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Traditional Sushi

Sushi: Japan's Master Dish

Sushi

Some time in the eighties, and into the nineties, sushi suddenly became a status dish in North America. Similar to Wine Appreciation for an earlier generation, sushi became almost overnight a culinary shibboleth separating the in-crowd from the In-N-Out crowd. Although the situation is improving daily, Americans are still largely divided between those who know what to do with a plate of sushi and those whose only impulse is to run.
Part of the problem lies in the confusion adhering to the term itself. The word sushi refers to the rice, and sushi may or may not involve fish. Raw fish by itself is sashimi, of course. Even in Japan, the word sushi can be confusing, referring to a wide variety of very different rice-based dishes.
However, what is commonly thought of as sushi developed from a dish that originated in Edo-period Tokyo. It was a cheap, quick arrangement of rice and fish which was popular with the common people and could be eaten in one bite or on the go. As an easy to carry combination of carbohydrate and protein, Edomae zushi occupied the same position as the lowly taco or a slice of pizza. Really.
Today, of course, things have changed. The traditional sushi shop is a world unto itself, with a specialized language, the finest ingredients available, a highly trained master (almost without exception male), and prices to match. If you appreciate this sort of thing, you’re in for a ride. If not, well, the sushi is probably going to be excellent and you can always imagine you’re an Edo-period laborer munching a humble noonday snack. A well-heeled laborer, naturally, but still a regular guy.
Despite rumors to the contrary, my own suspicion is that sushi is not an acquired taste. If you shudder at the first piece of fatty tuna on rice that you pop in your mouth, it will probably never be a favorite. No shame in that. A surprisingly large number of Japanese would rather eat a plate of spaghetti. But if you do enjoy it, the traditional shops are temples of the art. Take a seat at the counter, tell the master how much you can spend, and ask for his recommendations. You may be in for the meal of a lifetime.

●Sakamotoya Ichibei
>> Open Hours & Holidays
Lunch: 11:30 - 14:00
Dinner: 17:30 - 22:30
Sunday (If Monday is national holiday, Monday will be holiday, too)

>>Access
Street Car
Hiroshima station===(Street car No. 6, 25min.)===Funairi Nakamachi====(on foot, 5min.)====Ichibei

>> Address
3-36 Funairi Nakamachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, 730-0842

>>Map
Funairi area map>>Click here to view.

-Matt Mangham

>>Hotels and Ryokans in the center of Hiroshima