When people think about sushi, it doesn't seem that complicated. It's raw fish. You eat it.
There's actually a lot more to it than that. Just spend five minutes really reading a sushi menu instead of just ordering your usual JB roll.
You may learn that "sushi" doesn't mean raw fish. It refers to the vinegared rice.
Temaki? Sashimi? Nigiri? (Wasn't that the giant snake that kept trying to eat Harry Potter?)
If you can't keep track, the Morikami Museum in Delray Beach is offering a peek into the history and nuances of sushi, and adding some pointers on how to make your very own sushi during its Basics of Sushi class.
Wendy Lo is in adult programs coordinator for Morikami at the Morkami. Teaching the class will be a professional sushi chef and local restaurant owner.
"Mitsutoshi Sekita, owns a Koume Japanese Restaurant in Sunrise," says Lo. "He works with us on classes often. He's a very dynamic person. He teaches students how to handle the ingredients, how to cut the ingredients, and how to make rolls, and throughout he gives them a little history about why certain rolls are made each way. At the end they get to eat their sushi or take it home and they get to keep the bamboo mat as a gift."
The first class is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., February 24 and there will be an encore class March 17. The cost for the class is $70, which covers the cost of the supplies and the fish, as well as the bamboo sushi mat that the students get to take home.
"There are also materials that we need the participants to bring; a sharp 7 to 8 inch knife (not serrated), a cutting board (about 10" X 15"), and an apron or dishrag."
The class takes place in the Oki Education Center classroom.
Lo recommends that interested participants register in advance and register early. The class limit is 18 students and it always fills up. Register online at morikami.org or call 561-495-0233, ext. 210.
You can register online until the Thursday before the class. The Friday before the class, you can still register by phone, but the office is closed on Saturday and those who show up the day of the class might find it full or that there are not enough supplies.
The Morkami Museum and Japanese Gardens is located at 4000 Morikami Park Road in Delray Beach.
Follow @ CleanPlateBPB