The so-called knife three fire five eat a lifetime, which means that a successful chef must first learn the basics of knife work for three years, then learn cooking for five years, and finally continue to learn and figure out throughout his life in order to be able to study the most delicious dishes.

Knife work is very important in cooking, the quality of a chef determines the "color" of the food, exquisite knife work can make the food look pleasing to the eye, at the same time, the knife work also affects the "taste" of the food, good knife work can make the food more flavorful, taste more tasteful, especially in Japanese food.

Unlike Chinese cuisine, where good knife skills end up making the food evenly heated during the cooking process and shorten the cooking time, Japanese cuisine places special emphasis on the pleasing form and color of the ingredients.

When making sashimi, if you use an unsuitable knife or a knife that is not sharp, the shape and fibrous tissue of the raw material will be destroyed during the cutting, causing the lipid to collapse and destroy the special flavor of the raw material itself.

Knives used to handle sashimi are also very important, and unlike the knives in Chinese cuisine, Japanese chefs generally have five to seven special knives when making dishes, which can be divided into knives for fish, shellfish and crustaceans, and knives for descaling, cross-sectioning, longitudinal section, bone cutting, etc.

In addition, sashimi chopsticks, which are thin and long, with a thin and thin end, are used to place the slices on a plate.

Pointing to the flounder sashimi in front of him, Battlefield Harasawami introduced: "When processing sashimi, it is necessary to cut the top wire, that is, the texture of the knife and the fish meat should be at an angle of 90 degrees, so that the fillet can be cut out with short tendons, which is easy to chew and has a good taste." Do not cut along the texture of the fish, because the ribs are too long and the taste is not good. ”

The thickness of the sashimi is so that it is easy to chew and delicious. The word "delicious" here has two meanings: one is that it is easy to eat, and the other is that the thickness of the fillet fully reflects the best taste of the ingredients. Generally, the thickness of fish fillets is about 0.5 cm, such as salmon, tuna, anchovy, sailfish, etc. With this thickness, you won't get tired of eating it. I won't feel unexpected.

However, some fish also need to be cut thinner, such as sea bream, because the flesh of this fish is tight and firm, so it needs to be cut thin to be delicious. It's not that it's just thin or thick, but the real chef's knife work is reflected in multiple angles.

Seeing that the battlefield Hara Ze was covered with a piece of sashimi stained with wasabi, he said to Sikong Yao at the same time: "The bones of the fish have been shaved clean, don't worry." It won't get stuck in your throat. ”

However, Sikong Yao's embarrassment is not here, although the decoration is beautiful, sashimi is also sashimi in the end, for Sikong Yao, who is used to eating cooked food, sashimi is indeed a little difficult to eat, although this plate of sashimi can not find any fault, but it is difficult to move chopsticks, after all, there is a barrier in my heart.

Yuan Ze saw that he didn't know where Sikong Yao's embarrassment came from, and after thinking about it, he wanted to deviate again. "How?" he asked. It's because you're not used to eating wasabi, and it's okay to use soy sauce. ”

The main seasoning of sashimi is wasabi and soy sauce.

Wasabi, also known as green mustard and green mustard, is actually somewhat different from Chinese mustard, and the name green mustard is intended to distinguish it from traditional Chinese yellow mustard.

Although both have a similar punch and spiciness, they come from different parts of the plant, with yellow mustard being the seed of the plant and wasabi being the root of the plant.

Wasabi contains allyl isothiocyanic acid compounds, which are the source of its unique aroma and pungent spicy smell, which can remove the fishy odor of fish, and has the effect of sterilization and disinfection, promoting digestion and increasing appetite.

Wasabi cultivation in Japan is also very particular. It grows in the valley's stream paddies and must be a north-facing valley without direct sunlight. The environment there must not be polluted in the slightest, otherwise it will be difficult for wasabi to survive. Wasabi has a long growth cycle. It usually takes four years to harvest. In order not to damage the wasabi branches, it is necessary to pick them by hand. The branches and leaves of wasabi are used to make mustard.

Green mustard comes in paste, powder, and puree. The puree is derived from freshly ground wasabi, which is washed fresh wasabi and scraped with a fine-eyed shaver, or made of shark skin. Rub into a puree, so this pureed taste is best.

It can be kneaded into various shapes, such as autumn leaves, hearts, etc., and placed next to the sashimi, which can not only serve as a seasoning, but also play a role in garnishing and setting off, adding to the beauty.

Powdered wasabi can only be used after mixing it with water, and the ratio of powder to water is one to two. Once evenly blended, it should also be left to sit for a few minutes to allow its stimulating spicy taste and unique flavor to develop. However, it should be used as soon as possible after blending, otherwise the spicy flavor will evaporate.

As for the paste-like wasabi, it is a finished product, like toothpaste, which can be squeezed out when needed, and in China, many supermarkets sell this type.

Although Japanese people like to use wasabi as a dipping sauce, some people choose to go with soy sauce, which provides a pungent flavor that removes the fishy smell of raw ingredients, and soy sauce, which provides a salty and umami flavor that harmonizes the overall deliciousness.

Since it is a golden partner, there is a question of whether it is a good match, and there are many varieties of soy sauce, in terms of categories, there are brewed and artificially synthesized, in terms of taste, there are also strong and light, and the color is also dark and light.

Chinese soy sauce is available in light soy sauce and dark soy sauce, while Japanese soy sauce is thick and light. For this reason, attentive sashimi chefs prepare ingredients according to the ingredients used and the preferences of the guests.

If the sashimi is thicker, the soy sauce should be thicker, like salmon, and vice versa, the soy sauce should be lighter, similar to the flounder sashimi in front of you.

As the chef brought up a mountain of sashimi dishes, Battlefield Hara Zemi couldn't wait, and at the same time kept instigating Sikong Yao.

Sikong Yao smiled awkwardly, if you don't eat mustard, it will be even more of a headache, the reason why you want to choose okisa and sashimi is to get a more perfect taste, and the chemistry in wasabi can effectively kill the sashimi in raw fish meat.

Sikong Yao has a headache at this time, choosing to eat sashimi is really a wrong choice, although it is one of the four major Japanese dishes, but Sikong Yao really can't accept it.

As a native of Japan, Battlefield Hara saw that he would naturally not reject the culture of his country, and he ate sashimi, which seemed unreasonable in the eyes of foreigners, with relish.

Seeing that Sikong Yao didn't move his chopsticks for a long time, Yuan Ze saw that the battlefield Yuan Ze thought that soy sauce was not right for Sikong Yao's appetite, so he said: "Don't you like soy sauce too?" How about using ginger and shallots with sour vinegar sauce, generally more fishy, lighter silver-skinned white-fleshed fish can also use this sauce, such as horse mackerel, whitebait, standing fish, mackerel, salmon and tuna, these red meat fish have a heavier bloody smell, so it is better to use only soy sauce with green mustard. ”

In fact, when eating sashimi, as long as the personal taste is acceptable, even if you don't use sauces, you can do it, and some precious white meat fish, such as Kichiji, sweetfish, and kinkaji fish, are actually seasoned with a little sea salt.

Sikong Yao sighed silently in his heart, it seems that according to the strength of the battlefield Yuan Ze, it is estimated that there is no way not to eat, and in desperation, he has to slowly pick up chopsticks.

"Pick white meat and eat it well, at least it won't be so poisonous...... Sikong Yao, who prayed in his heart, set his eyes on an Arctic shellfish sashimi, at least in Chinese cuisine, there are also some pickled raw shellfish dishes, which are probably acceptable.

Unexpectedly, the battlefield Hara Ze saw that he praised it and said, "Yo, it turns out that you actually know, I thought you were eating sashimi for the first time." ”

Sikong Yao was stunned for a moment, she didn't know what was going on, and she couldn't help muttering, "What's the matter......

On the battlefield, Hara Zemi also picked a piece of Arctic shell sashimi, and said, "Sure enough, the first bite should be from the Arctic shellfish." ”

According to Japanese custom, sashimi should be eaten from relatively light ingredients, usually in the following order: arctic shellfish, octopus, geoduck, red scallops, scallops, sweet shrimp, sea urchin, squid, tuna, salmon, swordfish.

Sikong Yao understood the intention of Yuan Ze on the battlefield at this time, and it seemed that he had made a mistake, so he simply followed the order of Yuan Ze on the battlefield and ate the same.

When eating sashimi, it is most taboo to stir the soy sauce and wasabi in a small dish with chopsticks, as traditional Japanese people consider it to be an impolite act of eating sashimi and a sign of not knowing how to taste sashimi properly.

Learning from the appearance of Yuan Ze on the battlefield, Sikong Yao followed the gourd and first put an empty plate and a small dish with soy sauce in front of him, used chopsticks to clip a piece of sashimi and put it in the empty plate, and then took an appropriate amount of wasabi and put it on the fish fillet, then folded the fish fillet, covered the wasabi, dipped it in soy sauce, and put it in his mouth.

When the sashimi is eaten, Sikong Yao can easily taste the three flavors, namely the original taste of fish, the umami of soy sauce, and the aroma of wasabi. To cope with its pungent and spicy smell, remember not to breathe through your nose when eating, if you let the air in and out of your mouth, it will not be escaped.

As he continued to chew, the fish became more and more rotten, and the more he chewed, the more he chewed, the more he chewed, Sikong Yao suddenly felt that his mouth was full of relish, and at this time, the mustard also became a compound taste, like eating sand and watermelon, with a crisp and rustling taste, both spicy and fragrant.

Later, octopus, geoduck, and red scallops are entered one by one, and the fragrant, sweet, sandy, salty, and spicy are mixed into one, which is naturally very wonderful. Sikong Yao immediately eliminated the misunderstanding in his heart, this sashimi is really a unique flavor, if you can let go of the prejudice in your heart and look at it with an appreciative eye, it is also a delicacy. (To be continued.) )