What Is Nigiri And How To Eat It Like An Expert?
Nigiri is one of the most popular types of sushi. Along with maki, it is the most consumed Sushi in the world. Among the nigiris, the most popular is salmon, followed by tuna. To enjoy a good tasting sushi, you have to know what nigiri is and how to eat it to enjoy it in all its nuances.
A Brief History Of Nigiri
The history of Sushi, or at least its origins, seems to date back to the fourth century in China. But Nigiri as we know it today seems to have emerged in the city of Edo, what we now know as Tokyo in 1820. Its invention is attributed to the chef Hanaya Yohei, who created a type of Sushi that could be eaten with hands, which helped its popularisation as street food.
Nigiri is a Sushi made up of a ball of rice that is moulded by hand on which is served a piece of finely filleted raw fish or other ingredients such as cooked octopus, eel or tortilla. Unlike other types of sushi such as Maki or Temaki, Nigiri is not wrapped in Nori seaweed.
How To Eat Nigiri?
Nigiri is always eaten with the hands. You do not need to juggle chopsticks, since they are pieces designed to be picked up with the fingers. The Nigiri is eaten in one bite, its size is perfect to be eaten by hand!
You may feel like eating your Nigiris with soy sauce. A common mistake is to wet them on the rice side and they break. To avoid this, turn the nigiri over and dip the fish in it. Do not dip the Nigiri in soybeans or you will lose some of its flavour, it is better to dip it slightly.
It is also recommended that you check if it your Nigiri already has wasabi incorporated between the rice and the fish, so as not to go overboard with the spicy.
Soy sauce is the most popular to accompany your Nigiris, but some types are delicious with miso and Yuzu sauce, like our flambéed scallop Nigiris; or with Teriyaki sauce.
What's Your Reaction?