International Sushi Day

Sushi, originally created as a bite-sized snack, is centuries old and has been transformed many times over to become the popular, elevated menu item of today, so much so that this Japanese classic now has its own day of celebration – International Sushi Day.
At Westminster Kingsway on the 18th of June, hospitality professionals gathered with the media at the invitation of the Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku, London and Marrfish, suppliers of seafood, to gain a better appreciation of the art of sushi making.
At the live event, the audience were able to observe knife skills and traditional sushi preparation demonstrated by Kaoru Yamamoto and Yoshihiko Shida, both highly experienced chefs who will be teaching at the soon to open Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku, London.
Along with plenty of sushi tasting opportunities the guests learnt of its history, preparation and the importance of key ingredients, especially seafood.
Masaru Watanabe, Principle, Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku, London gave a fascinating talk on sushi’s history and preparation: “At the event we demonstrated how 95% of producing sushi goes into its preparation; from fish choice, food preservation techniques and rice selection, and why chefs take such great care over their ingredients.
“Sushi is an iconic Japanese food that enjoys huge popularity outside of Japan. Originally derived from a method to preserve fish around AD 700, then called Nare Sushi, salted fish, wrapped and left to ferment in steamed white rice, was the beginning of the sushi we know and love today. In 1824 the infamous Nigiri Zushi was invented as a snack and sold at stalls, a favourite of Samurai swordsmen!
“There are around 500 types of rice grain available in Japan and sushi chefs choose a blend of grain sizes to suit use, texture and flavour. The best sushi rice is vinegared rice which has sat for a couple of days to give a softer texture. Optimum sushi is freshly made, the rice should be at 40° and the freshest fish used, served at room temperature to ensure a melt in the mouth texture.
“Being a maritime nation, Japan’s affinity to seafood stretches back over centuries, it permeates the country’s culture and is a major food source. Fresh fish is intrinsic to sushi making and we are delighted to have been sponsored at this event by Marrfish, Mizkan and Hakutsuru Sake.”
In the UK, sushi most commonly includes salmon, tuna, prawn or sea bream, however, our nation’s waters are rich with a great diversity of fish that would make wonderful alternative choices, helping to promote sustainability of fish stocks.
Ben English, Operations Director, Marrfish Ltd; “Marrfish was delighted to have sponsored the International Sushi Day event. I was impressed by the chefs’ attention to detail and the quality required in their seafood choices; a passion that we both share!
“For this event, our challenge was to supply some suitable British fish species for the chefs to incorporate into their traditional dishes and sushi plates, so we chose our premium quality pollack and plaice, along with beautiful chalk stream trout which was specially prepared using the traditional Japanese practice of Ike Jime – a swift method of killing the fish that results in firmer flesh, ideal for sushi preparation.
“As Marrfish originates from five generations of fishermen and vessel owners, we have a wealth of experience and are well ahead in the field of sustainable fishing practices, thanks to the forward thinking approach adopted early on by the Marr family.
“We advocate using underutilised seafood species because no matter what the season, our seas provide an abundance of seafood. 52 weeks of the year, approximately 20 species of seafood are caught in Peterhead every day. Our consultative approach helps chefs better understand the variety and qualities of fish available; hake is a great example of a fish that is now in demand and trending on menus – 20 years ago we sold 100kg of hake a week, now sales have increased to 300kg a day!
I believe we should celebrate our treasured waters and its bounty. By joining forces with our friends at the Tokyo College of Sushi and Washoku, London and putting on such events for chefs further helps promote this.”