Still A Sushi Virgin? Why You Should Try It

To say that sushi restaurants are growing in popularity is an understatement. These days, the compact Japanese fish fare is everywhere, and for some, eating it is an obsession bordering on a lifestyle.

Yet for some of us, the prospect of trying this dish is still daunting. It's raw fish, for pete's sake! Raw fish masked by little more than rice, vinegar, and seaweed - speaking of which, is the seaweed supposed to improve it somehow?

I used to be one of those people. The first time I tried sushi, I was, quite honestly, just doing it to be polite. A couple of friends of ours were treating us to dinner out, and when it came time to choose a restaurant, they chose one of the best, most expensive sushi restaurants in the Twin Cities. Avid sushi hounds, they were not only greatly excited to be going there, but also thrilled at the prospect of providing us, their friends, with the experience of something they considered one of the most delectable dining pleasures it is possible to have.

So I smiled, said I would be thrilled to give it a try, and just hoped that I could make it through dinner without needing to spit anything into my napkin. I wasn't hopeful – I normally don't even care for cooked seafood under the best of circumstances, so my optimism about my chances of enjoying it raw wasn't terribly well-developed. Plus, I had previously tried some fish-free California rolls (prominently featuring Nori, the dried seafood wrapping) and had felt pretty strongly that they were an acquired taste.

But when I tried what was placed before me, you could have knocked me over with a feather.

I'm not sure which I noticed first – the fact that simply sticky white rice mixed with rice vinegar and seasoned with soy sauce and wasabi is inexplicably, addictively delicious, or the fact that the raw fish (fresh as it was at this fine restaurant) has neither the taste nor texture of cooked fish and is practically an entirely different food.

Even that first time, I think I could have eaten my own weight in raw tuna and salmon. It was tender and easy to bite, and delicious in a way I don't think I can describe except to say it was mild, pure, and unlike anything Western cuisine has to offer.

I didn't much care for the seaweed that time, I'll admit, but it turned out I was right about it being and acquired taste. Now, I love the stuff (and it's very, very good for you, I might add).

And sure, there are some things you'll find on the menu of the average sushi place that I'm still a little iffy about; eel, octopus, and sea urchin aren't exactly my cup of tea, but there's plenty of tasty stuff to be had without bothering with any of those. Besides, who knows? By this time next year, they could be my new favorites.

For all you sushi virgins out there, don't be afraid. If you need to ease into it, there are some items on the menu that don't require any bravery whatsoever: fish-free inside-out rolls with very little seaweed taste, or, one of my personal favorites, cooked prawn sushi.

However, I do recommend that for your first time, you go to a place with a good reputation. Bad sushi will scar you for life, and can even be hazardous, so ask around or better yet, go with a friend who's a sushi connoisseur.

Dive in and enjoy. You'll most likely be very glad you did!