The complete guide to sushi in one handy picture

Japanese food is becoming more and more common outside of Japan. In fact, many people enjoy it because of the use of fresh fish and lots of vegetables. Those who get the craving have also discovered that it’s pretty easy to find a Japanese restaurant in their town, but there are still some people who find the idea of raw fish and sushi intimidating.

There is so much information out there for the sushi novice that even figuring out where to begin can be daunting. We have found a useful guide that assembles all the sushi basics in a really easy to understand fashion.

Although this infographic focuses on some “Americanized” sushi, there is still plenty of good information on the chart from styles of sushi to sushi etiquette; even the most experienced sushi diner may learn something here.

The first section tells you all about very popular roll-style sushi in America. Most restaurants will tell you what is in their roll, but now you can follow along when your co-workers are talking about the fantastic dragon roll they had for dinner last night.

The next set of information deals with the numerous ways fish and rice are usually combined. In the States, "maki"-style rolls seem to be the most popular, as you will even find grocery stores making their own "maki" sushi. In Japan, "nigiri" and "gunkan" are generally the most popular, though a Japanese version of the California roll has gained popularity.

Following the different kinds of sushi, you need to know about the ingredients commonly used. Although sushi certainly uses the eight ingredients found in the picture, a true sushi connoisseur should also add "shake" (salmon), "maguro" (tuna) and "ika" (squid) to their vocabulary. Another fun tidbit is that while "unagi" is a freshwater eel, there is also a saltwater eel that is popular called "anago."

Next are some helpful hints when eating at a Japanese restaurant. The sushi dos and don’ts they point out are definitely handy, but if you find yourself accidentally (or purposefully) breaking one of these rules, it’s OK! You needn’t hang your head in shame and vow never to eat sushi again.

Finally, there are five facts about sushi that our readers may be surprised to learn.

Sushi and Japanese food in general isn’t something you should be afraid of and hopefully this helpful infographic has given you the confidence to go out and try some if you haven’t already. The cuisine is a national treasure and people around the world should be able to taste it. Now get your eating face on and hit the closest sushi bar.

Source: DesignTAXI

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