ついつい誰かに話したくなってしまう日本のこと。
今回は和食をフカボリ！『寿司』を説明してみましょう。

まずはKey Words & Phrasesから。

テーマに関連する語句

nigiri / nigiri-zushi / hand-rolled sushi（握り寿司）
maki-zushi / rolled sushi（巻き寿司）
raw fish（生魚）
condiment（薬味）
Japanese horseradish / wasabi （わさび）
ingredient（材料）
vinegared rice（酢飯）
fermented（発酵した）
produce a sour taste（酸味を生む）

一般的な語句

different types of（さまざまな・いろいろな種類の）
although（～ではあるが・だけれども）
well-known（有名な・よく知られた）　
not widely known（あまり知られていない）　
relatively（比較的）
on top of that（それに加えて・なおそのうえに）
countless（数え切れないほどの・無数の）
while（～ではあるが・～の一方で）
more like（むしろ～に近い）
in terms of（～の観点から見ると・～の面では）
various regions of Japan（日本各地で）

続いて、今回のテーマに挑戦！

Did you know that there are different types of sushi?
（寿司の種類にもいろいろあるって知ってましたか？）

・Although sushi is one of the most well-known Japanese foods around the world, it is not widely known that there is a huge variety of sushi types in Japan.
・In addition to the most typical types of sushi such as nigiri-zushi and maki-zushi, there are relatively unknown styles such as inari-zushi and bara-zushi.
・On top of that, there are countless varieties of regional sushi, which is eaten in certain areas of Japan.
・While sushi is becoming more and more popular, there are many things about sushi which are not known abroad.

3 Questions for Digging Deeper! 《 もっと掘り下げてみよう！ 》

1. Is it safe to eat raw fish in the first place?
（そもそも生魚は食べても大丈夫なの？）

Raw fish may not be safe to eat without appropriate control and preparation. In Japan, fresh fish used for sushi is properly prepared with special care to preserve freshness. Additionally, vinegar used in sushi rice as well as condiments such as Japanese horseradish and ginger are believed to stop bacteria from growing. As a whole, raw fish is considered to be safe in Japan.

2. How often do people in Japan eat sushi?
（日本の人はどのぐらいの頻度で寿司を食べるの？）

It totally depends on the person, however sushi is usually considered as a special dish for celebratory occasions. People enjoy sushi at relatively expensive restaurants on such occasions, but not very often. On the other hand, affordable sushi from sushi-go-round restaurants or grocery stores is eaten more frequently. They are more like “fast food” and the price is reasonable.

3. Incidentally, what was the first sushi ever made?
（ちなみに、最初に作られた寿司はどんなものだったの？）

Nare-zushi is said to be the original form of sushi. Although it’s similar to the typical modern types of sushi in terms of ingredients, as it is prepared with rice, fish and salt, there is one big difference between them. The typical sushi is prepared with vinegared rice, however, nare-zushi is made from fermented rice and fish, which produces the sour taste of sushi. This is the origin of sushi and it is still made in various regions of Japan.

---

今や世界各国で食されている日本の寿司。その国オリジナルの寿司もあったりしますので、各国の寿司事情を探ってみると会話に花が咲きそうですね。

まずはビジネス英会話力チェック(無料)をお試しください

BBTオンライン英会話はポイント制で、 受講ペースと4つのコースの組み合わせは自由自在です。