Food. Food is a truly glorious and wondrous thing. The substance that gives our bodies energy and makes our taste buds explode with succulent joy, it is something that is perhaps the greatest sensation after love itself. There are those who love the burn of a chilled coca-cola, the juiciness of the perfect burger, the aroma of freshly-made pasta, but for me, I prefer none other than the Turkish Japanese Delight that is sushi. While I must admit that sushi is somewhat of an acquired taste, it is a food that I am proud to call my absolute favorite. Here are my reasons.
1. It’s not a food that one gets bored of.
Probably the most disappointing experience in existence is when one gets sick of their favorite food after eating it too often or in consecutive meals. There are certain foods, which when consumed too often or in many consecutive meals, can lose its taste. But sushi is just something that never gets boring.
2. A relatively lean food, it doesn’t leave one feeling bloated or gassy.
Because most sushi dishes are comprised of rice and seaweed at its most basic level, it’s not a food that uses a lot of oil or fatty ingredients, thus avoiding the queasy feeling that one usually gets after eating other delicious but oftentimes greasy food.
3. Very filling with less the calories.
While it’s no longer surprising to hear that certain dishes from well-known restaurants are packed with calories reaching and even passing the one thousand mark, sushi is for the most part relatively lean and healthy. An average roll of six or eight pieces, which is sometimes enough to quell one’s hunger, is usually in the range of one hundred to three hundred range. Only when one opts for sushi containing tempura, which is a deep fried ingredient, then will the calories rise.
Even for the most extravagantly designed sushi, a simple pair of chopsticks is all that is needed to enjoy. Smeared cheeks and sticky fingers that are inevitable when eating food like crabs and barbecue, but it will be the least of one's concerns when it comes to sushi.
The appeal of something like chicken poppers is that it's small enough to eat one by one without much effort applies to sushi. Cut into pieces that are meant to be eaten in one bite, it's something to be eaten easily and hassle-free, such as having to use a fork and knife.
6. It encourages sharing and trying new things.
When eating sushi with friends, its an option that all the orders are brought out on one massive platter (or wooden boats) instead of individual plates for each customer. Because of this, friends will usually order different rolls and when it comes to eating, everyone shares and tries a few pieces of everything instead of just one complete roll.
7. Seaweed: one of the reasons why Japan boasts the world's highest life expectancy.
#1 when it comes to overall life expectancy (84), Japan has achieved this incredible feat because of their diet that consists of an almost daily consumption of seaweed. A food that promotes longevity, eating sushi (which comes with seaweed) is not only just a way to enjoy great food, it also helps one's health a little bit in the long run.
From when I was a child to now, I have witnessed an incredible change in what people were willing and wanting to eat. Back then I saw that families usually went out to eat Chinese, Mexican, or Italian food when they wanted to eat ethnic food. But now that has changed and I regularly see people branching outwards and frequenting Japanese, Korean, Indian, Ethiopian, and many other restaurants that serve non-traditional American cuisine. While I myself am Chinese and did not acquire my taste for Japanese sushi until I was a teenager, I think it's fascinating that as time goes on, culture is spread even further around the world. And enjoying foreign cuisine is an excellent opportunity for one to experience and appreciate the many cultures from around the world.
