Sushi school to challenge British views about Japanese cuisine

The culinary experts are "saddened" by the standard of sushi offered in some British supermarkets and restaurants and want to show people how simple it is to make proper Japanese food at home.

The team claim they are creating Europe's first sushi academy in London, where they will instruct students on how to make a range of traditional dishes of varying complexity.
Their project follows growing concern in Japan about the standard of Japanese food being offered around the world.Critics claim that a lot of it lacks authenticity and is merely a fusion of dishes from several different countries.

Experts are welcoming the opening of the Sushi Academy in London in February, arguing many British people are being offered "pseudo-sushi."

Sushi chef Keiko Waters, who will run cookery workshops at the academy, told Kyodo News she is "sad" about the state of sushi in Britain, particularly at supermarkets where the strong refrigeration process adversely affects the product.

She said, "I want to let people know that sushi can be much tastier. The intention is to introduce traditional Japanese food overseas...instead of keeping it secret. Sushi is a good way of starting to introduce people to other Japanese cuisine."

Waters wants to dispel the myth in Britain that Japanese cooking is very difficult and will be guiding small groups on how to prepare rolled sushi using a small mat and the more intricate hand-formed sushi which normally has fish on top.

The intention is for the school to also act as a hub for nurturing European sushi chefs and Michelin-starred chefs from Japan will visit to give expert tutorials for cooking professionals.

Chef Hiroyuki Kanda, the owner of Kanda sushi restaurant in Tokyo -- which was awarded three Michelin stars in 2008 -- will act as an adviser and guide the academy's curriculum.Waters says that even in Japan there is only one sushi school, with most chefs learning their skills through apprenticeships.

And while most amateur chefs can make rolled sushi at home, "nigirizushi" -- formed by rolling the rice in the hand --  is still very much the preserve of the professionals because it is much harder to master