Do Japanese sushi restaurants use topping on the food?

Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher
In Denmark, most sushi restaurants use topping on the food. It is typically sushi rolls such as insite-out which are topped with various ingredients such as roe, seaweed salad, chili mayonnaise, pickled onions and crushed wasabi peas. Sushi rolls are often topped in many different ways.

In Japan, topping is not used in the same way as in Denmark.
The Japanese are very fond of fish of very high quality. They eat as much fish as we eat meat.
So that’s why Japanese customers and Japanese sushi chefs have a slightly different approach to sushi. The sushi pieces should preferably be as simple as possible, ie. with rice and fish are in the center so they are allowed to shine.

Sushi topping is used in Japan. It can be lemon, an herb or a specific type of salt, which is used to highlight fish unique flavors and aromas.

At the Sushi course for beginners, you will learn how to make tasty sushi like Japanese sushi chefs in Tokyo.

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Do Japanese sushi chefs use chili mayonnaise?

Zoë EscherIn Japan, I have never encountered chili mayonnaise.

In Japan sushi chef uses different raw materials on top on nigiri sushi like herbs, Japanese vegetables, egg, homemade soy sauce and marinade to give the whole dining experience an extra dimension.

In the US chili mayonnaise is used in very small quantities. The only fish that uses chili mayonnaise is tuna in which it is typically mixed in a tuna tartar.

In Denmark, there are many restaurants that uses chili mayonnaise in many context like a ketchup.
I think that is a pity because you will miss out the finer flavors of the fish and the interaction between the various ingredients.

But it is an individual choice.

Please read more about Sushi course for beginners

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Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Accenture audit Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

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