Japanese cuisine is always one-of-a-kind. Its authentic flavors that remind people of Sakura petals and Sake drink blends along with the extraordinary subtleness – where delicacy lies within the ingredients, the preparation processes, and every single piece of detail a dish holds. With this, Japanese cuisine is among the world’s most-loved cuisine with uniqueness and originality. Japanese food, specifically sushi, is well-loved by people from all parts of the world for its superb, delicious flavors of raw, fine ingredients with guaranteed freshness and the best seasoning to bring out the most of ingredients of all kinds. Very well known for its popularity and unique tastes, Nigiri dishes have stolen the hearts of diners from different parts of the globe. Unlike the usual Maki sushi pieces which are basically rice rolls, Nigiri pieces are topped with fresh, raw fish like Salmon or sometimes cooked seafood. Thin, clean-cut slices of raw ingredients are topped on the traditionally cooked Japanese rice – with a mixture of vinegar, sugar, and salt to add it its exquisite flavors in contrast to the exotic tastes of seafood or raw fish. This fact makes sashimi pieces and Nigiri dishes among the most popular ones, topping the world charts with its originality in the blending of flavors. Japanese food comes in a variety of forms: Udon, Yakitori, Tempura, Ramen, Donburi, and Sashimi. However, it can’t be denied that the majority of people love the exotic, yet mild tastes and the superb mix of the raw with the cooked. Be it Nigiri or other kinds of dishes, Japanese food always tops the charts for its details, the amazing professionalism, and the expression of ideas through culinary art.
Although it is always great to dine out at authentic Japanese restaurants or reserve a seat at an Omakase Japanese place, you can also make Nigiri at home. If you are dedicated to learn how to make your very own delicious, well-prepared Nigiri, nothing is impossible. Before jumping to know more about Nigiri, let us learn what it actually is.
What is Nigiri?
To answer this question, you definitely need to try it yourself! However, to be fair, in words Nigiri is a Japanese cuisine which features a thin layer of raw fish like Fatty Tuna or Salmon, and sometimes with cooked seafood topped on Japanese rice mixed with mainly vinegar, sugar, and salt. Nigiri is most often made with raw ingredients as earlier mentioned; however, there are times when eggs and eels are also used to make delicious, mouth-watering Nigiri. The best way to enjoy a Nigiri is to eat it entirely just in one bite.
Nigiri Tips
As for sushi rice itself, it is highly recommended to use the authentic, short-grain Japanese rice for the best tastes. The best sushi rice vinegar can be purchased at any mart if you search for the traditional ‘white vinegar’. However, if you can’t seem to find one, simple mix the basic vinegar with sugar and salt to make the perfect combination of flavors. To enjoy Nigiri, not only can you use soy sauce for the dips, but you can as well enjoy a slightly sweet flavor of the thick, Eel sauce. You can simply find both the Japanese soy sauce at a supermarket and same applies to the Eel sauce. Pickled ginger and Wasabi are also two significant factors to greatly enjoy the traditional tastes of Nigiri. The Japanese town should have available pickled ginger or sometimes also called the ‘Sushi ginger’ so you can also use that to add more flavors to your dining experience. As for Wasabi, this green-colored, yet spicy and hot paste, will aid in the balancing of raw fish flavors. Any kind of Wasabi pastes found in marts and supermarkets can be consumed along with your favorite Nigiri dishes to further add the sense of exoticism to the traditional blends of Japanese cuisine.