Jiro Dreams of Sushi

photo taken by me

Today in class we learned about the art of sushi and of its different kinds such as nigiri, sashimi, maki, unagi, and inari. However, I was curious to know more about the art form and the so-called " Masters of sushi" or Shokunin. So, I decided to spend the night watching Jiro Dreams of Sushi on Hulu. 

photo taken by me

The film is a 2011 documentary based on the story of Jiro Ono, an 85-year-old master sushi chef, and owner of the famous 10 seat Tokyo subway station restaurant, Sukiyabashi Jiro. The movie starts by Jiro posing a question to the audience:  What is deliciousness?  or what is oishi? This made me realize that deliciousness is hard to explain, especially when it comes to the taste of sushi. Sushi has many textures, temperatures, and elements to it. Because of its variety and the forms and combinations of which you can eat it, its hard to narrow it down to one definition.

photo taken by me

However, Jiro shows us where he gets the freshest fish, and that is from the auctions of the Tsujiki Market in Tokyo, Japan. This surprised me because the Tsujiki market is known to be very much a tourist attraction, yet the quality of fish is undeniable to Jiro. He believes that the freshest of fish makes the best sushi. The experience of being part of the hustle of the market is intriguing to watch.

photo taken by me

Throughout the movie the audience witnesses how sushi is made by the masters using specific hand gestures as shown in the images below. I also learned that the way you eat sushi matters, whether it is with your hands or with chopsticks. However what struck me the most is when Jiro Ono explains that sushi and the sequence in which fish you eat first is all orchestrated, just like music! I found that fascinating as different fish can influence your taste buds before having another bite of sushi. 






Jiro is a perfectionist, and this movie captures the detail and excellence at which he expresses the art of sushi. I highly recommend it!