Sushi is a Japanese dish that usually consists of sushi rice, seafood, and vegetables. A sushi platter typically contains several types of sushi, as well as sauces for dipping. Rolled sushi is one of the most popular types of sushi that can be found on these types of food platters, but other types are available as well. The actual platters may be glass, ceramic, plastic, or even human.
Created centuries ago, sushi is a popular type of Japanese cuisine. This type of dish usually consists of vinegar-soaked rice rolled up with other ingredients, and often wrapped with nori, a type of seaweed. These other ingredients can include cooked or raw seafood, and vegetables. Sushi pieces are usually small, since they are meant to be eaten in one bite.
A sushi platter usually has several pieces of sushi arranged on it. These platters may be small enough to feed only a few people, or large enough to feed several people. They can often be purchased from Japanese restaurants or sushi bars.
Along with the sushi, different dipping sauces are also usually included with a sushi platter. Soy sauce and wasabi sauce are two common sauces that may be included. To eat from the platter, diners will usually use the “wrong” ends of their chopsticks to choose a piece of sushi. Sushi pieces should never be taken from a platter with the ends of the chopsticks that a person uses to eat. It is considered to be rude, not to mention unsanitary.
Hoso-maki, or thin-rolled sushi, and futo-maki, or thick-rolled sushi, are two common types of sushi that may be found on a sushi platter. Thin-rolled sushi is the smaller of the two and it consists of a little rice and one or two other ingredients wrapped in nori. Thick-rolled sushi is bigger, and it has more rice and several ingredients wrapped in nori.
Ura-maki, or inside-out rolled sushi, is a type of sushi that is popular in the United States. This type of sushi was invented by a sushi chef in the 1970s, because he realized that some Americans did not like the looks of the nori on the outside of the sushi. Instead of the rice and other ingredients being wrapped in the nori, the nori is inside the rolled rice with the other ingredients.
Restaurants and sushi bars may have several types of platters and containers on which to arrange sushi. Take out sushi platters are usually arranged on a disposable plastic platter. When eaten at a restaurant, however, a sushi platter is usually arranged on a glass or ceramic platter. Some sushi may even be placed on a person's naked body.
Nyotaimori is sometimes colloquially called body sushi, since it involves sushi being served on a person's naked body. To serve the sushi, an individual, usually a woman, lies down on the floor or a table. Pieces of sushi are then placed on her body. Although it was once popular, true nyotaimori is now banned in many areas due to health concerns. Some places, however, still allow it, but the human sushi platters must be covered with plastic wrap.