Sushi Galore: Why should you eat more of this delicacy?

Sushi is basically self-explanatory. We’ve all heard and tried this delicious little delicacy before. It comes in all sorts of flavours and toppings.

Just a bit of introduction to the first-timers – sushi is a fusion of vinegar-infused rice with a secondary ingredient. The secondary ingredient is often used as a topping, and could range from raw seafood, egg or even vegetables. More than often, sushi also would be laced with a layer of nori (dried seaweed). For consumption, sushi is being served with pickled ginger, wasabi (Japanese horseradish) and soy sauce. I won’t be going detail into each and every type of sushi out there, but I’ll just lay out the reasons why you should give them a try!

1. Fish and seafood

Orange Caramel, a Kpop group donning a fish costume for their iconic hit Catallena. Image from http://pm1.narvii.com/5809/e6a0e1608cb861db9a706b74f33f8e8bbe29cae2_hq.jpg

Sushi in general is low in calories because of the size of the sushi as well as the ingredients used to top it: fish and seafood. Fishes such as red snapper, sea bass, mackerel, tuna all have a calorific value ranging from 100 to 200 calories for every 100 grams (in English, it’s not fattening!). Not to mention some of these fishes contain a high amount of omega-3 fatty acids, which would be useful in preventing heart diseases, arthritis as well as stroke.

2. Rice and rice vinegar

Cute sushi rice moulded with rice vinegar. Image from http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qDB8mlCkKAc/UQEoad-fWLI/AAAAAAAAFio/1pOaj81XMV0/s1600/sushi+rice+recipe.jpg

Rice is an excellent source of carbohydrates and protein as well as provides energy for consumers. The twist about sushi is that the rice is mixed with rice vinegar to keep it intact as well as to give a strong flavour to the sushi. Rice vinegar, being derived from rice (of course) exhibits antibacterial properties. It helps to ease digestion as well as to lower high blood pressure. Talk about healthy!

3. Ginger

Ginger and its pickled root form. Image courtesy from https://i.ytimg.com/vi/VO9I4DOduw0/maxresdefault.jpg

Ginger is being served with its root part in a sushi palate as part of the ‘meal cleanser’. This is because generally most sushi comprises of seafood, it might leave a “fishy” sensation to the eater hence the flavour of ginger roots are definitely a good stench buster. Similar to rice vinegar, ginger helps in digestion while boosting the immune system in combating colds and flu.

4. Soy sauce

Nana of Orange Caramel giving a taste of that soy sauce. Image from https://yellowslugreviews.files.wordpress.com/2014/03/nana-orange-caramel-catallena.gif

This sauce is made through the fermentation of a mixture of crushed soybean, salt, wheat and yeast. Soybeans themselves are high in protein and minerals like magnesium, iron and potassium. With the phytoestrogen content, it can be used to treat menopause-related issues.

5. Nori

Lovely nori; also known as dried seaweed. Image from http://www.aquaportail.com/pictures1301/feuille-de-nori.jpg

As mentioned above, nori is known as dried seaweed in English. Its quality is being perceived through its colour intensity whereby a darker nori is associated with higher quality. Nori contains protein, minerals, and is rich in vitamins A, B1, B2, B6 and C. Eating nori would also help preventing cholesterol deposits from clogging up the blood vessels.

Source: Best Health Mag

Tags

• healthy
• japan
• japanese food
• sushi