How To Enhance Your Family’s Sushi Trivia
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Most people know what sushi is when they see it, but they might not be able to define it. Filling your mind with various pieces of sushi trivia can be perfect if you want to get some educational conversation going with your kids the next time you’re gathered with family and friends.
Fun Sushi Trivia
Want to impress your family with some sushi trivia that you don’t look up on your phone in front of them? Consider these fun facts.
- June 18, 2009, was the first-ever celebration of International Sushi Day.
- Sushi isn’t actually Japanese. Japan is certainly the global sushi capital, but China is where historical sushi started along the Mekong River.
- Of all the world’s bluefin tuna caught every year, 80% is used only for sushi. Japan eats most of it.
- Tokyo is where modern sushi started, though.
- You need around a decade to become a master sushi chef. They usually spend several years just mastering how to hold the sushi knife right, and they can start preparing sushi rice after five years.
- There was a time that sushi rice was thought of as trash. The original form of Japanese sushi had fermented rice with aged fish. A long fermentation period prevented bacterial growth, but the fish would eventually be eaten and rice disposed of. This obviously changed later.
- Sushi tastes best when it’s cut fresh. It’s even better when served by an experienced sushi chef. Your grocery store might sell sushi, but how long has it had to oxidize and start turning sour?
- The oldest kind of Japanese sushi is the smelliest sushi on the planet. Funazushi, according to those willing to try it, has a taste a lot like pungent cheese.
- Not all sushi requires fish, but vinegar rice is a common ingredient among the six kinds of sushi. This is why sashimi isn’t called sushi.
- The Great Kanto earthquake in 1923 made sushi more widely available. Sushi was a street food before this natural disaster that left over 100,000 dead and quite a few more homeless. Many fled Tokyo for other places, and storefronts were cheaper after a real estate crash. Sushi restaurants opened as a result.
Save Money or Splurge?
You don’t want to spend too much money treating your family to a meal out, but you also don’t want to cut corners so much that you pay for it in other ways. The decision of cheap vs. expensive sushi is one you may face. Saving money is great, but not if the ingredients are so low in quality that the sushi has no taste and might even be unhealthy to eat. It’s worth it to spend just enough to get good sushi at a great price. Ask about the sourcing of the fish, and remember that the skill of the chef preparing the sushi matters a lot to the experience.
Health Benefits and Risks of Sushi
When you decide to get the better sushi, you’re more likely to enjoy the health benefits of sushi rather than the risks, as WebMD covers.
The American Heart Association suggests eating fish a minimum of twice a week! Sushi definitely counts. It can reduce chronic inflammation that boosts your risks of stroke, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. This is because of anti-inflammatory compounds in the wasabi, Omega-3 fatty acids, and nori. The nori seaweed might also remove some radioactive strontium and heavy metals from your body.
There are some potential risks. Mercury is a toxic heavy metal in larger doses and is particularly dangerous to breastfeeding or pregnant women. Opt for fish lower in their mercury levels. Sodium content might also be high depending on how the sushi is prepared, and that can risk kidney disease and heart failure in some people.
Fun Family Time
Sushi might not appeal to everyone, but nearly everyone can find something they like to eat in a sushi restaurant. Treat your family to some time together where nobody has to cook or clean. With the right sushi trivia, you can make the conversation as tasty as the dishes everyone gets to eat.
*This article is based on personal suggestions and/or experiences and is for informational purposes only. This should not be used as professional advice. Please consult a professional where applicable.
