Japan is series of islands very close to the Pacific's deep ocean trench, there are also two major ocean currents that surround the islands - so the waters are rich and the fishes abundant, with many varieties you will not see in the states! The great availability and freshness has spawned one of Japan’s most famous food styles – sushi and sashimi.

Sushi is actually a rice preparation style – with mild vinegar and simple seasonings. The rice is fanned while cooling to balance the acidity and create a specific stickiness and flavor. The rice then is then ‘rolled’ with vegetables, egg, and of course seafood – both raw, cooked and marinated in vinegar. Sashimi is super premium uncooked fishes served raw or marinated without rice.Making sushi at home can be a lot of fun!

Here is a recipe for sushi rice, and we offer the Japanese rice, nori, wasabi, soy sauce, rice vinegar and rolling kits at Tony’s Markets. The sushi rice is very sticky, so use plenty of water on your hands and wrap your rolling board in plastic to keep things under control. We always have at least one type of Sashimi-grade fish available. See tips on rolling sushi.

If you want a master to prepare your sushi, there are many great sushi shops in the metro area. The first thing to look for in a Sushi Restaurant is Japanese ownership and Japanese trained chefs. In my opinion, the best in town is Sushi Den on Pearl Street. The 3 Kizaki brothers run their restaurants - one is in Japan and there are two here in Denver - Sushi Den and Izakaya Den. As a bonus, the brother in Japan air-frieghts fresh Japanese fish, and they also use some of the same domstic sources as Tony's. If you visit, tell Yasu or Toshi Kizaki-san Konichiwa for me!

While most folks think of Japanese food, Sushi and Sashimi immediately come to mind – but there are many other styles of Japanese cooking, so don’t stop there!

Back to Foodie in Japan Index

Look at Tony's Wednesday eNews, Friday Weekend Recipes Mailer, and this page for updates, twice weekly.

Since we're so far from the sea, the price of sashimi grade fish is low in Japan, but the price of beef and pork is astronomical! A great reason to eat fish everyday when visiting Japan!

We proudly offer Sashimi grade fishes at Tony's, ask about current availablity, or let us order you something special! Contact a seafood manager at one of our markets - locations and phone numbers>>