Like white on rice...

Sushi. What about these individually shaped morsels is so appealing to our palate? To our eye, only two components make up this sensational bite; perfectly cleaned and masterfully sliced fish and warm, tangy rice. How then, can these two ingredients produce such a wave of sensations throughout our beings?

Long ago, before the whole world knew of sushi, it was a form of preservation. The fish would be fermented for about a year with some other ingredients, vinegar, veggies etcetera. In order to be remotely edible, the Japanese would pair the fish with rice. Little did they know they had changed the course of history for man kinds stomach. 

It was truly a joy to be taken to a tiny sushi spot in the ever winding alleyways of Tsuruhashi. The company who brought me just so happened to be fantastic Keiseki chefs whom I worked with in NYC. While we weaved our way through the silent, shadow cast market, they kept asking me if everything was ok for me to eat. "I am in Japan, EVERYTHING is ok" would be my most common response.

Due to this response, a wave of fish and rice barreled our way for the better part of an hour: Maguro, kanpachi, shima Aji, sawara, chu toro, iwasa, shiro ebi, kaibashira, anago cucumber, tako, tai, ika, botan ebi, ebi head, turban shell (tsubukai), katsuo, tamago. There was never a falter of speed and delight. I was simply blown away. These wonderful people, just as with the Keiseki meal, honored me with an unforgettable experience wth sushi in Japan.