Sushi

Japan's most famous export: vinegared rice paired with raw fish, seafood or vegetables, shaped by hand or rolled in nori. Ingredients: sushi rice, rice vinegar, sugar, salt, fresh sashimi-grade fish (tuna, salmon), nori, wasabi, pickled ginger, soy sauce. Recipe: 1) Cook short-grain rice and season with warm vinegar, sugar and salt; cool to body temperature. 2) Slice fish against the grain. 3) For nigiri, press a small rice mound and lay fish on top with a touch of wasabi. 4) For maki, spread rice on nori, add filling, roll firmly and slice. Serve: with soy sauce for dipping (fish-side down), ginger as a palate cleanser. History: from a Southeast Asian fish-preservation method, refined in Edo-period Tokyo into the fast, fresh food known today.