What is sushi restaurant Tsukeba?
This time, I will explain the industry term tsukeba used at sushi restaurants.
Tsukeba is the kitchen of a sushi restaurant.
“Tsukeba” mainly refers to the cooking area at a sushi restaurant.
At Japanese restaurants where food is prepared face-to-face with customers, the interior of the counter is often referred to as the “Itaba” rather than the “kitchen.” But why is it called tsukeba in sushi restaurants?
A long time ago, when refrigeration and freezing technology were not yet developed, Edomae nigiri sushi was mainly made with sushi toppings marinated in soy sauce or vinegar. For this reason, many soy sauce barrels and vinegar bottles were placed in this “Tsukeba” for pickling (tsuke). And for the craftsmen, most of the work is not so much about making sushi as it is about pickling tuna, etc. in the “Tsukeba,” or preparing pickled fish such as yellowfin tuna and mackerel. Because of these things, it seems that it is called “Tsukeba” as a remnant of those days.
The table on which sushi is placed is called tsukedai.
For the same reason as the tsukedai, the table between the craftsman and the customer is called the tsukedai.
Sometimes at a sushi restaurant, I see people who are so absorbed in the story that even though the nigiri is out, they just leave it on the table. The golden rule is to eat the food while it is still in its condition. If you leave sushi out, the ingredients will dry out and the taste will change. It’s important to enjoy your sushi while having a good conversation, but try to eat it while it’s still delicious.
