You know what I been thinkin’ ’bout? Them sushi appetizers. Yeah, them little bites before the big meal. Got me thinkin’ they deserve their own menu, you know? So, here’s my take on a good ol’ sushi appetizer menu, just like we used to make back in the day, well, kinda. This old lady ain’t exactly a sushi chef, but I know good food when I taste it!
First off, gotta have that edamame. Them green pods. Simple, just boiled and salted. Everybody loves ’em. They just pop them in their mouths! Good for you, too, I reckon. Lots of folks like it when they go to them Japanese restaurants, so it’s gotta be on the list. A good start to any meal, that’s for sure. It is easy and everyone always go for it.
Then there’s that cold tofu. Now, tofu ain’t the most excitin’ thing, I know. Some folks think it’s bland. But the Japanese, they got a way with it. They call it “hiyayakko.” You just gotta put the tofu on a plate, and you gotta get all that water out. Just put somethin’ heavy on top of it and wait. It’s all soft and silky. Add a little somethin’ somethin’ on top, maybe some sauce, and it’s real good. It’s a good appetizer, especially when it’s hot outside. They call it hiyayakko, a fancy name for a simple dish.
And what about them shumai? You seen them? Little dumplings, all steamed up. They look kinda fancy, but they ain’t hard to make. Surprisin’, ain’t it? You just need some ground-up meat and some wrappin’. You could call them Japanese dumplings. Most folks like dumplings. They are easy to make if you got the stuff for it. Just fill them up and steam them until they are all soft. People eat these things up like candy!
Oh, and them Japanese Rumaki things. They are like little bacon-wrapped somethings. Started in Japan, but folks in Hawaii, they really took to ’em. They usually made with chicken livers and water chestnuts all wrapped in bacon. You cook ’em up, and they get all crispy and tasty. I heard they are very popular. They are like little finger foods, easy to eat.
Now, what else we got? Crispy rice sushi, that’s a fun one. You take some rice and make it all crispy, then put some spicy tuna on top. Maybe some avocado, ’cause that’s good with anything. Then some of that spicy sauce, that sriracha stuff. It’s crunchy, it’s soft, it’s spicy, it’s sweet. It’s a whole party in your mouth. Perfect for a little somethin’ before dinner.
Then you got them Otsumami things. That’s just a fancy word for snacks, I reckon. Like the kind you eat when you’re havin’ a drink. They got all kinds, like pickles and fried chicken. Little bites of this and that. You can put anything you want, from pickles to chicken. Just like having a variety of snacks.
- Edamame: Simple, just boil and salt them.
- Cold Tofu: Get all that water out, make it soft and good.
- Shumai: Little dumplings, they ain’t hard to make.
- Japanese Rumaki: Bacon wrapped somethings, from Japan and Hawaii.
- Crispy Rice Sushi: Crunchy and spicy, very good.
- Otsumami: Just a fancy word for snacks.
They got this thing called Asari no sakemushi. It’s clams, cooked in sake. That’s that Japanese rice wine. They say it’s somethin’ you eat in the spring. Clams and sake, simple as that. You just cook them clams in the sake until they open up. Probably tastes like the sea, I bet. They say it’s a seasonal dish, so you can only get it sometimes.
And of course, gotta have some tempura. That’s just vegetables, all fried up in a light batter. Crunchy and good. You can do any kind of vegetable, really. Just dip ’em in the batter and fry ’em up. And there is also Karage Chicken, that is just fried chicken, but the Japanese way. They got their own way of doin’ things, you know. It is crunchy and everyone likes it. They marinate it in something, make it all flavorful.
Gyoza, them’s like potstickers. Little dumplings, filled with meat and vegetables. You can steam ’em, or fry ’em, or both! They are like the shumai but different. They have more stuff inside, I think. And they are shaped differently, more like a half moon.
And don’t forget about them seaweed salads. Good for you, I hear. All them vitamins and minerals. And pickled cucumbers, they’re nice and tangy. Them Japanese, they like to pickle everything! There is also Onigiri, that is like a rice ball. They put different things inside, like chicken or beans. It is a good snack, very filling.
See? Lots of good stuff to eat before you even get to the sushi. These sushi appetizers, they ain’t just little bites. They’re a whole meal in themselves, almost. So next time you’re thinkin’ about sushi, don’t forget the appetizers. They’re the best part, sometimes! You just gotta know what to pick. And this old lady, well, I know a thing or two about good food. Just trust me on this one. There are lots of things they eat with drinks, they call it Otsumami or Sakana, you can find these in those Izakaya bars. That is just what they do in Japan.
So that’s my take on a sushi appetizers menu. Hope you enjoyed it. Maybe next time I’ll tell you about somethin’ else. But for now, just remember what I said about them appetizers. They ain’t nothin’ to sneeze at. They’re the start of somethin’ good. Just you wait and see. And who knows, maybe I will even try to make some of these myself. It has been a while since I cooked up a big meal, but maybe it is time to get back in the kitchen!
