Sushi is over-rated

[Numark]

Does anyone else agree with me on this one? It seems like everyone's favorite Japanese food is sushi. Japanese cusine has so much more to offer the palate than raw fish, and for some people to say they love Japanese food because they like sushi strikes me as ignorant. Don't get me wrong, I like sushi once in a while too, but come on people! What about EVERYTHING ELSE?

 

[RockLee]

I prefer Japan's meat cuisine...toriyaki,sukiyaki,shabushabu,etc...Once in a while sushi can be tasty

 

[MeAndroo]

Bah, sushi is near the bottom of my favorite Japanese foods list. I couldn't agree more, I find people who group all Japanese food with sushi to be just a bit ignorant. I much prefer Japanese style yakiniku, yakitori, katsu of any kind (especially cheese filled menchi), and all the delicious variations of noodles. I became a huge ramen fiend during my time there, and only went the sushi route when doing kaitenzushi.

 

[Maciamo]

I have been in Japan for almost 4 years now and tried all kind of Japanese food, including home-cooking you can't normally find in restaurants (eg. hijiki, yasai itame, tofu gratin, tofu hamburger, etc.). There is no food I dislike except natto. But sushi still hold a particular place (including avocado-maguro-don, negitoro-don, chirashizushi, etc.). It's one kind of food that we could eat all the time without getting fed up. The Western equivalent in this regard is pasta. And they complete each other; pasta has a lot of vegetables + carbohydrates/fibre, while sushi has protein, omega-3 fats and also carbohydrates (but different ones).

In comparison, I can only eat occasionally dishes like tempura, okonomiyaki or ramen. There are periods of the year when I just don't feel like eating them (haven't eaten ramen for over 6 months, although some periods I would eat it twice a week for a 2 months). Dishes like soba, oden, etc. will probably never rate better than sushi for taste.

I suppose it's normal for sushi to have such a pre-eminent place after all.

 

[Iron Chef]

I know quite a few Japanese actually who don't really like sushi all that much. I prefer the simpler varieties myself (and remember to distinguish between sashimi and sushi as there many types of both). I prefer a nice nattomaki or tamagoyaki sushi over the fish varieties myself.

"for some people to say they love Japanese food because they like sushi strikes me as ignorant."

So... when I say "I like Indian food in general" because the only authentic Indian foods I have tried to date are tikka massala, various curries, and tandoori chicken... does that mean i'm ignorant because I haven't tried the whole range of cuisine? Heh.

 

[Maciamo]

I much prefer Japanese style yakiniku, yakitori, katsu of any kind (especially cheese filled menchi), and all the delicious variations of noodles.

So you are a meat-eater. Well "yakiniku" doesn't count as it is considered as Korean food in Japan. Say "Korean food" and people will tell you yakiniku, kimchi and bibimba.

I couldn't eat yakitori so often, but that's just me.

 

[Maciamo]

So... when I say "I like Indian food in general" because the only authentic Indian foods I have tried to date are tikka massala, various curries, and tandoori chicken... does that mean i'm ignorant because I haven't tried the whole range of cuisine? Heh.

I have stayed 5 months in India, but there isn't much more than curry in Indian cuisine. Well, there is masala dosa in the South, but it also contains curry. The rest (samosa...) are just snacks or deserts.

 

[Index]

I have been in Japan for almost 4 years now and tried all kind of Japanese food, including home-cooking you can't normally find in restaurants (eg. hijiki, yasai itame, tofu gratin, tofu hamburger, etc.). There is no food I dislike except natto. But sushi still hold a particular place (including avocado-maguro-don, negitoro-don, chirashizushi, etc.). It's one kind of food that we could eat all the time without getting fed up. The Western equivalent in this regard is pasta. And they complete each other; pasta has a lot of vegetables + carbohydrates/fibre, while sushi has protein, omega-3 fats and also carbohydrates (but different ones).

In comparison, I can only eat occasionally dishes like tempura, okonomiyaki or ramen. There are periods of the year when I just don't feel like eating them (haven't eaten ramen for over 6 months, although some periods I would eat it twice a week for a 2 months). Dishes like soba, oden, etc. will probably never rate better than sushi for taste.

.

Much the same for me actually. It's all good but sushi and sashimi have a special charm.

 

[Numark]

So... when I say "I like Indian food in general" because the only authentic Indian foods I have tried to date are tikka massala, various curries, and tandoori chicken... does that mean i'm ignorant because I haven't tried the whole range of cuisine? Heh.

Like Maciamo said, Indian cuisine is different in that it has a very narrow range of flavors, whereas Japanese food covers a very broad specturm, not just the flavors that you experiance with sushi.

 

[Iron Chef]

I stand corrected then.

 

[goofy2feet]

I love sushi, but I don't consider it to be anything particularly special in Japan;ie., not so highly regarded by Japanese. I've heard sushi referred to as Japanese fast food, so that is perhaps the level it should be taken at. I think it makes quite a difference whether you are eating kaitenzushi or going to a proper sushi restaurant.

I love the kaiseki ryouri - bit expensive though, but every now and again it's sensational.

 

[MeAndroo]

So you are a meat-eater. Well "yakiniku" doesn't count as it is considered as Korean food in Japan. Say "Korean food" and people will tell you yakiniku, kimchi and bibimba.

I couldn't eat yakitori so often, but that's just me.

Yes yakiniku is technically Korean, but the style is so different (different side dishes, sauces) that I found myself classifying it as a different food entirely. It's like Chinese vs Japanese ramen, or if I said I liked Japanese style pizza...would you say it's Italian, even when covered in corn?

And yes, I'm a huge meat guy...my host mom used to make fun of me...I'd get mosquito bites and she'd say it's all the meat in my blood.

 

[Hiroyuki Nagashima]

Yes yakiniku is technically Korean, but the style is so different (different side dishes, sauces) that I found myself classifying it as a different food entirely. It's like Chinese vs Japanese ramen, or if I said I liked Japanese style pizza...would you say it's Italian, even when covered in corn?

And yes, I'm a huge meat guy...my host mom used to make fun of me...I'd get mosquito bites and she'd say it's all the meat in my blood.

I think that MeAndroo-san is right.
The meat soaked in Tare is roasted.
It is a Korean style.
Meat is roasted, and Tare is soaked and eaten.
It is Japanese style.
He had said, "Hormone and TAN(tongue) are not eaten in Korea."

 

[Tamer Brad]

I agree. I much prefer teriyaki, and I don't care for sushi at all.

 

[Shas]

for me its because its something special. i eat it maybe once every 5 months or so and it tastes different than everything else I eat. i also like common stuff like pizza (or sauerkraut. RAW. and eingelegte heringe) but sushi is just special and i enjoy eating it more than other things i can have every day

 

[phantasmagoria]

I've not had sushi before... I'd like to, though. It looks interesting. There's a sushi bar in Glasgow I keep getting promised to be taken to and never got to -.-

*loves teriyaki*