How the sushi gets made

My last big excursion in Okayama was the most important: a lesson in how to make sushi. Who knew it was so complicated?

Kidoairaku chef Yasuo Namba first demonstrated advanced techniques that are only covered in his longer course: decorative cucumber-cutting and arranging sashimi to create edible flowers.

Then we got down to business — the business of making nigiri. I’d made nigiri before, but apparently I had never followed the proper 14-step process. I fumbled through the first few pieces, but after a while I found my rhythm. Each piece looked a bit better than the last.

Of course, there’s no point in making sushi unless you know how to eat it properly! After the sushi-making lesson came instruction on the etiquette of eating, both with chopsticks and fingers. I learned that I have been eating sushi wrong my entire life, even though I consider myself a connoisseur.

With the etiquette mastered, we were free to dig in. I ate the sushi I made — plus some extra pieces the chef made me, a plate full of tempura, a bowl of soup, and a veggies-and-cheese dish.

They practically had to roll me out of the restaurant!

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Sushi-making class: Kidoairaku in Okayama City. The website is only in Japanese, but I’m pretty sure if you call 086–254–4455 and say “sushi making class,” they’ll find a way to get you booked.