Are there any sushi e-cards that I could send to people? Is there a service for this?
– Carl Franklin, Pella, Iowa

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
There is a site that offers a virtual sushi party. You pick the sushi and then you send it to your friends. I have tried it and find it very amusing. The best part is that the photos they send of the various sushi you pick are quite nice - of very good quality. Hope that helps!
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Virtual Sushi Party! - Invite your friends to a virtual sushi party.

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I was in a sushi restaurant the other day and as I sat at the bar I heard a customer say what sounded like "oh-ma-ka-say" to the chef, and the chef seemed very pleased. What does this word mean?
– Katherine Pantalino

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
The word is "omakase." This is what you say to a chef when you want the chef to prepare you whatever the chef wishes. That was why the chef was happy - because the customer was signalling that everything on the menu looked great. For more about words you might hear at a sushi restaurant, follow the link below to Fine Living, a beautiful and informative website I recently discovered.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Sushi Words & Phrases - A basic primer on what you might overhear at a sushi restaurant.

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Is it proper to eat your miso soup by picking up the bowl and drinking from it, or should you use a spoon?
– Bob Pierce

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Traditionally, miso soup is eaten with chopsticks for the ingredients, while the soup itself is sipped from the bowl. When it is served with a spoon, the spoon can be used instead of the chopsticks for the ingredients - and again, the soup is sipped from the bowl.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

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I often find a piece of sushi is too big of a bite but was told you never cut sushi in half. Is this true?
– Amy, Cambridge

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
It is true that it is not a good idea to start taking many bites when eating sushi. The best is to take 2 bites, and not more. Please read the very informative article by Memento-Mori about eating sushi that I list below. This will answer all your questions!
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Eating Sushi - Read about the proper way.

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Where is the best place - online - to find sushi supplies, especially a good sushi knife?
– Jackie Wolinski, Miami Beach

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Well, what follows comes from the Shameless Self-Promotion Department: the best place I know of is the site you have landed on - suhsilinks.com. We have just opened the Miyamoto Online Store and are now accepting orders!
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

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It is difficult to find fresh shrimp where I live. I want to buy a lot when I can and freeze them. Do you have any tips?
– Michelle Reno, Paris, France

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Temperature and air deserve the most attention when you freeze fresh fish at home. Commercial fish handlers use special freezing equipment that attain temperatures far lower than household freezers. The slower freezing time in a home freezer can cause the formation of large ice crystals which damage the fish’s texture. So the way to maintain the quality of the fish's texture is by controlling the temperature. For tips on this see the link below, which will help you do it right.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Freezing Tips - This article covers everything you need to know to freeze fresh fish properly.

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I'm trying to find a good recipe for a sushi omelet. Do you have one?
– Klaus Schuetz, Germany

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
I have a good recipe for Tamago (sushi omelet) and have put it on our recipe page as the Recipe of the Month. Tamago should be sweet and is not to be overcooked – so it is not too chewy, or too salty. And to illustrate how important good Tamago is – I have been told that in Japan a new customer at a sushi bar will ask for a taste of the Tamago in order to judge the chef's proficiency.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Sushi Omelet (Tamago) - make sure not to overcook.

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Can you make sushi with brown rice?
– Misako Arakawa, Chicago

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Although it is untraditional, yes, you can make sushi with brown rice. I also think it is a good idea, health-wise. Brown rice is rich in fiber and essential oils - and nutritionists say fiber has been involved in the prevention of major ailments such as heart diseases.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

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I am very interested in the proper sushi etiquette. Where would I find the best resources for this?
– Lisa Angier, Baltimore, Maryland

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Lisa, here are two things to always remember: First, never pass food to someone else using your chopsticks. This act parallels passing the cremated bones of the deceased at Japanese funerals.  The proper way is to always pass your plate when sharing food. Secondly, if you take food from a shared plate, use the reverse ends of your chopsticks, and never the ends which go in your mouth. As far as resources go, Randy Johnsons's "Sushi a la carte - A Guide to Sushi and Sushi Bars" has a page that describes social behavior and etiquette at sushi shops and other eating and drinking establishments in Japan. I've placed the link below. Please take a look – as you will find many interesting things concerning sushi etiquette there.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Sushi a la carte - A Guide to Sushi and Sushi Bars - Sushi etiquette information.

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I'm consulting with a nutritionist and I'm wondering if you can provide nutritional info on sushi?
– Josephine Toto, Los Angeles

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Josephine, on average, a four ounce serving of sushi contains about 225 calories, five grams of protein and less than one gram of fat. Of course, the nutrition and fat content will vary depending on what else is included in the sushi. I think the best way to approach this would be to offer you links to recipes that have the nutritional values included. So this is what I have done. The first one is a very good starting place - because it gives you the values for rice. I have also included a link to a very complete Sushi Nutritional Information Chart.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Nori Maki, Green Soba Roll, and Crazy Fish Rolling - Three great recipes with nutritional info.
Sushi Nutritional Information Chart - Couretsy of Advanced Fresh Concepts.

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I find there is a great variety of Nori. Some are much more expensive than others. Is it worth spending more?
– Leslie Bell, Vancouver, Canada

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
It is very important when making sushi to use only the finest products. As a general rule of thumb – good Nori is very dark green, almost black in color, with very few holes in the sheets. To improve the taste you can roast Nori by passing it over the burner of a gas stove just before serving. Without getting too pricey, you will be very happy with the Yamamotoyama brand and the Takaokaya brand. They have a fine reputation and are favorites among many sushi chefs. Below I have placed a link to a page of Nori seaweed recipes.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Nori Seaweed Recipes - 10 simple recipes.

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Do you know of a really good recipe for preparing perfect sushi rice?
– Jake Gibson, New York, New York

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
Most people agree that when it comes to sushi the rice is just as important as the fish, but to be honest with you I must say that it takes a lot of trial and error to make perfect sushi rice. Below you will find links to two recipes that I like. One if from FoodTV.com and is courtesy of Emeril Lagasse. The other is from the Tokyo Food Page, and offers photos to help you along. I am also providing a link to the Williams Rice Milling Company, the makers of Tamaki Rice, which I find to be the best rice to use for sushi. Good luck!
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Tokyo Food Page - This one features photo guides.
Tamaki Rice - From the Williams Rice Milling Company.

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Do you know where I could find information on the special foods offered for the Japanese New Year?
– M. Tarantino, Seattle, Washington

Wesley Miyamoto replies:
The Japanese New Year is known as Shogatsu, and Japanese New Year's food is called osechi-ryori. I found a nice page in the Japanese Food section of about.com (links are below) that has a short history of Shogatsu, and another page in the Japanese Food section of about.com that offers recipes for this holiday.
Best regards,
– Wesley Miyamoto

Shogatsu History - This is a nice article on Shogatsu by Shizuko Mishima.
Shogatsu Recipes - Here is a list of some good recipes, including Date-maki (rolled sweet omelet) and Kurikinton (mashed sweet potato with chestnuts).

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