Is Sushi Still Sushi without Fish?

We all have our pet peeves. My list as a sushi chef has a few prime ones like don’t mix wasabi paste in your soy sauce, don’t ask me to cut your hand roll, and don’t ask me to recreate another sushi bar’s signature maki. I like to think these are sensible pet peeves, not too much to ask of any sushi lover. Even when these are breached, I am usually able to keep my cool. But nothing gets me on my soap box more than hearing someone claim that sushi without raw seafood isn’t “sushi” sushi.

If I had a quarter for every time I had to say “Sushi doesn’t mean raw fish or even fish at all”, I’d be a very prosperous lady. Sushi doesn’t not mean raw fish – or even fish at all. Sometimes sushi dishes contain raw fish; sometimes they contain cooked fish. Sometimes they do not contain seafood at all.

Someone actually asked me once “What good is sushi if there’s no fish? I mean, it’s not really ‘sushi’ sushi right?”

Now don’t get me wrong. I love my seafood just as much as anyone and I am not a vegan. But there are a few reasons why I think we could all benefit from abandoning the “sushi-must-contain-seafood” mentality.

While it’s true that most forms of sushi contain seafood, limiting ourselves to seafood only sushi creates some serious gaps of sushi enjoyment. Two very well – known maki zushi are seafood-free. They are the kappa maki, a thin roll consisting of cucumber and perhaps a few sesame seeds, and the ume jhiso, a thin roll consisting of sour plum paste and fragrant shiso leaves. Both maki zushi are classic and refreshing. But even more so, the deceptive simplicity of these maki zushi is beyond complex explanation of why they work. The same holds true for many other non-seafood based sushi. Ever tried a delicious piece of shiitake nigiri or a perfectly prepared piece of tamago nigiri? The experience of these can be more gratifying than a very well prepared seafood selection.

Secondly, limiting and being wise about our seafood choices with sushi is an issue that we all face. With the population of certain sea creatures such as bluefin tuna in danger, we may create a situation one day where the options may no longer be available to us. Enjoying a variety of sushi selections including seafood – free in place of those that continue to endanger species is a good way to eat sushi ethically and contribute to sustainable sushi practices.

And last, if expanding your horizons or caring about our oceans isn’t really your thing (which I hope isn’t the case!), then do yourself a favor. Save face and just remember that the definition of sushi leaves no question about whether or not sushi is sushi without the fish. Sushi is simply a specially prepared dish made of a specially cooked, vinegar dressed rice.

Happy Sushi!