Sushi in Japan versus US

[Anonymous]

I’m in Honolulu and got sushi from the Japanese market that caters to Japanese. The sushi rice tasted different — more sour than sweet like it usually is here. Is that typical in Japan? Or was this just a one off?

[Anonymous]

American taste buds are infused with a desire for sweetness so I suspect it’s intentional, but I’m curious to hear from someone familiar with the rice from both sides of the ocean.

[Anonymous]

They do use some rice vinegar for sushi rice. But maybe they were just too strong with it where you got it.

[Anonymous]

I never noticed a difference in the rice — the thing that always got me was that sushi in Japan was so big! And there was so much wasabi on it.

[Anonymous]

Thanks - maybe it was just this particular batch. I’ve had sushi made by Japanese people before and it never had this sout taste, although always a bit of tang from the vinegar.
This was a well respected market full of Japanese people though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Thanks - maybe it was just this particular batch. I’ve had sushi made by Japanese people before and it never had this sout taste, although always a bit of tang from the vinegar.
This was a well respected market full of Japanese people though.

Yeah, maybe the sushi chef simply forgot he already added vinegar and added more, doubling it by mistake. Even Japanese people are not immune from making bad sushi sometimes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m in Honolulu and got sushi from the Japanese market that caters to Japanese. The sushi rice tasted different — more sour than sweet like it usually is here. Is that typical in Japan? Or was this just a one off?

It depends on where you get your sushi. Sushi means sour rice in Japanese. Maybe you have been eating from so-so sushi places? You can tell because the rice is sweet and things are mushy.

[Anonymous]

Honolulu has some Korean influence, maybe it was kimbap? They always put yellow pickled radish in theirs and don’t use awasezu/ sushi vinegar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honolulu has some Korean influence, maybe it was kimbap? They always put yellow pickled radish in theirs and don’t use awasezu/ sushi vinegar

Kimbap typically uses sesame oil instead of seasoned vinegar in the rice. This sounds like either they didn't include any sugar (which I thought was standard but maybe its not in Japan) or maybe used a different kind of vinegar that typical.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I never noticed a difference in the rice — the thing that always got me was that sushi in Japan was so big! And there was so much wasabi on it.

This was my experience too!