Sushi 101

Sophomore Craig Shank did not feel confident the first time he tried sushi.\nIntimidation is a common among students who have never tried sushi before, but experts and students alike say that with a little bit of daring and some help from friends, learning to eat sushi can be fun and easy. \n"My first sushi experience was at Domo during my first semester last year," Shank said.\nHe went to the Japanese-style restaurant, located at 1500 E. Third St., with a few friends who were interested in Japanese language and culture. Unlike his friends, he didn't know what to order, or even how to hold chopsticks.\n"I didn't want to look foolish in front of my friends, who had prior sushi experience, so I only ate when I knew no one was really looking in my direction," he said.\n"I didn't know what wasabi was at the time, so I felt the need to plunge the sushi into it. Needless to say, I had to get some refills on my drink," he said.\nThough he was too timid to ask questions, Shank said he thinks it is important to go with friends that have had sushi before when trying it for the first time.\n"Go with more experienced sushi eaters, and don't be afraid to ask about anything," he said. "You'll look less silly asking a question than you will if your sushi keeps dropping on your plate before it reaches your mouth."\nAnother intimidating factor about eating sushi is the prospect of eating raw fish, said senior Courtney Wiesenauer.\n"I believe the first thing that comes to mind when someone says sushi is a giant hunk of raw fish," Wiesenauer said. "That is sushi, yes, but sushi rolls are in the same category and are a lot easier for people to stomach."\nShe recommends California Rolls for first-timers. The cream cheese, avocado and crab, which are familiar ingredients, can often make a foreign food seem more friendly, she said. \n"Most people who I have spoken with really enjoy California Rolls," she said. "The cream cheese usually makes the seaweed taste a little less pronounced, and people are able to ease their way into the bolder types of sushi."\nAndy Chan, the manager of Sushi Bar, 2522 E. 10th St., said first-timers commonly choose California Rolls, with typically positive results. He said that it's important to remember that most sushi menus have both raw and cooked fish.\n"I always ask people when they are ordering if they want raw fish or if they would like fresh fish like tuna or salmon," he said.\nAfter trying the "safer options," Charlie Shi, a sushi chef at Sushi Bar, steers customers toward a spicy tuna roll if they are looking for something more unique because it includes raw fish.\nStill, Chan said eating raw fish is completely safe and that the chefs at his restaurant are knowledgeable in the proper way to prepare and keep the fish before cooking it.\n"They make sure it is fresh and it is frozen, which kills the germs," he said. \nEven after getting the hang of eating sushi, sushi's condiments still confuse some students. \nSophomore Jason Mezera was a bit puzzeled by what to do with the wasabi.\n"I put a lot of wasabi on all of the sushi rolls, and I had never tried wasabi before," he said. "I thought there was something wrong with the sushi. All the wasabi made it taste like it had been sprayed with disinfectant."\nNow that he knows how to properly use wasabi in small amounts, Mezera enjoys the added flavor.\nMarsh Supermarket sushi chef Khim Oo suggested trying some traditional side dishes to accompany sushi.\n"I eat it with green tea and tofu or miso soup," he said.\nWiesenauer is optimistic that sushi can be included in college students' diets.\n"I think many college students are intimidated by cooking and get bogged down with ordering pizza and eating macaroni and cheese," Wiesenauer said, "but eating sushi is a healthy, easy alternative"