is sort of like that between freshly picked spinach and creamed spinach. Sure, both may taste fine, but one will definitely taste more fresh than the other. Each bite I take into raw fish is like a bite into heaven. My teeth sink slowly into the meat as the fish willingly shears into smaller pieces.
More important, however, is the fact that raw fish is so healthy. One of the reasons why is because you’re not adding any oils to the fish in a cooking process. The fish goes straight from the sushi master to your mouth. No fat-heavy sauces will act as a middleman, turning a potentially healthy protein-packed food into a deceivingly unhealthy dish. Usually, the only addition to raw fish is soy sauce and wasabi (excluding sushi dishes of course). Those two ingredients practically have zero calories. Furthermore, raw fish is pretty much pure protein with a bit of added healthy unsaturated fats such as omega-3.
Omega-3 fats are known for their joint cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory benefits.
As if the health benefits of it were not enough, raw fish is extremely versatile for creating beautiful dishes. Obviously there is a variety of uniquely styled sushi, but raw fish itself can create appealing plates! I visited Jean-Georges’ ABC Kitchen in New York City and ordered a mackerel sashimi dish (sashimi is plain raw fish) that was plated like a starfish in a pool of liquid. You can see a picture here.
Of course, the only problem with raw fish is its expensive price tag. At the same time, you could look at its expensive price tag as a benefit. High costs equals less food equals less calories. That is a bit of a stretch, but regardless, eat more raw fish!
