JWM - Volume 2, Issue 3 - (Page 49)

A typical sushi meal is often low-calorie and low in saturated fat and cholesterol. “Because sushi is ﬁsh-based, it also provides a high concentration of omega-3 fatty acids,” explains Keri Glassman, MS, RD, CDN. In addition, Glassman says that seaweed, especially nori (the ingredient that is often roasted, pressed into sheets and used as an exterior wrapper), is packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including vitamins A, B, C, E and K, and calcium and iron. PROCEED WITH CARE That said, there are a few health-related precautions that one should always keep in mind when consuming sushi. Stay away from ﬁsh (both raw and cooked) that contain high levels of mercury. The general rule to follow, according to Glassman: “The bigger and older the ﬁsh, the more mercury it’s likely to contain.” Fish to steer away from include: marlin, tuna (both bigeye and ahi), mackerel and sea bass. The American Pregnancy Association also cautions against eating sushi while pregnant, due to heightened risks of bacteria and food-borne illnesses often related with the consumption of raw or uncooked ﬁsh, seafood and meat. “Women should be especially cautious about eating oysters and clams,” says Glassman. According to Glassman, pregnant women can safely eat eight to twelve ounces of seafood per week, so cooked sushi rolls, such as California and tempura, are ﬁne. SEPARATING THE BAD FROM THE GOOD Glassman suggests eating sushi that is true to its healthy ingredients: “Why muck it up with tons of added sweeteners and fat from frying? Eat sushi as close as its original composition as possible.” You’ll get the healthy fats from the avocado in California rolls and ﬂavor from pure ginger, instead of trying modiﬁcations, such as tamago (egg with sugar), or rolls that include mayonnaise or cream cheese, or tempura rolls, which are fried. In recent years, other concerns surrounding the sushi industry have emerged. According to a 2011 report from the U.N.’s Food and Agriculture Organization, “32 percent of world ﬁsh stocks are estimated to be overexploited, depleted or recovering and need to be urgently rebuilt.” Standard sushi ﬁsh such as Atlantic blueﬁn tuna and common octopus, are considered to be over-ﬁshed and no longer environmentally sustainable. “If we eat the ingredients too thoughtlessly, they might not be around to eat anymore,” explains Trevor Corson, author of The Story of Sushi. “On a whole, I think the sushi industry is a bit behind on the sustainability issue.” A handful of sushi restaurants are addressing this problem by changing up menus to include locally sourced seafood. Tataki Sushi and Sake Bar in San Francisco is co-owned by Casson Trenor, a seafood sustainability expert for Greenpeace. Rolls are made with ingredients such as Arctic char, local line-caught albacore and barramundi. At Bamboo Sushi, in Portland, Ore.—the ﬁrst sushi restaurant to be certiﬁed by the International Marine Stewardship Council in the U.S.—the owner Kristofor Lofgren avoids unsustainable ﬁsh in favor of wild hamachi, wild salmon, Paciﬁc albacore and Canadian BEYOND SAKE Nicole Carter, Vice President of Public Relations for Treasury Wine Estates, suggests pairings for sushi. CHOOSE FROM COOL REGIONS Places like France’s Loire Valley and the Alsace and Burgundy regions, Germany, Northern Italy and Marlborough in New Zealand produce crisp white wines with more acidity. “That zinginess helps to cleanse the palate,” says Carter. Try: Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand BALANCE IS KEY If you’re enjoying sashimi, known for its delicacy and pure, clean ﬂavors, you don’t want a wine that will compete. Avoid anything aged in oak barrels, which impart a robust character. However, if your menu features sweet-tasting shellﬁsh, “a wine that has sweetness, like a Riesling, will complement it.” “IF WE EAT THE INGREDIENTS TOO THOUGHTLESSLY, THEY MIGHT NOT BE AROUND TO EAT ANYMORE.” sea urchin. This certiﬁcation also means that the ﬁsheries that supply the ﬁsh have undergone a rigorous assessment for sustainability and environmental responsibility. Other cutting-edge restaurants are experimenting with modern spins on sushi. At Tyson Cole’s Uchi, standout dishes include Maguro sashimi and goat cheese (with bigeye tuna, pumpkin seed oil and Fuji apple) and machi cure (a smoked baby yellowtail with yucca chips, Asian pear, Marcona almonds and garlic brittle). “Cole represents a new type of sushi chef who is breathing life into the cuisine,” says Corson. “In the end, he is being more authentic to the sushi tradition by making it his own.” —S. KIRK WALSH Try: Penfolds “Thomas Hyland” Riesling, Adelaide, Australia THE RULES FOR FULL-BODIED FISH The omega-3 oils in richer ﬁsh (tuna, salmon, mackerel) can clash with the tannins in the thicker-skinned red-grape bottles like Cabernet or Merlot. Pinot Noir and Gamay are better choices. Prefer a white? Try a full-bodied Chardonnay. Try: Greg Norman Estates Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County, California; Beringer Private Reserve Chardonnay, Napa Valley, California FAIL-SAFE OPTIONS You can’t go wrong with the dry and crisp ﬂavor of a sparkling white like Champagne. “Universally, it really complements any style of sushi,” says Carter. Try: Veuve Clicquot Brut, Reims, France —JEANNE FURY J WM MAGAZINE 49 J W M A R R I O T T. C O M http://www.JWMARRIOTT.COM

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of JWM - Volume 2, Issue 3

JWM - Volume 2, Issue 3
Table of Contents
Contributors
JW Experts
Editor’s Letter
Distinctive Products, People, Ideas & Style
A Quiet Place
Dive Into Transcendental Meditation; Road Warrior Secrets
A Fish Tale; Beyond Sake
Photography 101; Sharp Shooters
The Portal
The Warmth of the Sun
Storied Cocktails
Pedal Pushers
Mixed Media
JW Experience
My Passion

JWM - Volume 2, Issue 3