Visit the program websiteCheck local listings Premiering Monday, December 23, 2013 on Independent Lens. Check your local listings. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is the story of 85 year-old Jiro Ono, considered by many to be the world’s greatest sushi chef. Despite its humble appearances, it is the first restaurant of its kind to be awarded a prestigious 3 star Michelin review, and sushi lovers from around the globe make repeated pilgrimage, calling months in advance and shelling out top dollar for a coveted seat at Jiro’s sushi bar. For most of his life, Jiro has been mastering the art of making sushi, but even at his age he sees himself still striving for perfection, working from sunrise to beyond sunset to taste every piece of fish, meticulously training his employees, and carefully molding and finessing the impeccable presentation of each sushi creation. At the heart of this story is Jiro’s relationship with his eldest son Yoshikazu, the worthy heir to Jiro’s legacy, who is unable to live up to his full potential in his father’s shadow.

The feature film debut of director David Gelb, Jiro Dreams of Sushi is a thoughtful and elegant meditation on work, family, and the art of perfection, chronicling Jiro’s life as both an unparalleled success in the culinary world, and a loving yet complicated father. Meet Four California Sushi Masters Originally from New York City, David Gelb currently works and lives in Los Angeles. After graduating from USC's film production program, David worked on various music videos, short films, and documentaries. Most notably, he directed A Vision of Blindness, an extensive behind the scenes look at Fernando Meirelles's film Blindness, which enjoyed a run on the Sundance Channel. David has been a sushi aficionado since his childhood. Jiro Dreams of Sushi is his first full-length feature film. Explore the elements in Jiro's world to learn more about sushi and the art of the shokunin, the Japanese master sushi chef. From the different types of tuna to the importance of perfect rice, let Jiro be your guide in this interactive, illustrated feature.

How sushi-savvy are you? Do you know your sashimi from your nori? Test your knowledge of the art of the shokunin in this challenging quiz inspired by documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. Chef Jiro's Secrets of Success Challenges with Shrimp and OctopusRT Debuts on the Stage 5 Set Somewhere over the rainbow roll, tuna fins are blue. youda sushi chef em portuguesAnd the dreams that Jiro dares to dream really do come true. sushi grade fish newcastle upon tyneBut unfortunately, not all sushi reaches such lofty heights.watch sushi girl online movie2k Today, much of what Americans eat comes prepackaged off of a grocery store shelf. Store-bought sushi can range widely in quality (some is actually legit!), but even the best-intentioned grocers aren't going to be able to recreate the sushi bar experience.

So to find out the differences we spoke with the author of The Story of Sushi, Trevor Corson (aka the Sushi Concierge) and learned 18 ways that grocery store sushi pales in comparison to its higher-end cousin. And for the record, Trevor admits that he does shamelessly indulge in store-bought 'shi occasionally, but it's usually vegetarian rolls, as he tries to save his money for the good stuff. Maybe after reading his insights, you will too. It's too mushy... or too dry The rice is likely cooked with too much water, leading to an initial texture more akin to baby food. But after a few hours in a cold case, that roll will be dry as a bone. The temperature is wrong Sushi rice should be served close to body temperature and kept slightly warm until being served. That's not happening in a grocery store. The flavor of the rice is off Grocery store sushi rice is usually cooked with much more vinegar and sugar, often a pre-mixed ratio, leading to more overpowering rice that attempts to make up for less flavorful fish.

The rice loses its integrity Decent sushi chefs don't view the rice as one ring of starch, they think of each grain as separate. Over time those grains of rice cease to be unique snowflakes and conform into one bland snowman. The rice isn't packed right The chef makes a decision with each piece of sushi as to how tight to pack the rice. Generally it's so loose that it'll be falling apart by the time it reaches your mouth, but with cheaper sushi that level of care isn't taken. Raw fish loses flavor when chilled Once a sushi chef's hands have cut and formed the fish over rice, the fish has been slightly warmed. Those few moments of handling greatly increase the flavor, a personal touch that your grocery case cannot provide. The fish is coming from bigger suppliers High-end sushi bars will have very intimate relationships with their suppliers, who are only selling the best of the best. Grocery stores are still getting quality fish, but it's not as meticulously graded on taste and texture.

The freezing technology is different Most fish used in sushi these days is frozen at some point between the ocean and your mouth, but the technology varies widely. A well-frozen fish is dipped in liquid nitrogen and hits negative 65 degrees instantly, leaving the flesh and muscles perfectly intact. However, cheaper methods of freezing will lead to water crystallization that is going to degrade the overall flavor. The flip side of this is that when high end restaurants do get fresh, never-frozen fish, there is a greater chance that the fish will be carrying parasites. So in theory, grocery store sushi could actually be considered less of a health hazard. Seasonality isn't taken into account Fish have different life cycles, so some will taste best at certain times of the year. A good sushi chef knows what's in season and will recommend it, whereas at grocery stores it's always spicy tuna season. You're more likely to be eating bogus fish There's a big problem with grocery stores and crappy sushi bars mislabeling fish.

This is more likely a supply chain problem than any unscrupulousness on the part of of the seller, but respected sushi joints won't get burned by their suppliers. Grocery store sushi is oxidized The point of cutting sushi just before serving is that meat oxidizes when exposed to air, and the flavor deflates. No amount of loosely fitting plastic cover can keep that fish from turning sour once it's been cut. They're not starting from the whole fish Cheaper places are starting from pre-cut fillets, and there's no telling if there is something about the whole fish that might cause a more experienced chef to discard it. Less flavorful fish are more common Salmon and yellowtail are big sellers at grocery stores because they're fattier, less flavorful cuts whose melt-in-your-mouth qualities mix well with sweeter sauces. The seaweed is just missing the point Traditionally, seaweed should be dry and a bit crispy compared to the roll's softer contents. Refrigeration and the mushier rice cause it to lose its texture.