| In my journal I wrote, "The wide availability of sushi now provides the ordinary person with the illusion of luxury and refinement." But is sushi really a luxury cuisine now that people can buy sushi to-go at local supermarkets? Sushi was more luxurious in the late 1970s and 1980s when sushi first appeared on the American dining scene. In those days, sushi easily cost $50 per person and only expensive sushi restaurants served it. Most of my high school friends refused to try it, especially once they saw the raw fish. I relished their squeamishness my salmon roe maki topped with raw quail egg yolk. Splendid. | 
Sushi to go: A spicy salmon maki with avocado, cucumber and spicy aioli aka mayo. |
I craved sushi constantly and ate it every chance I got. Luckily other people shared my craving to create enough demand for sushi as an everyday food. Advances in food preservation technology and food transport made it possible for lunchtime cafes to sell sushi by-the-pound. Some critics suggest that the global economy played a crucial role in the sushi explosion. Japan Airlines developed specially refrigerated airplanes used to fly bluefin tuna thousands of miles to vast fish markets. Flash freezing technology preserved freshness and flavor of the fish during and after transport. Somehow, the ability to supply fresh fish coincided happily with a growing demand from an adventurous public willing to try new flavors. Thus began a sushi boon that continues to grow.
Sushi now sells in most major grocery stores and lunch places sell sushi by the pound. Some places even offer customized sushi made on the spot sushi bar style. Alas, these places do not offer as much variety as higher end restaurants but that is to be expected. Specialized items such as sea urchin and salmon roe do not appeal to most diners and are probably harder to keep fresh. Other fish, such as yellowtail, are too expensive and most lunch places substitute yellow fin tuna or escolar for yellowtail. The proprietor of one lunchtime place confided that yellowtail costs $22 per pound, too expensive to sell for lunch prices. I just wish she would take it off the menu already.
Perhaps there is still a sense of sushi's appeal to those who eat it. Despite its growing popularity, not everyone enjoys it. One co-worker characterized it as "fishy and yucky." Fishy and yucky plays directly into the sushi's appeal as an exotic delicacy for those who have acquired the taste for it. Was my journal entry right after all? Does eating sushi provide the illusion of luxury and refinement?
Sushi now sells in most major grocery stores and lunch places sell sushi by the pound. Some places even offer customized sushi made on the spot sushi bar style. Alas, these places do not offer as much variety as higher end restaurants but that is to be expected. Specialized items such as sea urchin and salmon roe do not appeal to most diners and are probably harder to keep fresh. Other fish, such as yellowtail, are too expensive and most lunch places substitute yellow fin tuna or escolar for yellowtail. The proprietor of one lunchtime place confided that yellowtail costs $22 per pound, too expensive to sell for lunch prices. I just wish she would take it off the menu already.
Perhaps there is still a sense of sushi's appeal to those who eat it. Despite its growing popularity, not everyone enjoys it. One co-worker characterized it as "fishy and yucky." Fishy and yucky plays directly into the sushi's appeal as an exotic delicacy for those who have acquired the taste for it. Was my journal entry right after all? Does eating sushi provide the illusion of luxury and refinement?
RSS Feed