Sushi is incredibly mainstream. I've eaten and enjoyed the iconic Japanese dish for years, but I've never made it at home. In fact, it terrifies me. My wife and I prepare new foods all the time, but sushi is not one of them. While not all sushi involves raw fish, the varieties I enjoy the most do — which causes me to shy away from making it at all. So I sought out professional help. Ted Dimoglou is the owner of the recently-opened Tiki Sushi in Windsor's Via Italia neighbourhood. The business might be new, but Dimoglou has been making sushi for 16 years. He has led a number of sushi-making workshops, including a sold-out course this coming Monday at The Chef Next Door in Walkerville. Tiki Sushi is located at the northeast corner of Erie St. and Parent Ave. (Jonathan Pinto/CBC News) "It really isn't that complicated to prepare sushi," said Dimoglou. "Getting the rice the way you need it, to have it perfect, is the key." Dimoglou recommends using only medium-grain, calrose rice from California.

"Say you would start with two cups of rice. You rinse the starch off five or six times over a period of five minutes or so. When you strain the rice, you put it in your pot. Add two cups of a water — and a bit [more]. Cover, bring to a boil at high heat. Once it rolls real hard, let it go for about a minute. sushi grade fish birmingham alTurn it down to the lowest heat setting for five minutes. jiro dreams of sushi concertoThen you crank it up to the highest heat setting again for 10 seconds — and turn it off. jiro dreams of sushi racistLet it sit for 15 minutes. sushi grade fish lincoln ne

After that, dump the rice, and stir in your seasoned rice vinegar." Dimoglou said that every sushi chef has a different way of seasoning rice. For example, in addition to rice vinegar, some chefs add sake, a fermented rice beverage. Dimoglou's seasoning is a "trade secret."sushi grade tuna orlando "Once [the rice vinegar is] stirred in, you let [the rice] rest uncovered for 25 minutes, then stir it again one more time. sushi garden menu in watsonvilleLet it rest again for 25 minutes, then cover and wait for it to get to just above room temperature before using it." While making perfect sushi rice does take practise, patience and time, it sounds very achievable at home. However, while rice may be the key to good sushi, it was the fish I was most worried about. Should I only purchase "sushi grade?"

Dimoglou said that while "sushi grade" can be a good indicator of the quality of the fish, it's more important to purchase it from from a knowledgeable establishment. Once told that you need fish for sushi, a proper fish retailer will guide you to the right offerings. Tiki Sushi is lucky enough to be located next door to Mediterranean Seafood, one of the last fishmongers in Windsor-Essex. They source as much high-quality Canadian and North American fish as possible for the restaurant. Dimoglou said that the freshest fish should have good colour, look fresh, and most of all, not smell "fishy." He said that good salmon, for example, smells more like watermelon than stinking fish. Then, all you have to do is assemble it — and enjoy. Of course, homemade sushi isn't going to look anywhere as pretty as what you get at a restaurant. Sushi chefs take years to hone the proper knife skills. Despite that, with a little bit of patience and a friendly fishmonger on your side, sushi made at home will certainly be tasty.

Click the video above to watch Ted Dimoglou explain how salmon nigiri is made. Hear Jonathan's latest food adventure every Thursday at 8:10 a.m. on CBC Radio One - 97.5FM in Windsor, 91.9FM in Leamington, 88.1FM in Chatham & 90.3FM in Sarnia. Do you have a food, restaurant or dish that you think Jonathan should explore? Call (519) 255-3400, email windsormorning@cbc.ca or tweet him directly at @jonathan_pinto.The question of what is sushi grade fish comes up a lot and no one seems to accurately answer that question. After some research I am now able to provide information as to the guidelines and regulations that are followed in the seafood industry in terms of serving raw seafood. As for micro standards for sushi or sashimi grade seafood, I have spoken with many in the seafood industry who supply ‘sushi grade’ fish for sushi and sashimi served at restaurants and they all give me the same answer… they do not know of any regulations from either the FDA or any other agencies regarding ‘sushi grade’ seafood, which is why suppliers have set up their own micro and chemical parameters for their products.

A personal search of FDA documents turns up the same results, no clear standards as to what makes fish ‘sushi grade’ or ‘sashimi grade’ and no definition of the term. The only concern any inspectors have is referred to as the parasite destruction guarantee, which is accomplished by ‘freezing and storing seafood at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours’ which is sufficient to kill parasites. The FDA’s Food Code recommends these freezing conditions to retailers who provide fish intended for raw consumption (for further information, please visit the FDA website). Some exceptions to that rule are bluefin tuna, yellowfin tuna, and farmed salmon. I know that is a mouthful, but it’s the facts.  Other than a few specific organisms of concern for some seafood, sashimi standards are set as any other ready-to-eat item, e.g. sushi.

This means that, aside from the FDA recommendations and local Health Department requirements, there are no laws or recommendations for "sushi/sashimi grade" fish. It is no more than a marketing term. As for those on the serving side, their main concern seems to be with the seafood vendors.  Many of them will declare that the products they provide are "sushi/sashimi" grade but with no standards to back up those claims.  In the U.S. parasite destruction is required for those species where that hazard is identified but you’ll find that most chefs will claim that they use "fresh" salmon and other products. This may be because they do not know, perhaps it is delivered thawed by the local supplier (who may or may not have frozen it according to the requirements), or they may even use fresh, never frozen, salmon.  The term "fresh" for sushi fish has been linked to higher quality in the minds of many consumers and therefore the restaurants use this as a selling point even though the product may have been previously frozen (usually aboard the fishing vessel) and serving certain species without proper freezing is against regulations.

Sushi rice is another critical part of sushi preparation, for many reasons.  Many sushi restaurants use acidification as a control but the final sushi products must be cooled to below 40F before put onto display in a self-service case (in the case of supermarkets, et. al.).  However, sushi restaurants do not cool the items before serving to customers since such a short time lapses between preparation and consumption.  Once the rice is acidified, time is not used as a control and therefore it can be stored at room temperature where the quality is best and it is also easiest with which to work.  As you can see, there are many issues that affect the quality of the sushi served in restaurants or as ‘ready-to-eat’ meals. But with no federal regulations, it’s all about practical standards and health code restrictions. When you eat sushi from a quality establishment, you may expect that the FDA requirements for parasitic destruction have been followed, however you are at the mercy of the preparer to make sure that subsequent to being frozen and thawed, your food has been handled properly.