Examples include red meat fish, white meat fish, silver-skinned fish, and fish roe etc. Depending on the sushi ingredients (sushi toppings), condiments such as soy sauce, salt, and Nikiri soy sauce are used differently. Outside of Japan, the sushi toppings such as avocado and cream cheese are preferred in place of raw seafood, something that is unthinkable of with traditional Japanese sushi.
Crustaceans like shrimp and crab are sushi toppings overflowing with their distinctive sweetness.
Except for Kuruma ebi, Ebi and Kani (shrimp and crab) were introduced as sushi toppings after WWII. The sweetness of shrimp is stronger when eaten raw. There is still a sweetness remaining in boiled shrimp, but it’s weaker. Instead, the umami gets stronger and the texture is also completely different than when served raw. When boiled the fiber is more apparent and it can be bitten clear through. Kuruma ebi is one of the traditional sushi toppings of the Edo period.
The umami of shrimp is sweeter than that of crab. The sweetness comes from the amino acids contained in the extract: glycine, arginine, alanine, propurine, and betaine. In particular, Kurumaebi and amaebi are particularly rich in glycine. On the other hand, umami is related to ATP decomposition-related substances.
This painting depicts “Matsu no Sushi,” which was famous as the most extravagant sushi in Edo. A child is begging for shrimp sushi.
Crab wasn’t originally an Edomae sushi topping. However, there is a special sweetness that oozes from the gaps in the fibrous body. The umami of crab is the amino acids in the extract component. Among crabs, hairy crabs have the most amino acids, while those of snow crabs, a high-end winter delicacy, are less abundant than those of hairy crabs, and therefore less rich in flavor. Nucleic acid-related substances are mainly CMP, but ATP-degrading substances such as AMP and inosinic acid are also involved in the umami taste. The main component of sweetness is glycine betaine, a sugar alcohol-based component.
*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.
<Ebi/Kani－Prawn/Crab>
Aburagani－Blue king crab (Paralithodes platypus (Brandi,1850))
Shellfish has been a traditional sushi topping started off with the origin of Edomae sushi. Its distinctive texture is fascinating, but the thing is, all kinds are expensive. As a sushi topping, it is placed between rich and light in flavor, and functions as a palate refresher.
The texture, flavor and fragrance differ greatly depending on the type and most people either love or hate Shellfish toppings.
A characteristic of the taste of shellfish is that it is both refreshing and rich. This is presumably due to succinic acid. It is known that if succinic acid is removed from the shellfish extract component, the umami of shellfish also disappears. However, the umami of shellfish is not due to succinic acid alone, but to the synergistic effects of amino acids such as glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, arginine, and betaine, which are present in the extract, and adenylic acid, a nucleic acid-related substance.
Kai is another topping type that has been eaten as Nigiri sushi since it was invented. Hamaguri is essentially a type of shellfish, but when in the Nigiri sushi world, it is generally lightly seared and then marinated in broth, so it is classified as Nimono.
*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.
The Japanese love this strong umami coming out of its creepy features. These are sushi toppings that show their presence in your mouth.
There are over 450 types of Ika (squid) in the world and over 100 types just in the seawaters around Japan. Ika is essential to Japanese cuisine and is found in many recipes for home cooking. It is a representative of ingredients for common people that is both affordable and delicious. There are also many different types of Ika used as sushi toppings, and certain Ika are used during certain seasons, each with a unique flavor.
Tako (octopus) is a popular sushi topping at every sushi restaurant. However, preparing Tako from its raw state is very labor intensive. Some restaurants boil it, while others use “Sakura-ni.” Elaborate efforts are made at the restaurant in order to prepare a topping that can be bitten through and emit a delicious fragrance. Needless to say, when prepared raw, it is thoroughly kneaded by hand. It may be struck with the crest or wooden pestle of a kitchen knife, or boiled with roasted green tea, incorporating techniques from Kansai dishes. When Tako is prepared as Sakura-ni*, it is classified as Nimono.
*”Sakura-ni” refers to stewing octopus in sake, mirin and soy sauce to soften it, turning it into a shape that resembles cherry blossom (sakura) petals.
Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.
Hikarimono (Silver-skinned fish) includes horse mackerel, mackerel, sardines, sillago, and gizzard shad, generally referred to as blue-backed fish. Hikarimono all have high-fat content. It is approximately 7% in gizzard shad and horse mackerel. It is about 16% in mackerel. The taste is heavy. Many of the fish in this category lose their freshness quickly, so the preparations differ greatly from restaurant to restaurant. They say that you can tell how well a restaurant is doing by which Hikarimono they serve. This may be why many restaurants make sure to work hard on their Hikarimono.
Tachiuo really does look like a sword from the outside, so it seems like it should be classified as Hikarimono, but it’s actually Shiromi. In the sushi restaurant sector, Hikarimono refers to sushi toppings for which Sujime is used in the preparations. Furthermore, there are chefs who classify Shima aji as Hikarimono when the silver skin is left on, and Shiromi when the skin is removed. There are many people finding it hard to eat but it is actually healthy and rich in nutritive value.
*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.
Because shiromi has few peculiarities, it is an ingredient that can be easily arranged in a variety of cooking methods, flavors, and combinations with ingredients.
The first item recommended to taste is white-flesh fish. Because of its subtle flavor, it doesn’t influence the following topping. Serving it for the very first piece of sushi is a standard move. However, absolute umami in the lightness can be taken as the details Japanese love and no other sushi toppings can offer.
Shiromi refers to white-colored fish meat. The fat content in Shiromi is generally low at about 1.2% in flounder and 4.7% in sea bream. Almost all white fish have a subtle and elegant taste. Furthermore, the rigor mortis takes over slowly and lasts for a long time, so it maintains the crunchy texture longer. Unlike Akami, the Shiromi fish don’t really migrate. You can call yourself a sushi expert if you’re able to recognize which fish it is just by looking at the cut.
Contrary to appearance, Salmon is classified as Shiromi. The salmon is originally grey, and the pink color comes from the pigments of the shrimp and crab on which it preys. We also think that Buri and Shima aji meat looks more beige than white. To be more specific, these are classified as Iromono, but there are relatively few chefs who actually know this term so we will refer to them as Shiromi. Once you’re able to speak knowledgeably on Shiromi, you’ll be a true Sushi Foodie.
What you should keep in mind is that most Shiromi fish used at sushi restaurants is sold as live fish. The broker implements Ikejime according to the instructions of the purchasing shop and then it is delivered. Basically, the chef calculates backward from the time he will make the sushi, aiming to maximize the umami. Furthermore, the price is at least 50% higher, considering the cost to transport from the fishing port to Toyosu Market, etc. This is one of the reasons Shiromi is so expensive at sushi restaurants.
Of course, only white fish that can be used for nigiri sushi is listed. Many varieties of Fugu exist, but with the exception of Torafugu (Japanese puffer fish), they are mainly used in conveyor belt sushi.
*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page. Parentheses after the English name indicate the scientific name.
Akami generally refers to red-colored meat like beef and fish meat. The typical Akami fish are tuna and bonito. Its fatty and rich taste gives you satisfaction like “This is the sushi”. The meat gets its red color from the high hemoglobin and myoglobin content specific to migratory fish. At a sushi restaurant, when you order Akami, you will be served tuna. The word Akami exists for tuna.
*Japanese terms will be italicized on sushi ingredients page.
