Japanese Food Bites: Indulging in the Taste of Summer

Class ended up being a lot of fun. I presented my Pecha Kucha assignment and got to listen to everyone else’s presentations as well. It was interesting seeing the different topics people chose and hearing about their experiences throughout the trip. One of the highlights of class was Sora’s guest lecture. He did an amazing job and brought a lot of energy to the classroom. It was one of my favorite class sessions of the program.

After class, Grace and I headed to Tsukiji Fish Market for a sushi-making class. We arrived about 45 minutes early, so we spent some time walking around the market. We grabbed a couple hand rolls and some strawberry candies while exploring. The market was busy, full of people, and packed with food vendors selling everything from fresh seafood to desserts.

The sushi-making class was definitely the highlight of my day. We learned how to make cucumber rolls and how to properly shape rice for nigiri. Before the class, I thought making sushi looked pretty simple. After trying it myself, I realized how much skill goes into it. Shaping the rice correctly was much harder than it looked, and it gave me a new appreciation for sushi chefs and the years of practice they put into their craft.

I asked Grace what stood out most to her about the class, and she said she was surprised by how much attention was given to the rice. Before the class, both of us thought the fish was the most important part of sushi, but we learned that the rice is just as important. The texture, shape, and temperature all play a role in creating a good piece of sushi.

After the class, we spent the afternoon walking around Ginza. Grace bought a new pair of shoes, I bought a watch, and I picked up some stationery for my mom. We eventually made our way back to the hotel, where we spent a few hours studying for our final exam the next day. Later that evening, we grabbed dinner at Pizza Borsa near the hotel before finishing up some more studying and heading to bed.

Looking back, my biggest takeaway from the day was gaining a greater appreciation for the amount of care and precision that goes into Japanese food. Something as simple as a piece of nigiri requires techniques that take years to master. It made me realize that many of the foods we eat without thinking actually have a tremendous amount of skill and tradition behind them.