Deck 2.2: A Sushi Pioneer in Seattle Flashcards
What is the name of the sushi chef whose autobiography we are reading in Unit 2?
Kashiba Shiro
Where (city/state) has Chef Kashiba worked as a sushi chef for decades?
Seattle, Washington
What is the name of Chef Kashiba’s current restaurant?
Sushi Kashiba
What award did Chef Kashiba win in 2019?
“Goodwill Ambassador to Spread Japanese Culture”
What, according to Shiro, was the original meaning of “Edomae sushi”?
sushi that was prepared with fresh seafood from Edo (today’s Tokyo) Bay
Why did Shiro become increasingly dissatisfied trying to recreate Edomae sushi in Seattle?
because he didn’t see the necessity of using expensive ingredients from Japan when so many interesting, delicious ingredients could be found locally
How has Shiro transformed Edomae sushi?
by creating a Pacific Northwest-mae sushi that substitutes, as much as possible, local ingredients
Where/when was Shiro born?
in the Japanese city of Kyoto in 1941
Why did Shiro, as a teenager, decide to become a sushi chef?
[2 reasons]
because he was:
1) impressed by the “performance” of sushi chefs behind the counter
2) outgoing and liked the chefs’ friendliness/confidence as they interacted with their customers
Where did Shiro serve his apprenticeship?
at the main branch of the Yoshino sushi restaurants
[Yoh-shee-noh]
How did the Japanese sushi apprenticeship experience work in Shiro’s time?
[4 items]
1) Apprentices were not paid; they earned room and board and some spending mmoney for the one day a week they had off.
2) Apprenitices were not formally taught: they did menial chores (such as sweeping and cleaning fish) and were expected to pick up their craft by watching the master chef.
3) Apprentices had to deliver sushi by bicycle.
4) Apprentices had to go to the fish market “at the crack of dawn” several times a week with one of the master chefs.
What is the name of the famous fish market visited by all Tokyo sushi chefs?
Tsukiji
How has Shiro added to his apprentices’ education (in a way that didn’t exist during his own apprenticeship)?
by going over finances with his apprentices at the end of the evening, so that they learn the financial skills of running a sushi bar
When did Shiro finally achieve his goal of working in the US?
Where (in what city) did he find work; in what restaurant?
He started work in Seattle, in 1966, at the Tanaka Restaurant [correction to earlier card: Maneki was the 2nd restaurant where he worked].
When Shiro began working at Tanaka in the 1960s, 95% of the sushi he prepared for the Japanese-American clientele was which type of sushi?
glocalized versions of futomaki
What treasure did Shiro find at the piers that Seattle fishermen were throwing away?
ikura (salmon roe)
Why has Shiro incorporated smelt into his Pacific Northwest-mae sushi?
because he finds it both versatile and delicious
Why did Shiro take geoduck he found on the beach into his kitchen?
because he wanted to see how, as a chef, he could prepare it
How does Shiro get his customers to try “fishy”-tasting saba (mackerel)?
by placing it in a temaki that also contains shiso (an herb in the mint family) and ginger
Which sushi ingredient does Shiro find more delicious in the Pacific Northwest than in Japan?
uni or sea urchin
What are the 4 main fillings in the popular Shiro’s Wrap?
crab meat, mayonnaise, sriracha (Thai chili sauce) and cucumber
