Interesting Facts About Sushi Rice

For the Japanese, sushi implies vinegared rice typically topped with meats, fish and vegetables. Outside Japan, sushi is more often mistaken as "raw fish" or "raw seafood."

In Japan, they call sliced raw fish, sashimi. It is different from sushi because sashimi implies purely on the raw fish part. In Archaic grammar, "sushi" literally means "it's sour."

There are several types of sushi. The Nigirizushi sushi consists of toppings laid with "hand-formed" rice clumps. Aside from topping it with vinegared rice, it is also dabbed with wasabi and a bite-size, thin slice of fish, egg or various other seafoods.

Although the egg is cooked, the seafood and fish can be served raw. The types of fish you can use are salmon, tuna, mackerel and eel.

When eating Nigirizushi, make sure that the rice side is not dipped into the soy sauce. The fish side should be the one dipped or it will fall apart. You can do this alternately, not dipping it completely in soy sauce.

Makizushi is a type of sushi rolled inside some "nori," a pressed and dried layered sheets of alga or seaweed. It can contain vegetables, fish, seaweed and rice. These are rolled into a cylindrical form with the aid of a bamboo mat or makisu. Afterwards, it is cut into suitable widths. Futomaki refers to the thicker rolls. Hosomaki refers to the thinner rools. Uramaki refers to the "inside-out" rolls.

Inarizushi has toppings stuffed inside a tiny pouch of fried tofu. This is more uncommon compared to Chirashi-zushi. You still need to go to a sushi restaurant in Japan to order this type of sushi. Chirashi-zushi has toppings scattered and served over a sushi rice bowl. This is not regularly served in Japanese restaurants outside of Japan. The toppings are either raw seafood or sashimi.

Temaki Sushi is also called the hand roll. It is almost the same as maki except for the part where you roll it into a cylinder and slice it. With Temaki Sushi, you roll it with your hands and form cone shapes. Then, it is eaten as is, not sliced.

In any sushi, the common denominator is always sushi rice. They only vary on toppings, condiments, fillings and the procedure these ingredients are placed together. These ingredients can also be collected using contemporary or traditional ways, making distinct results.

Sushi is not only a favorite dish in Japan. It is well-loved in other countries also.

If you want to learn how to make sushi rice, it is easy. First, you need a sushi vinegar called sushi-zu. Mix it with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves. Stir frequently in the process. Afterwards, let the mixture cool to room temperature. This mixture is called tezu.

Using either a spatula or just a regular spoon, cut and fold the rice as gentle as possible. Avoid smashing the rice grains.

Get a bowl and moisten the sides with tezu. It is ideal to use a wooden bowl because it absorbs moisture. If none is available, any bowl is fine with a flat bottom.

Place the rice in the bowl and add a quarter of sushi vinegar. Mix them together, making sure you follow a folding motion to avoid smashing the rice. Afterwards, fan to dry the mixture for about 5 to 6 minutes. This process will remove the excess moisture and will make the rice look glossy and shiny.

As a tip, a good sushi rice is somewhat chewy in the mouth, and sticky to your touch.

Five Interesting, International Pizzas

The pizza pie is perhaps the most well known Italian import in America (well, aside for Sophie Loren and the Lamborghini), but one may be surprised to learn that pizza can be found just about anywhere in the world.

From the Turkish Pide to the Asian Mizza, there are a literally a world of pizzas available that will tantalize the eyes as well as the palette.

Below are a few exotic pizza pies that will have you updating your passport for a taste of the decadent!

Turkish Pizza

While pide is also the name of Turkish bread is also the title of a scrumptious Turkish pizza. And just might one find on a Turkish Pide?

Depends on the baker, but traditionally, pide can showcase a variety of toppings, from lamb to ingredients like onions, green peppers and cheese. These ingredients are usually slathered on thin bread that is similar in size and flavor to Indian Nan. Spices like sumac and cumin give pide the tradition Middle Eastern flavor that separates this pizza from its Italian ancestor.

The chosen ingredients are spread upon the bread and placed into a fuel burning oven for roughly ten minutes. When it finally comes out, it is served to eager foodies who greatly enjoy partaking in anything different and flavorful.

Asian Pizza

Mizza, a rice crust Pizza that can be found in Taiwan. It's considered a more organic take on the pie. Replacing a dough crust with a thick rice patty, the pizza is topped with the kind of items one may find in an American pizzeria, i.e. mushrooms, green peppers, cheese, etc., etc.

Japan has an even more appealing and exotic take on pizza with shrimp and mayo. Utilizing tasty shrimp nuggets, this pizza combines Asian mayo and cheese in a specialty sauce alongside various Asian ingredients.

Fattening-probably, but then-what pizza isn't?

Mexican Pizza

Actually considered more Tex-Mex than Mexican in origin, a Mexican pizza blends Spanish cooking and ingredients with an Italian foundation.

Typically a Mexican pizza has a corn or flour tortilla base with cheese. Refried beans and salsa often times replaces the marinara sauce attributed to the common pizza. Many people who enjoy Mexican pizza like to add jalapenos or spiced beef to jazz things up.

Another version of the Mexican pizza, called pizzadillas, is essentially a quesadilla with tomato sauce on it.

Indian Pizza

Now, an Indian pizza is really an interesting creation because the variation of the types. Many use the paneer cheese as a base, although few will nod at Italy with mozzarella cheese. The sauces can be found in authentic Indian dishes making for a wonderful ethnic creation that will surely satisfy lovers of Indian cuisine.

For instance, you can obtain a pizza with Marsala, vindaloo or creamy yogurt based sauces. There are even curry sauces that give the spicy umph that Indian food can be famous for.

The wonder of pizza

Of course, you have your better known varieties of pizza, like brick oven, Chicago and New York style. For pizza connoisseurs who are used to these offerings, the above may sound a bit too zany for their tastes. Indeed, it can seem strange when we contemplate eating a pizza with things like shrimp, grapes, or curry on them, especially if we are used to marina based creations.

But the thing that makes pizza special is the fact that it can be expanded upon. The base of a pizza is dough and sauce, and from there it is anyone's guess as to where the pie could end up. This can take us all on fascinating culinary trip that would be well worth undertaking.

Interesting Facts About Dessert Soup

Here in England, soups are a staple of the diet and subsequently available in many formats such as tinned, packaged, and even available as a warmer from the coffee vending machine. Elsewhere, in countries such as the Philippines and Japan, soups are popular cold, and often served as a dessert. I decided to explore this phenomenon further.

In China, 'tong sui' refers to an entire grouping of pudding desserts that contains sweet soups and custards. Egg tong sui is a classic example that is simple to make and combines water, egg, and sugar. The water is boiled and the sugar added, afterwards the egg is then dropped in but without any pre-mixing. A thicker tong sui is a black sesame soup that also involves boiling water until hot. Instead of egg, sesame seeds are crushed into flour and added. There are also a range of more unique and unlikely types of tong sui, which can include such ingredients as three lined box turtle and frog's fallopian tubes.

In Asia, the azuki bean is a popular ingredient for red bean soup dessert. Red bean soup varies from country to country and in China is most often consumed as a simple tong sui, with just the addition of sugar. In Japan, red bean soup is most often served warm as Shiruko, a porridge like dessert including sweetened azuki beans with Mochi (rice cake), chestnuts, or dumplings. In Korea, red bean soup differs again and is referred to as Patjuk. Here, the consumption of Patjuk is tied to the tradition an eaten specifically during holiday time. Again, Patjuk, is often eaten with a glutinous rice cake.

In the Philippines, Ginataan is arguably one of the most popular dessert soups. Served cold, it is made from coconut milk that is heated and extracted at different times in order to acquire a thick and thin milk. The thin milk is cooked with pieces of sweet potato, taro (a Filipino leaf vegetable), yam, plantain, jack fruit and tapioca; and the thick milk is added again prior to serving. Although often served hot or cold, Ginataan is also popular served frozen similar to ice cream.

However, dessert soups are not only popular in the east. Fruit soups are served in Scandinavian and Baltic areas and, again, available hot and cold with the accompaniment of dumplings. Ingredients for these tend to include raisins, prunes, blackberries, cherries, cream, spices and alcohol.