I feel that sushi is more popular in Europe than I expected. After having multiple people talk to me about sushi over the course of a week, I visited two sushi restaurants in Cambridge, England. I was turned away by the words, “Be careful, the prices vary depending on the plate!”
I would like to share with you my experiences eating sushi in Latvia, Denmark, Italy, and Belgium four years ago, when I had a break from eating Western food, as well as my experiences eating sushi in five European countries.
Salmon is excellent
Belgian seafood bowl
Perhaps because Norway is nearby, you can’t go wrong with salmon. It seems to be the most popular topping in Europe, and in addition to nigiri, the combination of salmon, cream cheese, cucumber, and avocado is popular.
The thick-sliced salmon I ate at a Japanese sushi restaurant in Belgium had a rich but not overpowering flavor that was at an all-time high.
Price is high
In the UK, two pieces of salmon or tuna nigiri at conveyor belt sushi restaurants cost around 3-4 pounds. In Italy, sushi restaurants are considered expensive and fashionable date spots. A Belgian seafood bowl cost 35 euros four years ago.
If you look at it from Japan, where there are many cheap and delicious sushi and seafood bowls, it seems quite expensive.
vinegared rice is hot
When I ate sushi in Italy, the vinegared rice made by a Hispanic chef was so hot that I realized the importance of temperature.
In the UK, I didn’t notice any difference in the temperature of the vinegared rice, but since Japanese rice is not used, I think the vinegared rice tends to be dry.
Generally, there is an impression that the toppings are simply placed on top, and if you try to put soy sauce on the toppings, it will easily come off. Although the restaurant was small, it had a sushi counter and was run by a Chinese chef, and the toppings and vinegared rice had a sense of unity and tasted delicious.
