Next Level Sushi – Advancing your Palate

Step out of your comfort zone to take your sushi experience to the next level. Advance your palate by knowing more about sushi.

You’ve tried the rolls that contain the seafood you’re comfortable with (crab, shrimp, cooked tuna). Now you’re ready for the next step in advancing your sushi palate. Don’t think of it as raw fish but as a light, fresh treat for your mouth.

To take your sushi game to the next level, try these fish: Yellowtail tuna, Bluefin tuna, big-eye tuna, red snapper, Japanese yellowtail, Salmon, and masago.

About these fish:

• Bluefin tuna – This tuna can grow up to 10 feet long and 1,500 pounds. They come in these cuts
• Akami: Pure red meat; taste and texture like a rare filet mignon; found near the top or back of the fish
• Chu-toro: Choice cut; marbled, milky-pink meat; rich taste and buttery texture; comes from the belly of the fish
• O-toro: Most choice of all tuna meat; fattiest part of the belly, near the head; pale pink, and melts on your tongue
• Big-eye tuna – A chunkier tuna that can grow up to 6 1/2 feet long and 400 pounds; named for its unusually large eyes; considered a milder-tasting tuna than Bluefin tuna
• Yellowfin/Yellowtail tuna (aka ahi) – A smaller tuna that grows up to 6 feet long and 300 pounds; found in tropical waters; mild flavor, firm texture; deep pink to reddish in color
• Red snapper (Tai) – A white-fleshed fish with a mild, delicate taste; medium texture
• Japanese yellowtail (Hamachi) – A young fish; buttery in texture, almost oily; bold flavor with a tangy finish
• Salmon – Peachy orange to deep-red flesh; prized for its rich and flavorful taste; flash-frozen
• Masago – The roe of capelin, a small fish similar to sardines; eggs are yellow in color (often dyed orange, red or green), small in size; slightly crunchy

Remember, the thing about sushi is to be adventurous. It’s a unique cuisine and an acquired taste. And you’ll never know if you like it until you try it!

Beginning Sushi

How to Eat Sushi

By Leslie Radford