Q 01/05

Which ingredient defines what sushi is, even when there is no raw fish at all?

A) Vinegared rice

B) Wasabi paste

C) Edible seaweed

D) Pickled ginger

Answer · why

A) Vinegared rice

Vinegared rice, called shari or sumeshi, is the one thing every sushi shares; plenty of sushi holds cooked seafood, vegetables or no fish at all.

Q 02/05

Tobiko, the tiny roe sprinkled on many sushi rolls, comes from which sea creature?

A) Herring

B) Capelin

C) Flying fish

D) Atlantic cod

Answer · why

C) Flying fish

Flying fish roe is tobiko, while masago, a similar roe with smaller grains, comes from capelin.

Q 03/05

Why did the earliest sushi makers ferment fish with salt and rice?

A) To sweeten the fish's flavour

B) To soften the rice for easy chewing

C) To make offerings for temple rituals

D) To prevent spoilage without refrigeration

Answer · why

D) To prevent spoilage without refrigeration

To prevent spoilage without refrigeration: narezushi fish was lacto-fermented, and the spent rice was thrown away before eating.

Q 04/05

Which Japanese dish of thinly sliced raw fish falls outside the definition of sushi because it has no rice?

A) Sashimi

B) Maki

C) Nigiri

D) Chirashi

Answer · why

A) Sashimi

Sashimi skips the rice, so it isn't sushi, and it isn't only fish either: the name also covers other raw meat sliced thin.

Q 05/05

Besides its sharp heat, what property is wasabi's pungent compound well known for?

A) It tenderizes fish

B) It sweetens the rice

C) It fights microbes

D) It thickens sauces

Answer · why

C) It fights microbes

It fights microbes: allyl isothiocyanate, found in real and imitation wasabi alike, curbs microbial growth, which may help raw fish keep.