Re: Spicy Japanese Food??? (was: Re: [CH] Carne Adovada)

Dave Drum (xrated@cityscape.net)
Wed, 27 Jan 1999 22:04:44 -0600

Charles Demas wrote:
> 
> > There, another stereotype destroyed. Another windmill tilted at
> > successfully.
> 
> While there are many cooked sushi things (sushi is stuff on vinegared
> rice, btw), I think that the number of raw items exceeds the number of
> cooked ones.  Sushi does not necessarily involve seaweed (nori) though
> most rolls use it (some don't).

The sushi places I have been have had more cooked items than raw (not
counting veggies). It gets gets up my nose that most people equate
sushi with "raw".
 
> The cooked ones I can think of are octopus, squid, shrimp, egg (tomago),
> eel (unagi), crab, and spam.  I'm not sure if monkfish liver is cooked.

Never had the monkfish liver so I am blissfully unhelpful on that
subject.
 
> It is interesting that there is very little use of chiles in the
> regular or normal types if sushi, but there is some chile paste used
> to make some spicy tuna, and to make some spicy mayo used in some rolls.

The Japanese have Wasabi (green mustard) and they don't *need* chiles.
Wasabi will clear your sinuses and make you swet like a hooker at a
vice squad convention.
 
> It is interesting in that Korean food has spicy forms, and Thai food is
> certainly spicy, but I've never thought of Japanese food as spicy.
 
Japanese food (that I've had) tends more toward the subtle than the
firey. It's tasty. But, not (other than wasabi) not too light up your
life hot.

ENJOY!!!
-- 
Uncle Dirty Dave's Kitchens
Home of Yaaaah Hoooo Aaahhh HOT Sauce & Hardin Cider