Sushi, at its root, is a simple dish of vinegared rice with fish. You might think something so simple and pure does not need anything added to it. And to be honest in a lot of cases you would be right. However There are many acceptable condiments that top sushi chefs utilize to craft exceptional and mouth-watering bites.
Arguably the most popular condiment for sushi is soy sauce. This is served at nearly every sushi restaurant, and is the most iconic condiment in Japanese cuisine. You might have even heard stories about top sushi chefs not serving soy sauce at their restaurants because they think the patron should taste the sushi in its most natural state.
While there are sushi chefs who do not give customers a dipping bowl of soy sauce, especially at omakase restaurants, there is actually a good reason for that. It is because the chef actually adds a condiment to the nigiri before serving, and dunking your sushi in soy sauce would ruin the delicate balance they have crafted.
And while I can go into detail about the best soy sauces you can find, a sushi master will have already paired a chosen condiment with the nigiri that they add themselves. So there is no need for you to add anything else.
Note: If you are eating at a kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi restaurant) or just getting something at the grocery store, feel free to use as much soy sauce as your heart desires.
5 Condiments To Elevate Your Sushi
#1 Wasabi
Real wasabi, not powdered green horseradish, is truly a delight and something that every high end sushi master will utilize in some way. Traditionally it was added between the fish and shari (mound of rice) to bring a wonderful feeling to the nigiri.
Wasabi should be prepared fresh when making sushi. The root is usually trimmed and ground on a sharkskin paddle to order. Real Japanese wasabi is not as pungent as horseradish and adds a nice floral note to the fish and rice combination.
2. Me-negi
Me-negi are green onion shoots plucked soon after they sprout. They are great as a topping to certain nigiri where they are finely chopped and placed in a little mount atop the fish.
It is also common to see me-negi nigiri where there is no fish. A bundle of onion shoots are placed on top of the rice and bound with a thin strip of nori (seaweed).
3. Gari
Gari, or pickled ginger, is commonly given as an addition to sushi on the plate. It acts as a refreshing palate cleanser in between bites. However when finely grated, gari makes a great topping for nigiri.
I recommend using gari as a topping with fatty or rich fish by first brushing the fish with a delicate amount of shoyu and using chopsticks to place on top a little mound of grated gari. You can also get creative; For example in my kampachi kombujime nigiri I candied the gari to be placed on top as I felt the texture and added sweetness complemented the aged fish topping.
4. Sudachi (Or Other Citrus)
Sudachi is a type of citrus that looks like a lime. In fact it tastes like a cross between a lemon and a lime. Sudachi is famous in Tokushima prefecture, which incidentally grows most of Japan’s sudachi fruit.
A few drops of sudachi (or other citrus like yuzu) can elevate a nigiri, but be conservative with how much you add. I find that sudachi is best on non-fish nigiri such as squid, hotate (scallop) or hokkigai (surf clam). It is important to only add the citrus drops immediately before serving/eating as the citrus can ‘cook’ the meat, and we are not trying to make ceviche.
5. Shiso
Shiso, or Japanese perillo leaf, is a popular condiment in sushi like nigiri and makizushi. You will most often see shiso in ika-nigiri (squid) although some chefs use it wherever they feel like it.
Traditionally shiso was added to cover the fishiness of low quality or less fresh fish, but these days it is used just like any other condiment – to elevate the nigiri the customer gets to eat.