Vegetarian (& Vegan) Sushi: It exists in Shizuoka!

“But it is all fish!”

Well, Shizuoka City and Prefecture, being the region in Japan where the largest number of vegetable varieties is grown it is almost too easy to reassure our vegetarian (& vegan, and naturally omnivorous) friends.

With a little research you will discover more than one chef willing to tackle the challenge of a client eager to eat sushi but not fish or meat. I have introduced one of them at end of this article, but I am sure your japanese friends will come up with more!

For a start let me introduce vegetarian ( I am not but I love vegetables!) let me introduce some of the possibilities I have tasted myself!

Daikon rolls!

These rolls were made with thin wide strips of Daikon quickly marinated in lemon water to be used instead of dry nori/seaweed.
The daikon was rolled around sushi rice (shari) with trefoil stems, umeboshi/pickled Japanese plum meat (sorry for the unintended joke!) and shiso/perilla leaves!

The three nigiri coming with the rolls are:

Buckwheat sprouts/Hime Soba Me/姫蕎麦芽 Nigiri!

Thin leek sprouts/Me Negi/芽葱 Nigiri!

Trefoil/Mitsuba/三つ葉 Nigiri!

Another assortment of vegetarian sushi nigiri!

Himenegi/young thin leeks reminiscent of French ciboulette.

Kaiwaredaikon/Japanese radish sprout, lightly boiled and topped with some umeboshi/Japanese pickled plum.

Betarazuke/daikon lightly pickled in sweet vinegar. In this case served with a piece of shiso/perilla leaf between the shari/sushi rice and the neta/topping. Some lime skin was grated o top making for a sweet sophisticated taste!

Mitsuba/Trefoil: the stems and leaves were slightly boiled and separated, making for a bicolour combination accentuated by finely cut kyuri/cucumber!

Let us continue with another assortment!
Can you guess the vegetables?

Another Himenegi/芽葱young thin leek topped with umeboshi!

Slightly seared green peppers nigiri!

My favorite natto/fermented beans roll!
Natto, Ume, Shiso Maki/梅紫蘇納豆巻! fermented beans, pickled Japanese plum and perilla roll!

And for dessert: Kampyou Maki?かんぴょうまき/Dry gourd shavings (recooked) Roll!

Of course this is only a start!
Depending on the season you could ask for seared mushrooms, pickled eggplants, cooked burdock root, boiled spinach, boiled rape seed flower, green or violet mizuna, salad celery, pickled radishes, etc. And for not so strict vegetarians, tamagoyaki/卵焼き?Japanese omelet!

A great time to have, surely!

Recommended Sushi Restaurant:
SUSHI SHOKUNIN BIRUKAWA/鮨職人びる川

420-0037 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Hitoyado-Cho, 2-5-8
Tel.: 054-251-9787
Opening hours: 17:00~23:00
Closed on Wednesdays
Reservations highly recommended
Credit cards OK
Google Map

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So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
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