Nikkei and sushi-fusion origins
The global trend of Japanese food is increasingly evident and Miami is not the exception. Even so, you should know that the arrival of sushi in United States took place several years ago, around the 70s, when the first restaurants dedicated to Japanese cuisine were gradually installed in New York, Miami and Los Angeles.
At the first time was all about the little acceptance that was had in the public of the time, the type of dishes, the base of seaweed and raw fish, the pioneer restaurants, the palates of the time and the typical dishes of Chinese food.
However, far from being a fad, Japanese cuisine was gaining ground within American society, especially in the younger strata. The introduction of sushi in our lifestyles has taken place gradually until we can affirm that Japanese food has been installed as a clear choice of food at home and the reason for numerous gastronomic outings. Our sushi-fusion restaurant in Miami, Florida aims to be an wonderful place to enjoy the most delicate and delicious dishes of Japanese and Latin cusine.
Sushi-fusion restaurants in Miami
Just as many famous chefs from Miami and around the world predicted, sushi and Japanese food would become a very popular element in American and worldwide gastronomy. At Arigatai sushi-fusion restaurant, we are committed to the maximum quality and freshness of our ingredients, as well as providing a pleasant atmosphere for dinner.
Japanese cusine and culture
Sample of the adaptation of Japanese cuisine and culture in our own way of doing things is, sushi-fusion: the perfect mix of cultures between the Japanese tradition and the rich Mediterranean diet.
Fusion cuisine was born here, in the United States in the 70s, playing creatively mixing Eastern and Western flavors. The history of sushi-fusion brought us innovative compositions such as the California roll: pieces of sushi that invert the traditional order of the ingredients by placing the rice on the outside and the seaweed in the center of the piece. The idea of creating recipes with diverse ingredients to obtain an innovative dish went around the world, coming to merge with different cuisines until the fusion sushi arrived in our hands.
Fusion food in Miami, Florida
Since then, at our sushi-fusion restaurant in Miami: Arigatai, we truly believe that sushi-fusion makes a difference, so in our restaurant we offer the most traditional dishes of Japanese food fused with ingredients and techniques typical of Mediterranean cuisine with the sole intention of serving you unique pieces. Our executive chef has a lot of experience working with great references in the world of Japanese and Peruvian gastronomy in New York.
We try delicious delightful sushi-fusion techniques and create new combinations with you in mind, that you enjoy mixing flavors and cultures from Japan and Latin America.
With the term Nikkei it is customary to call the children of Japanese immigrants in Peru. However, from the 80s onwards, the Peruvian and Japanese fusion food began to be called with that name.
Origins of Nikkei
The story begins when more than 700 Japanese immigrants arrived in Peru in 1889, aboard the Sakura Maru ship. They were hired to work in the sugar and cotton farms. By that time the era of industrialization that mainly affected the peasant population had begun in Japan.
The number of Japanese immigrants was increasing and by 1936 there were already 36,000, mostly from Okinawa, Kumamoto and Fukushima Islands.
Japanese immigrants worked together with immigrants from other countries, especially from China (from whom later the fusion meal called chifa would also be born).
With the Chinese they had some common customs regarding food, such as rice and soy sauce, which made it easier for them to adapt to the new environment and lifestyle.
The culture of two nations: Japan and Perú
Because in Peru there were no ingredients used in Japan, they looked for alternatives to replace them. For example, the Japanese potato was replaced by the Peruvian potato, the mustard with the turnip, and they included the Peruvian chili pepper and the pisco among other new ingredients.
The preparation of the meal was complemented with the vegetables grown by the Chinese. Over the years, as the population of Japanese immigrants grew, they began to import some products from Japan to prepare their delicious meals.
After the Second World War, in Peru the importation of Japanese products was prohibited. This motivated them to have to manage to replace them, this is how Shoyu arises, which is liquid soy, among other products.
The dishes prepared by the Japanese and their children born in Peru, were a combination of flavors and ingredients different from those of Japan, which began a new kitchen.
At the beginning the restaurants of the descendants of Japanese immigrants offered only dishes of Peruvian food, prepared with Japanese ingredients such as kion (ginger), ajinomoto (seasoning), rice vinegar, sesame oil, wasabi.
The first real Nikkei meal
According to some of the most memorable Japanese chefs of Peru, in the 60s, in Lima, they began using Peruvian ingredients, which started the Nikkei meal.
It is from 1980, that Nikkei food strengthened and became known as a fusion meal that includes Japanese and especially Peruvian ingredients such as: lemon, garlic, rocoto, chili pepper, yellow pepper, chili pepper, etc.
In order for Japanese and Nikkei food to develop, it was necessary to introduce to Japan the cultivation of Japanese vegetables, and the manufacture of products such as: pasta, sauce, tofu, noodles and pickles that some families of Japanese origin specialized in preparing. The same happened with Japanese cakes and sweets.
Nikkei and sushi restaurants in Miami
Nikkei food has reached amazing levels of sophistication and constant evolution thanks to the ingenuity and creativity of its chefs. What has led it to be considered an export meal, recognized by the best chefs in the world such as the Spanish Ferran Adrià of the remembered El Bulli, and the Japanese Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, owner along with actor Robert de Niro of the Nobu restaurant chain.
Among some Nikkei food dishes we can mention the olive octopus, the tiradito, garlic fish, sashimi, otani seafood, shrimp chaufa rice, ceshimi, crab rice, shrimp tempura with spinach and tacu mak among many others.
