Sushi gunkan - what is it?

Sushi, which appeared in Japan around the eighth century, has become our favorite culinary delights these days. However, preparing them at home can be a challenge.

There are various kinds of sushi - nigiri, temaki, poppies and, of course, gunkans. Despite the fact that they are popular less rolls, it's easier to cook them. Gunkan is traditionally a rice ball wrapped in sliced nori strips and stuffed with filling (most often caviar). In addition, rice can be flavored with wasabi for extra flavor and sharpness.

Gunkan - what is it?

The word "gunkan" means "ship", this name is fully justified by the appearance of the dish. In essence, gunkans are a common, more traditional species of land. They are covered from above with any stuffing (caviar, fish, quail eggs, seafood, even vegetables), and also are sharp and baked. The most common are sushi with salmon caviar, as well as tobiko or masago. Often use a special caviar vasabiko (tobiko + wasabi powder), which has a characteristic acute taste.

What is gunkana in Japanese cuisine? First of all, it's a snack, which is simple. In the classical Japanese version, gunkan contains only caviar or chopped fish on rice, and all this is surrounded by algae.

Since caviar is usually very salty, rice should be as fresh as possible. The exception is the filling in the form of eel - its sweet taste is preferably diluted with spicy sauce. So, how do gunkan?

Preparation

For 6-8 sushi you will need the following:

• 2 nori sheets;
• 1.5 cups of rice for sushi;
• 1 can of red caviar.

To cook rice for gunkan, rinse it well with cold water, place it in a pan of water (water should be one and a half times as much), allow to boil and then cook at minimum heat with the lid closed.

When making rice, make a Japanese dressing for him. To do this, take a separate saucepan, pour rice vinegar into it and add salt and sugar to taste. Preheat on medium heat, stirring constantly, but do not boil the mixture. When the rice is ready, transfer it into a large bowl, pour into it a dressing and mix it with a few sharp movements with a wooden spoon.

Wet hands with rice vinegar or warm water. Form a small ball of rice by hand or use a round cookie cutter. You should sculpt the koloboks approximately 1.5 cm in length and 1 cm in height. Cut the nori into the marked bands. Wrap the strips around the circumference of each rice bowl. Place about one tablespoon of caviar on top of each ball of rice. You will get a classic gunkan.

What is it in terms of filing on the table? This dish should be served with soy sauce, wasabi and ginger.

Hot boats

Answering the question: "Gunkan - what is it?" - one should not forget about hot sushi, which is not a traditional Japanese dish. This snack is an international invention of cooks, which has become popular both in the post-Soviet countries and in Europe. For their preparation, a standard rice ball is wrapped with a strip of nori, and the filling looks more complicated.

Usually, any finely chopped fish, seafood or mushrooms are taken as a basis, which are mixed with the sauce. To make the sauce, you need to mix in the desired proportion of Japanese mayonnaise, chilli and tobiko sauce. Usually the ratio of mayonnaise to sauce is 3 to 1, but you can experiment on your own preferences. In addition, you can not use chili sauce, and replace it with tomato paste. In this case the guncans will turn out to be inconsequential.

Then the main filling mixes well with the seasonings and is applied evenly on the rice. In some cases, gunkan is poured on top of finely grated cheese. These boats are baked on the grill or in the oven for a few minutes and are served hot.

This is how the baked gunkan is prepared. What is it is described in detail above. But what is a spicy sushi? In fact, they are the same guncans, which are not baked, but are served on the table immediately after formation. As a rule, they are not sprinkled with cheese. Sometimes for a decoration and an additional taste, a raw quail egg is broken on the top layer of the filling.

How do you eat gunkany?

First, they are served on the table immediately after preparation. This is due to the fact that under the influence of wet rice and juicy fillings, the algae quickly soak and become not crispy.

Secondly, such sushi should be eaten entirely, as at cutting or nibbling the filling can fall out.

Now you know what gunkans are, how they are cooked and how they eat.