Think tuna toro is the ultimate traditional sushi? Think again—truly serious sushi connoisseurs in Japan think toro is for amateurs. Ditto for many of the types of so-called Japanese sushi that we thoughtlessly consume every day.
The sushi that most of us are eating in the West bears little resemblance to real Japanese sushi, and has none of the delicacy, variety, and sophistication of this age-old Japanese culinary art. Yet most of us don’t realize what we’re missing. Consider, for example, this comment from well-traveled Western business executive and frequent visitor to Japan whom Trevor Corson recently guided through a meal of real sushi:
“Having been an avid lover of Japanese cuisine for at least the last 25 years, I supposed that, perhaps if I wasn’t an expert, I was certainly a gifted and enthusiastic amateur when it came to knowing my way around the sushi bar. And how completely wrong I was. Within a matter of minutes, I realized that I knew next to nothing about the background, the origins of the myriad traditions behind Japanese cuisine. I was fascinated to begin to understand the reason behind combining certain ingredients, and the methodology of preparing them. Trevor Corson guided us through an extravaganza of taste experiences. It was a truly great, and humbling evening.” *
Backing up Trevor’s approach is deep first-hand knowledge. Trevor lived in Japan for three years and spent a year reading Japanese-language sources on sushi and talking with Japanese chefs for his highly acclaimed book The Story of Sushi, and he is now one of the leading authorities outside Japan on the history, techniques, and etiquette of the cuisine. Trevor loves to share his passion and excitement for authentic Japanese sushi with his clients. Over and over again, Trevor hears from his guests at the end of the evening: “Now I never want to go back to the sushi I was eating before.”
Trevor’s guided tastings of real sushi reveal that most of sushi served in America bears little resemblance to what has been traditionally served in Japan, and that even the sushi bars in the U.S. that are believed to be authentic aren’t necessarily so traditional, either. What’s worse, much American-style sushi was invented to unload low-quality ingredients on unsuspecting customers. Trevor works closely with Japanese master chefs to take his clients back to the sort of meal that a Japanese connoisseur a century ago would have favored. Because this style of sushi is so different, Trevor explains all the whys and hows of appreciating the food and soliciting a similar experience from a chef again.
Indeed, Trevor shows that getting the best sushi experience doesn’t depend on going to the “right” restaurant or always ordering the typical trophy fish so frequently pushed by our best-known sushi establishments. Many such fish are surprisingly foreign to the sushi tradition. Instead, Trevor emphasizes the power of knowing the cuisine and the importance of cultivating a relationship with a chef. Trevor arms you with the knowledge and confidence to eat sushi in a way that’s not just better and more authentic from a gastronomic point of view but also happens to be better for your health and the environment.
In the New York Times Magazine, journalist Paul Greenberg recently wrote:
“Trevor Corson is an East Asia scholar turned popular nonfiction writer and author of the 2007 book The Story of Sushi, and for select groups he will act as a ‘sushi concierge,’ hosting dinners often at the Jewel Bako Japanese restaurant in Manhattan’s East Village, one of which I attended this past winter. A Corson-guided meal aims to reveal the historical truth of tuna and to represent the very different fish that were the staples of sushi in earlier times. Plate by plate I watched as Corson walked a group of Manhattan professionals through a traditional Edo-period meal.”
* Comment received from John Glaister of New York City
Copyright © 2008–2011 by Trevor Corson. All rights reserved. “Sushi Concierge” is a TradeMark of Trevor Corson.
