I'm a fan of food. I love food. Everyone who knows me knows that I like to try anything and everything. Of course when I say try. It means giving a certain food at least three shots at three different places before I finally decide that I dislike it. Or like it for that matter. Some foods however I've only tried once.
Sushi was something that I only tried once. I believe that the sushi I tried wasn't authentic. Something about the maki roll felt Egyptian. Even though the restaurant name was called JO SUSHI. I ordered California Rolls. They were just clumps of rice stuffed with cucumber. No sea weed. No wasabi. No chopsticks. I felt betrayed. I decided that this Sushi didn't count.
I starting asking around as to were would be the best place that makes sushi. Someone recommended a place called Makani. I was surprised. Makani was a cafe. They sold muffins and cheese salad. Why would they be serving sushi over there? That same person recommended I try the crispy chicken and mozzarella roll. Then I realized what was going on. Egyptian Sushi. It was everywhere. It was a new trend.
I wanted to try the real stuff. It was no where to be found.
It happened that I was discussing this with my neighbor. How much I wanted to try sushi and how every where I went the sushi wasn't authentic. Then her friend (who was hanging out with us) said, "I've tried sushi once with my husband at a Japanese place."
"Really? How was it?"
"Oh I didn't really like it.."
"Which one did you order?"
"The steamed rice and some stir fried something. I can't really remember..."
(Pause) "That's not sushi. Sushi is clumps of rice. Stuffed with something.."
The girl looked disappointed...She had so wanted to be the person who tried sushi so she can brag about it. I had spoiled her plan.
"That was just some other japanese dish you tried," I tried to make her feel better.
"I thought all Japanese food was called sushi."
I felt sorry for her. Then it hit me. Sushi was the new trend. Liking sushi was the new "in" thing. That's why everyone was obsessing about it. That's why it was sold everywhere now. It was selling. Wannabes were buying it. They thought they liked what was being sold as sushi but wasn't sushi. Or were they just pretending to like it because they wanted to belong to the "in" crowd?
One time I observed one person covering his roll with ketchup and mustard so he wouldn't taste it as he pretended to like it.... sad.
So, I don't know what really bothers me more. The fact that suddenly everyone loves sushi, or the fact that the sushi they love isn't sushi.
I decided that I have to fly to Japan if I wanted to try real sushi. Or maybe just wait until some new place opens up and starts serving it proper....
