Japanese food has been enjoying a resurgence in the Western world as of late. Sushi is now an ubiquitous feature in the culinary landscape of any British city. With its combination of beautiful simplicity, a healthy calorie count and an exotic feel, it’s no surprise that London has fallen in love with these delicious bundles of rice and fish. If you’d like to learn how to make sushi at home, you’d be wise to consider cooking classes.
Why Should You Take Sushi Cooking Classes?
Although sushi operates on an extremely simple premise – vinegared rice combined with raw seafood – anyone who has tried to prepare it will tell you that this is a deceiving preconception. Good cooking classes will help amateur chefs get to grips with this complicated trend. The basis of the style, Japanese rice (or ‘shari’), is a staple. As it forms the foundation of good sushi, developing a great shari recipe can make all the difference in your efforts to create a tasty platter. Once you learn how to properly prepare shari, you can apply this skill in making a wide variety of sushi dishes, creating your own combinations of rice, fish and vegetables.
Of course, shari is not the most exciting part of Japanese cuisine – you’ll want to learn how to choose and prepare the seafood which provides the colour and essence of each dish. This ‘sashimi’ could consist of any one of a wide range of fish, or indeed, several different fish! The selection, slicing and seasoning of the seafood is probably the most interesting aspect of sushi. Lastly, and very importantly, there remains what is possibly the most challenging element in the preparation of sushi: presentation. Forming the delicate rolls is truly an art, requiring a good deal of care and attention and skills which are difficult to come across outside of cooking classes. You’ll be rewarded though – properly presented sushi can be a very attractive and impressive dish.
Cooking Classes in London
As sushi has become increasingly fashionable in London, it is hardly surprising that a large number of cooking schools now offer courses in its preparation. When choosing cooking classes, prospective students should consider their requirements. A good school will offer a hands-on experience, with courses led by expert professional chefs. The chef will be able to not only instruct the class, but also offer individual assistance and useful hints. At the end of the course, with any luck, you’ll have a delicious lunch or dinner to enjoy with your classmates!
A Lifelong Skill
Aptitude in cooking is valuable for anyone who appreciates good food. After taking part in sushi cooking classes, you’ll be able to prepare interesting and exciting meals for yourself, as well as impress guests with beautifully presented and exotic food. As the Japanese say: itadakimasu! (Cheers!).
Michael Doherty is a blogger with a passion for food. After a spell as the head chef of an acclaimed gastropub, he has settled into life as a full-time writer.
