What is Sushi?

The first time someone "explained" sushi to me, I was astonished. Why would anyone in their right mind willingly want to eat raw fish? After all, some fish smelly fishy and I could hardly stand to smell it. So why would I want to eat it raw? In my mind, I picture picking up a limp piece of catfish and placing it on my tongue. Immediately childhood memories of the daily spoons of cod liver oil my Grandmother gave us flooded my imagination. It was terrible having to hold my nose, swallow the oil, then spend the next few hours trying to find something, anything, that would relieve my tastes buds of the horrid fishy flavor. And this is what I imagined sushi, raw fish, to be.

It wasn't until years later that I learned the truth about sushi. And thank goodness! I can't imagine a life without sushi. It's delicious and there's truly no other type of cuisine like it. And because there are so many misconceptions out there concerning sushi, I've made it part of my mission to help clear the air.

So what exactly is sushi? Sushi is the name reserved for vinegared rice. It generically includes all forms of a highly specialized cuisine that has vinegared rice as its base component. Sometimes it involves raw fish. Sometimes it doesn't. And sometimes there is no seafood at all. Sushi can contain almost anything. the possibilities are endless.

Oh, and for the record, though I despise the taste of cod liver oil, I love the taste of fresh, raw fish!