How to become a sushi chef?

Traditionally associated with Japanese cuisine, sushi is a dish comprising vinegared rice served with various filling and toppings including raw fish. The earliest known form of sushi can be traced back to South-east Asia. Known as ‘Narezushi’, it was originally used as a means of preservation when fermented rice was used to store fish for anything up to a year. The rice was usually thrown away and only the fish was consumed. The present form of sushi as we know today was created in the Edo period in Japan in the 17th century with the use of vinegar in rice.

It was back in 2009 that the world started celebrating International Sushi Day on June 18 every year, in appreciation of the dish that everyone all over the world has fallen in love with.

It’s an art
Sushi-making is an intricate process and it takes a lot of preparation time. In fact, the ingredients have to be just perfect for presenting it to the customers. Most important is rice, one of the primary ingredients, which has to be perfect in order to bring out the flavour of the overall dish. And then there is the presentation.

As Chef Amit Patra, Masterchef at Edo Restaurant & Bar at ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru, says, “A sushi chef must be able to identify the best quality of ingredients for the product. The quality of seafood makes a huge difference in the preparation of a sushi dish.” He adds that the chef must pay extreme attention in handling his ingredients. “The fish used are very delicate and its taste gets altered if improperly handled,” he shares.

Chef Amit Patra

The journey
Chef Patra learned the art of making sushi in 2014 under renowned Master Chefs at The Taj Mahal Hotel, New Delhi. On being asked how many years of training does a professional sushi chef require, the chef shares that the art of sushi making is a continuous process and one keeps learning something new every single day. “There is a saying in Japanese culinary art: ‘Steal with your eyes’ which means one learns by watching. Curiosity and love for art will make a significant difference in the learning curve. For trainee chefs, learning the skills and the art behind the perfect sushi roll can take as long as five years under the direct supervision of a sushi master chef,” he elaborates.

Where does one learn the art? “There are culinary schools and diploma programmes abroad that specialise in teaching how to prepare sushi. However, the best way to learn this art is from a respected and experienced sushi chef.”

A chef’s weapon
What is a chef without his knives? Knives are said to be their extension and hence needed to be taken care of properly. Chef Patra's first Japanese knife was a gift from his master chef.  It was a Gyuto, a chef’s knife. “I got it after training under him. Made of carbon steel, it is my most prized possession,” he says.