January 9, 2020

One of the best things about living in Dubai is that one gets to try food from every country of the world—even sushi. A lot of people feel nervous about trying sushi for the first time, largely because they’re not sure about the quality. Fortunately, there are many places where you can easily find good sushi in Dubai for your first sushi experience.

In the following paragraphs, you’ll learn some interesting facts about sushi that will make you look forward to your first sushi roll. Read on to understand what makes sushi such an enigmatic and enchanting experience for food lovers.

Sushi Is Not Just Raw Fish

Sushi is more than raw fish wrapped around some rice. So, don’t let the idea of eating uncooked fish scare limit your options. There are so many flavors and textures in sushi that no other cuisine offers you. In fact, raw fish or sashimi is just one kind of sushi. There are many other cooked varieties of sushi that are equally delicious and a perfect way to get initiated into the world of sushi. You can order shrimp or crab sushi with salad filling to become more familiar with the taste.

There Are Three Kinds of Sushi

Even though the varieties of sushi are endless, they are commonly classified into three groups—maki, nigiri and sashimi. Maki consists of a seaweed wrap containing layers of rice, fish and vegetables. It is the most common type of maki. Nigiri is an unrolled form of sushi which is usually served with wasabi. Sashimi is sliced fish that is served without rice. For this reason, many people do not consider sashimi as real sushi at all.

Sushi Is Made with Sushi-Grade Fish

Now, for many first timers might feel a tad bit jittery about eating raw sushi. Restaurants clearly understand that and that is why only sushi-grade fish is used to prepare sushi. This means that the fish is frozen as soon as it is caught, which kills any disease-causing parasites, making the fish perfectly safe to be eaten without cooking. Moreover, Dubai has strong food-management laws and each restaurant is regularly inspected for compliance with food safety standards.

Eating Sushi Is A Cultural Experience

As with any other aspect of Japanese culture, sushi preparation and serving is a highly ritualistic process. Chefs have to undergo special training before making their first sushi roll. Everything from the selection of ingredients to the preparation of the rolls and garnishing involves a lot of thought. Furthermore, each sushi is plated in a visually appealing way and eaten in a cordial environment. Truly, this is an experience not to be missed, especially for lovers of Japanese traditions.

No Chopsticks—No Problem!

If you’ve never used chopsticks before and are afraid of being seen as clumsy, there is no reason to fear. While sushi is traditionally eaten with chopsticks, nigiri sushi can even be eaten with the hands. Even if that idea does not appeal to you, then simply request the waiter for a pair of training chopsticks. Almost every Japanese restaurant has them and they will be glad to help you learn to use one. These chopsticks are tied at one end, which makes them easy to control until you get the hang of it.

Knowing what you can look forward to from your first sushi experience can make a huge difference. Browse the menus of the different sushi restaurants in your area, preferably from a reliable source like a food app, and pick out which flavors you want to try. Once you start, you surely won’t be able to stop.