sushi

What is sushi?

Sushi is a dish originating in Japan, based on rice, fish, seaweed, vegetables and eggs; the term "sushi" indicates innumerable preparations based on rice but, outside of its place of origin,

the term sushi is often misinterpreted and associated with raw fish or other non-assimilable Japanese preparations.

Sushi is made from raw, cooked or marinated products, it can be tied with a strip of seaweed, rolled in rice or combined with tofu; it is a wide range of preparations that differ both in terms of ingredients and the preparation technique and the seals present in the dish. The most common types of sushi are:

makizushi (rolled fish), oshizushi (pressed sushi), nigirizushi (hand-modeled sushi), inarizushi (stuffed sushi), chirashizushi (scattered sushi), narezushi, funazushi ... plus all the relative sub- variants of each of them.

Nutritional characteristics

Quantifying the nutritional characteristics of sushi is not an easy task; as can be deduced from the previous paragraph, sushi represents hundreds of different combinations, therefore, describing them individually would be a painstaking and quite meaningless undertaking.

We will try instead to illustrate a sufficiently comprehensive picture of the main ingredients that (most frequently in Italy) go to make up sushi:

White rice ( sushi-meshi) : it is a variety of short-grain rice prepared according to a particular process with the addition of sake (rice distillate), kombu, sugar and salt; the nutritional characteristics remain more or less the same as any white rice, therefore the sushi-meshi is characterized by a high energy intake deriving mainly from complex carbohydrates. There is not enough information to provide a more detailed picture but, strictly speaking, this carbohydrate source (given the association with other more protein-rich foods) should boast a moderate glycemic index.
Alga ( nori ): it is an alga cultivated and harvested in Japan; undergoes a scraping, pressing and drying process, to be subsequently roasted and packaged. Nori is a food that has been much discussed in recent years; it is an important source of protein (with a predominance of the amino acid arginine), vitaminic (vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin PP and folic acid) and iodine (I). However, given and considering the use made of it in our country (even considering its regular intake with sushi), the relative nutritional contribution is almost nil. The glucidic content is moderate.
Omelette ( tamagoyaki) : in some preparations a "square" omelette is used instead of the nori; the nutritional intake is that of the whole egg, therefore it is characterized by a fair amount of protein, a considerable percentage of saturated fats and cholesterol, good amounts of iron, sulfur, vitamin A, biotin, vit. D, vit. E, vit. B2 and vit B12. The glucidic content is absent or negligible.
Raw fish (fish products): in our country, the raw fish mostly used for the preparation of sushi are: sea bream, sea bass, tuna, salmon, shrimp, cuttlefish, cooked octopus (sometimes bonito and mackerel or lanzardo). These are ingredients that on average have in common due to their moderate energy intake and good protein quantities, a reduced lipid content (except for the tuna belly ... but used RARELY) and (theoretically) characterized by a fair percentage of polyunsaturated fats . Vitamins and minerals vary depending on the species, but it is possible to say that the most significant elements are some vit. of the B complex and the vit. D; noteworthy also the contributions of vit. B12 and iodine. The glucidic content is absent or negligible.
Vegetables, fruits and vegetables: mainly horseradish, avocado, cucumber, plums and a few others. The quantities are quite reduced and the predominant nutritional contribution is represented by the fiber (however insufficient to reach the rations). Avocado is a highly caloric fruit due to the significant contribution of fats, but even in this case its contribution is not sufficient to significantly affect the nutritional balance of the dish (with the due differences referring to the preparations that contain more than the average ).
Red meat: it is present in portions similar to those of fish, therefore reduced. Like the latter, it provides a good amount of protein and saturated fat, some vit. of the B complex and more cholesterol than fish products; noteworthy is the contribution of vit. B12 and the iron one. The glucidic content is absent or negligible.
Tofu: it is a product commonly called soy cheese; in fact it is practically processed from soya milk which, being a leguminous derivative, boasts characteristics that are anything but comparable to those of cheeses derived from animal milk. Tofu is extremely low in calories compared to common cheesemaking products, moreover, it provides a good protein ration accompanied by an equally good lipid quantity, consisting mainly of unsaturated fats but absolutely devoid of cholesterol, on the contrary rich in lecithin (phospholipid with a cholesterol-lowering action). ). Carbohydrate intake is modest but still present. Provides good amounts of calcium, potassium and iron; the vitamin intake is discreet as regards: vit. B1, vit. B2 and vit. PP.
Condiments: they are generally made of soy sauce, green horseradish paste ( wasabi ), pickled ginger ( gari ), shiso and sweet rice wine ( mirin ). They have no particular nutritional characteristics to report (given the typical portions of use of seasonings) if not the high sodium intake contained in soy sauce.

The sushi represents a group of preparations with macronutritional distribution mainly characterized by carbohydrates, since the rice is always present in good quantities; there is also evidence of high biological value proteins deriving from meat, fish and eggs, and mixed quality lipids, both saturated and unsaturated, with a significant contribution of essential fatty acids. The vitamin quantity is good but NOT complete, especially the vit. C, while the mineral one seems quite heterogeneous even if, with these portions of meat, fish, eggs and tofu, reaching the recommended levels of calcium and iron is not an easy task. The only detail worth mentioning is the lack of dietary fiber and in particular the soluble fiber.

There are no limitations in sushi consumption frequencies but recommendations; it is advisable to supplement the sushi-based diet with fresh fruit and vegetables but above all ... pay attention to raw raw materials potentially at risk of fish parasites (see dedicated article: raw fish - risks and benefits of raw fish).