Sushi Vinegar

Seeing the octopus thread grow on this board keeps reminding me of my favorite culinary-related scene in film this year. In the disturbing but excellent Korean film "Oldboy" our protagonist, Oh Dae-su eats a live, squirming octopus at a sushi bar. Less dramatically, the scene also invokes the hoary wisdom that men make better sushi chefs because their hands are not as warm. True or not, it's kind of an intriguing notion, and I'll be damned if I'm going to let my cool, masculine hands trifle with mere Western food preparations. That got me to Mitsuwa last night for supplies for a weekend of maki-making fun. I'm set, but I came across a powdered version of sushi vinegar that claims to keep rice from getting too sticky. Is this a well-known trick of the trade, or just Japanese marketing at work?

Arigato.

Mitsuwa
100 E. Algonquin
Arlington Heights
847-956-6699

Oldboy
Rated R for strong violence, including scenes of torture, sexuality and pervasive language. Directed by Chan-wook Park. Korean with English subtitles

The powder is sold as an alternative to using vinegar. You are better off using liquid vinegar instead of the powder. Just rapid cool the rice and toss with the seasoned vinegar. The rice will be slightly sticky (as it should be). Dip your hands in slightly vinegared (acidulated) water when preparing the maki, nigiri etc. to keep the rice from sticking to your hands.

Oldboy...excellent! It's one of the very few films with a twist where I didn't see it coming. Too bad the Tartan dvd menus are so crap. I can't wait for Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance tho' I wish they'd just release it on domestic dvd already instead of attempting a limited theatrical release.
Back to food: ---Korean Chef of the Year: that octopus scene made my stomach growl.

okay so this has nothing to do with anything, but on the 1973 era japanese kids' tv serial "Kure Kure Takora" (gimme gimme octopus-monster) produced by Toho studios (the folks behind godzilla etc) there is an ongoing story line where this monster who spouts vinegar from his head chases our hero Kure Kure (an octopus) in the interest of creating his own version of Tako-su, vinegar cured octopus. Kure kure narrowly escapes, and no Tako-su is consumed.

okay so this has nothing to do with anything, but on the 1973 era japanese kids' tv serial "Kure Kure Takora" (gimme gimme octopus-monster) produced by Toho studios (the folks behind godzilla etc) there is an ongoing story line where this monster who spouts vinegar from his head chases our hero Kure Kure (an octopus) in the interest of creating his own version of Tako-su, vinegar cured octopus. Kure kure narrowly escapes, and no Tako-su is consumed.

It has everything to do with everything. The vinegar...the octopus. This sort of cosmic convergence can only be a sign. But of what, exactly? Surely "Kure Kure Takora: The Complete 1973 Season" has been released on DVD. Therein must lie the answer.

This is worse than the Asiago thread.

I for one am just appreciating the fact that you explained why Oldboy got it's R rating. I'm on the way to Blockbuster right now!

I knew you'd be all over it, you sick kitty.

Now pipe down before Mike moves this thread to Non Food Chat.

sushi rice works better slightly warm (110f) anyway, i even go so far as to keep it in a rice cooker on the "warm" setting..its the actual touching of the fish that women arent supposed to do.

Erik.