Sushi the Non-Traditional Way

I have been a fan of sushi for a number of years now. In the summer of 1993 I was working at my first real job when our team decided to go to lunch at a Japanese restaurant. I hadn't been to one before so it was an experience for me. Of course, most everyone was there for the sushi and so naturally, I wanted to try it as well. The concept of eating raw fish didn't seem so unappealing and I tried the sushi and was immediately hooked. Now almost fourteen years later, I'm still enjoying sushi as and when I can. If something interests me enough I try to learn enough about the subject so that at least I am not going in completely ignorant of basic facts. I read up on sushi and traditional practices at sushi restaurants and the like. I have been to a couple in my neighborhood where I kept up the age old tradition of buying the sushi chef a round of sake to thank him for his excellent meal. Little things like that can mean the difference for me between simply eating something and at least trying to get the full experience.

Seeing as how the Japanese are very strict about some traditions, I was a bit surprised when I happened upon an article in the paper this morning that stated that there are increasing numbers of non-Japanese chefs turning up behind the counters at area sushi bars. It seems that at many of the local sushi bars you will find chefs from as diverse places as Laos and the countries of Central America. Suddenly you find yourself munching on sushi that may or may not have an aunthentic touch. Now I'm not saying that I'm such a purist or gastronomist to say I can tell the origins of a person based solely on the taste or preparation of the food but somehow you get the feeling of being.... robbed of the experience.

Some people will say that all that matters is the food, if it's good and tasty then what else matters? I agree; if the food is good then nothing else should matter right? Well, let me put it to you this way. I also like to have steak on occasion and for me, there's nothing like a well prepared steak. Some of the best steaks I've had have come from Texas or at least the preparation was Texas style. Now during a recent trip through London, I happened upon a restaurant that referred to itself as the 'Texas Star Roadhouse'. The interior was a fair amalgamation of all things 'Texas' in the heart of London (we were almost directly opposite Trafalgar Square). Now I have had steak in London before (twelve years and no Mad Cow Disease yet!) and I can very confidently say that the 'Texas' steak at the restaurant would have been good, but nowhere near as good as an actual Texan steak.

There's just something about it that doesn't sit right. You can say I'm being choosy but how many times have you been to a Chinese restaurant and you've seen a Canadian behind the counter preparing your meals eh? Wouldn't seem quite right now would it. This is not to say that no one but the people with ties to the country the food originates from should prepare it, but it might just end up that the person creating the food will have a bit more pride in it since it is represents the country of their roots. I'm sure that any sushi prepared by a non-Japanese chef will be just as good as a Japanese chef. Anyone who loves to cook or takes the time to learn how to prepare a dish like sushi is someone who will take pride in its preparation. Even then, in the back of my mind, there will be that little bit of disappointment that my meal was prepared in a non-traditional way.

Still, I can understand the reasons for it. In the past five years or so, sushi has suddenly become the new 'in thing' and everyone is mad for it. You can't go all that far these days without running into one, even in the most unlikely of places. With so much demand and such growing popularity, it's easy to understand why many sushi bars would be turning to finding chefs where they can get them. And indeed, many of the restaurants are only handing over some of the duties to these non-Japanese chefs after training them and ensuring that they follow the proper procedures. Formal training is something non-Japanese would not be able to get very easily in places like Japan but chefs here are working to ensure that these chefs get as much experience before being put behind the counter. I'm sure this trend will continue for years to come. Or at least until someone points out that fish oil is fattening and despite being low fat, sushi contains inordinate amounts of lead which is bad for anyone and suddenly sushi consumption drops. But let's not look at the downside.