The Art of Making Sushi

While working as an extern at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, I had the opportunity to learn how to make sushi. I never realized how difficult, complicated, and how many components go into making sushi. Chef Jordan, whom I was working under, told me to watch the documentary "Jiro Dreams of Sushi" on Netflix. I couldn't understand, while watching the movie, how Jiro spent so many years of his life dedicated to making sushi. While making my first sushi roll, I realized that it made sense that he spent years perfecting his craft. Sushi making is not an easy process and it took me a very short amount of time to figure that out.

From learning how to make sushi I realized that it is important to have a sharp knife. I also began to understand that if you do not roll the sushi tight enough, it will fall apart and you will be left with mush. I also was amazed by the odd flavor combinations Chef Jordan created, and I marveled that tuna, mozzarella cheese, and grilled peaches made a delicious bite and not a muddled mess. I learned how to make fried tempura pieces and realized why everything in the roll needed to be cut so thin because otherwise the roll would explode.

Water became my best friend as my knife was dipped into it to prevent my knife from sticking to the seaweed. The most important lesson I learned was that practice makes perfect, and I was not going to master the art of sushi in one day. A lot of squished and overstuffed rolls later would be the only way to learn. I hope to have inspired you to buy yourself a bamboo mat and to get rolling.