What is sushi Zuke?
This time, we will introduce in detail the industry term “Zuke” used in sushi restaurants.
Zuke is the method of cooking sushi
Zuke is one of the five major Edomae sushi techniques, and refers to a cooking method in which fish fillets that are eaten raw are marinated in a mixture of soy sauce, sake, and mirin for several hours to overnight.
It originally became popular during the Edomae sushi era as a delicious and safe way to eat raw fish. Marinating fish in soy sauce not only makes it safe to eat raw fish even in an era without refrigeration, but the fish soaked in soy sauce loses its fishy odor, becomes firmer, and tastes even better. To further improve its preservation, it is sometimes pickled with ingredients that have antibacterial properties, such as ginger and shiso.
In the past, the mainstream of sushi was Zuke, which was prepared in this way, and zuke nigiri and zukedon are still very popular due to their deliciousness. In addition to tuna, it may also be applied to bonito, yellowtail, etc.
Five major techniques of Edomae sushi
The five major techniques that have been used since the Edo period are “vinegar tightening”, “konbu tightening”, “soy sauce zuke”, “boiling”, and “simmering”.
Originally, this treatment was used to make fish last longer, and its effect makes sense. In modern times, these techniques can bring out the flavor of seafood and make it more delicious, so it is used in a variety of situations.
