Sushi is Japan's most famous culinary representative, typically made with rice and fillings which have been rolled inside a sheet of dry seaweed. However, the term sushi is actually an umbrella term covering a wide range of subvarieties which can be made with a myriad of different ingredients and in as many forms and presentations.
Although the dish has become wrongly synonymous with raw fish, the primary ingredient of every type of sushi is only vinegared rice. Originally, sushi was only a method of preserving fish - first developed in Southeast Asia, but it reached Japan in the 8th century.
MOST ICONIC Sushi
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This gimbap (Korean rice roll) is made with canned tuna. Apart from rice and fish, the fillings may include other ingredients that are typically used in gimbap such as fresh or pickled vegetables, eggs, or fish cakes, while the tuna is often mashed and then combined with mayonnaise, mustard, and spices.
The roll is traditionally wrapped in toasted seaweed, and it is served sliced into small, bite-size pieces.
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Mayak is a popular variety of South Korean rice rolls (gimbap). These mini versions of the standard roll consist of rice, toasted seaweed, and fillings that traditionally include carrots, pickled radish, and spinach. Unlike the traditional gimbap, mayak is never sliced.
The rolls are sprinkled with sesame seeds, while soy sauce and mustard dip is usually served on the side. It is believed that mayak rolls originated at Gwang-jang market in Seoul. Their captivating name translates as narcotic, not because of the presence of an illegal substance, but because once you try these miniature rolls, you will always be hungry for more.
Moist, chewy, and hearty, onigiri or omusubi are Japanese rice balls and a favorite picnic food since the 11th century, when they were known as tonjiki and recorded as such in the diary of Lady Murasaki, author of The Tale of Genji (which is believed to be the world's first novel!).
However, the origins of the dish are much earlier than the time of Lady Murasaki. In the Nara period, before chopsticks became popular, rice used to be rolled into small balls in order to be easily picked up and consumed. Typically, onigiri is wrapped in nori seaweed, but that practice did not come about until the late 16th century.
MOST ICONIC Onigiri
View moreOften referred to as Korean sushi, gimbap is a Korean dish consisting of seaweed (gim), seasoned rice (bap), and other, optional ingredients that are usually rolled, sliced, and served. Almost anything can be added to the roll, but the most common ingredients are fishcakes, meat, spinach, eggs, and cucumbers.
There are several theories about the origin of gimbap. Many believe that it is a Korean take on Japanese sushi. Others say that it is a variation of gimssam, a wrap consisting of rice and seaweed. Regardless of the origins, gimbap remains one of the most popular Korean dishes.
VARIATIONS OF Gimbap
MOST ICONIC Gimbap
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Samgak is a triangle-shaped variety of gimbap—South Korean rice roll. It consists of various fillings that are neatly placed inside a piece of triangle-shaped rice. The pouches are then wrapped in seaweed (gim) and are typically additionally covered with a thin plastic wrapper, which allows the gimbap to stay fresh for an extended period.
This gimbap was inspired by the Japanese onigiri, a similar triangle-shaped sushi variety, but the fillings were adapted to Korean taste, and traditionally include various combinations of kimchi, tuna, bulgogi, or gochujang paste.
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This cold noodle dish is a simple Japanese classic consisting of buckwheat (soba) noodles served with mentsuyu or tsuyu sauce on the side. The noodles are cooked and chilled and should be quickly dipped in the sauce that usually combines sake, mirin, soy sauce, and dry bonito flakes.
The dish was named zaru after a traditional bamboo strainer on which the noodles are traditionally served. Because it is light and simple, zaru soba is a summer specialty in Japan. The dish is sometimes garnished with sliced onions, but it's always topped with shredded nori—dry seaweed sheets.
MOST ICONIC Zaru soba
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One of the most popular makizushi varieties are the thin hosomaki rolls. They consist of traditional roasted nori sheets that are layered with vinegar rice, filled with just one ingredient, then shaped into thin rolls. Even though they appear in numerous versions, the most famous are the tekkamaki tuna roll and the refreshing kappamaki cucumber roll.
Cut into small bite-sized pieces and complemented with wasabi, pickled ginger, and soy sauce, hosomaki makes a perfect, healthy, and nutritious snack or a light meal.
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Falling in the broad category of hosomaki sushi, tekkamaki rolls are one of the most common sushi varieties. Nori sheets, sushi rice, and raw tuna are the three essential tekkamaki ingredients. Nori, the pressed and dried seaweed sheets are used as a wrapper which holds all the ingredients together.
The firm sushi rice, with a slightly acidic taste, is spread on top of nori, and the central part of the roll is a piece of raw tuna. Tender and soft, pink in color and mild in flavor, tuna perfectly balances the subtle flavors of nori and rice. Tuna is placed on top of the rice, and tekkamaki is then rolled by hand using a bamboo mat.
MOST ICONIC Tekkamaki
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Wakame salad is a traditional salad. Although there are many versions of the salad, it’s usually prepared with wakame seaweed, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, yuzu juice, grated ginger, sesame seeds, rice vinegar, and chili flakes or cayenne pepper.
The dried wakame is soaked in water, drained, then chopped and mixed with the other ingredients. Once prepared, wakame salad is garnished with sesame seeds and served immediately.
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