THE BENEFITS:
Research has shown that some of the longest life expectancy belongs to the people on the East Asian islands; in fact, the WHO data shows Japan to be the world leader in life expectancy, with a duration of 83.7 years on average. The obesity rate is just 3.5%, vs 25% in the UK, and whilst the population smokes just as much as we do in the UK, their incidence of lung cancer is said to be just 2/3 of the level here. Much of that can be put down to the national diet, which is considered one of the healthiest in the world, and to my mind, it’s a singing endorsement of the importance of freshness and quality of ingredients.
When making sushi it’s super important to seek out the freshest fish available, ideally straight from the ocean on the same day! UNI take their sourcing very seriously, and will only use wild organic fish. Many types of fish found in Sushi are high in omega 3 fatty acids (good for both brain and heart health). On average the Japanese eat 80g to 100g of fish every day, which is a ‘quality protein’ infusion as well as a ‘healthy fats’ boost. In the west, many might eat fish only once a week.
To accompany the fish, you’ll often find seaweed, a flat-formed algae which is packed with free radical-fighting antioxidants, along with iodine (for thyroid health), calium, iron and magnesium. It may help with weight loss due to the presence of the compound alginate, which helps limit the body’s absorption of fat. You’ll also find pickles, not everyone’s cuppa tea perhaps but the fermented pickles boast some surprising benefits – the bacteria they hold eases absorption and encourages ‘good’ bacteria in the gut (good for immune health). Then there’s ginger, the benefits of which I’ve written about plenty in the past!
THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND…
Unlike my brown rice sushi, the traditional white grain rice is high in simple sugars (relatively high GI), and are therefore a simple form of carb, sustaining you for less time and leading to more blood sugar spikes. Also, to achieve the traditional flavor for the rice, and to render it stickier, sugar is often added. So whilst it seems lean, sushi in moderation is key, as the simple carbs will metabolise into fat. I like to maximise my sashimi-to-rice ratio, allowing myself fewer rolls, and instead focussing more on the high quality thinly sliced fish dishes. Also beware of the delicious soy sauce which contains MSG and plenty of salt – I always opt for the low-sodium variety where possible!
HOW TO:
Discussing with UNI’s ultra-charismatic head chef Christian (pictured above), who was teaching the class, it takes several years to become a fully fledged sushi chef. However that wasn’t going to deter me from accelerating the process into a single day – I love sushi and whilst my presentation of the maki rolls and nigiri may have been a little haphazard (!), they tasted pretty good and looked relatively authentic to me! This is how to do it yourself at home! Get adventurous, add spices and herbs for flavour!
MAKI ROLLS:
1) Clean and then wet your hands (to avoid the rice sticking to them)
2) Pick up the white rice and form it into a small ball in your hand
3) Place the small rice ball on the center of the seaweed paper (the shiny side facing downward), then spread the rice to the side and to the end of it, leaving a small space at the top end away from you.
4) Add the filling (cucumber / avocado / salmon / tuna), and then roll away from you using the rolling mat to encourage a neat, binding roll.
5) Fold the seaweed flap over, and your roll should look something like the below image. Then take a knife to halve, quarter, and slice again until you end up with classic Maki rolls :)
NIGIRI:
1) Clean and then wet your hands
2) Create an evan smaller ball than for the Maki, perhaps the size of a table-tennis ball.
3) Place the ball of rice under the tuna /salmon sashimi slither, and squish it out underneath. Hard to
4) Finally, stroke down the side of the fish to cover the rice. Voila.
After putting together the above plate of interesting-looking sushi, we enjoyed a delicious array of maestro creations courtesy of UNI, and one of their signature Chili & Coconut Mojitos! The dishes were immaculately executed, putting my handiwork to shame. Plenty of Butterfish nigiri, Crab Maki, Yellowtail sashimi, and my personal favourite, the Crazy Roll! Well worth a visit when you’re in the area!
Faya x
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