18 June: Sushi

Today is International sushi day. 10 things you might not know about sushi:

1. Sushi is usually associated with Japan, but may actually have originated in China, in the rice-growing region of Southeast Asia, somewhere along the Mekong River around 500BC. The Chinese introduced it to Japan in the 8th century.

2. At one time, sushi was prized so highly that it could be used as Money. People were allowed to use it to pay taxes in AD 8th century Japan.

3. In order to become a sushi chef, a person has to train for ten years under a master or itamae.

4. Until recently, women weren’t allowed to train as sushi chefs at all. The patriarchal society of Japan was mostly to blame. Women were supposed to be home makers and the sushi chef’s long hours wouldn’t be compatible with that. Not to mention, they believed that women’s hair oil, cosmetics and even being on their period would alter the taste of the sushi. These long-held beliefs are now being challenged by some senior chefs in upscale restaurants in Tokyo, who now train women to be sushi masters.

5. Sushi is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids and the seaweed it comes with provides iodine and vitamin A.

6. Almost 80% of the world’s bluefin Tuna catch is used for sushi.

7. Salmon is one of the most popular sushi fish, but it was the Norwegians, not the Japanese, who introduced salmon as a sushi ingredient. It wasn’t widely eaten in Japan before the 1990s.

8. Narezushi, the original Japanese sushi, consisted of fermented Rice and fish which had been aged for as long as three years. It’s said to taste like pungent cheese.

9. There are a lot of etiquette rules around how to eat sushi. It’s traditionally eaten with the hands, rather than chopsticks. It should be eaten in one bite and placed on the tongue fish side down. The chef will be very offended if you separate the fish from the rice to dip it in soy sauce. He’s worked for 10 years to perfect this dish, after all! Keep it together and dip the fish side only as the sauce will change the flavour of the rice. Wasabi is added to sushi to soften fish odours and draw out the flavour. A sushi chef adds wasabi between the rice and the fish; so you don’t really need to add more. If you must, only add a tiny dab of it on the fish.

10. Manila-based sushi Chef Angelito Araneta, Jr makes a variety which is worth over $1,900. His five-piece nigiri includes pink salmon from Norway and foie gras. He uses 24-carat edible gold leaves as wrapping instead of Seaweed. His dish also includes three Palawan Pearls and 20-karat African Diamonds.

Character Birthday

Skrunj the Slayer, a member of the criminal gang known as “The Organisation” and the operator of 15’ high power armour. Nothing is known about Skrunj, even a gender, though he’s generally presumed to be male.