File:Coast watch (1979) (20471924530).jpg

Title: Coast watch
Identifier: coastwatch00uncs_11 (find matches)
Year: 1979 (1970s)
Authors: UNC Sea Grant College Program
Subjects: Marine resources; Oceanography; Coastal zone management; Coastal ecology
Publisher: (Raleigh, N. C. : UNC Sea Grant College Program)
Contributing Library: State Library of North Carolina
Digitizing Sponsor: North Carolina Digital Heritage Center

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and serving a platter of sushi gems. that too is typical of sushi restaurants. Because of the personal attention the chef gives his customers, the bars seat only a handful of people. And the chef is the star attraction. He is often the reason hungry patrons will wait in line for a seat at the bar rather than take the first available table. Ron Takahashi, executive chef at Little Tokyo, works quickly and effi- ciently, all the while smiling and keeping up conversation with the folks gathered round to watch his skillful preparation. In Japan, the sushi chef begins as a young apprentice who does nothing more than carry food out to customers. Eventually he is allowed to make rice but continues to observe the master chef at work. In time, as an assistant, he will learn to cut the fish himself and then one day become licensed to open his own shop. Takahashi says that process takes about five years to complete because it involves no formal instruction. "In Japan, no teaching, just watching," he says. He explains that in the United States, a would-be sushi chef can become proficient in under a year because he does not have to learn how to judge the catch. "With fresh fish, you need more experi- ence. One to two years is not enough," he says. A typical sushi chef in Japan will rise early in the morning, visit the fish market and purchase his day's selection from catch brought in directly from the sea. He needs the ability to assess the fish at a glance, to determine its quality and freshness before taking it back to his shop. In the United States, the fish in most restaurants does not come fresh from the sea. The fish Takahashi serves has first been bought by an importer, who in turn sells the product to a wholesaler. Takahashi receives a shipment from the wholesaler every two weeks, and he thaws the fish and other products as he needs them. HOW IS SUSHI PREPARED? Though the Japanese prepare raw fish in numerous ways, Americans are most familiar with three basic forms: sashimi, nigirizushi and makizushi. Sashimi is simply cuts of raw fish served with rice. What makes or breaks sashimi is how the fish is cut. Different types of fish require different treatment to enhance their flavor and texture. Many species can be cut in rectangular slices about three-eighths inch thick. Seafood with thin body walls, like squid, is cut into strips about 2 inches long and one- sixteenth inch thick. The meat of thick- fleshed fish is cubed, while firm, white- fleshed fish are cut into wafer-thin slices. Nigirizushi is made by hand- molding a finger of rice, topping it with a dab of wasabi and then a piece of fish or other topping. Some pieces are then wrapped with a ring of seaweed. Continued COASTWATCH 9 â MM

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