What is it and why do we use Sushi rice in Hawaiian Poke?
Before you start reading this article dedicated to the “mysterious” Sushi rice, we’d like to invite you to perform an experiment.
Come on! Just out of curiosity!
Go to Instagram and look for the tag #pokebowl.
How many results can you see?
In November 2017 we were shown more than 225,000 photos of poke bowls.
Poke made at home.
Poke to take out.
Poke for parties.
Poke shared between friends …
There is no doubt that Poke is one of the most photographed dishes, and therefore, one of the most popular dishes of today, especially among foodies and lovers of healthy food.
What? You haven’t tried it yet?!
If that’s the case, we invite you to head over to Hula Poke right away and enjoy building this mountain of natural flavour to your liking!
(Although if you prefer to stay at home, we will build it for you according to your instructions and we’ll take it to your very own dining room!).
And if you still don’t know what sort of ingredients you’ll be able to find in Hula Poke to create that delicious bowl, let us list them below for you:
The base, the first element of your Poke: you can choose between Sushi rice, Quinoa, Mix of greens and Kale.
The protein, the second element of your Poke bowl: your options in Hula Poke are Salmon, Tuna, Crab Meat, Hamachi (yellowfin tuna), Tofu, Shrimp.
The sauces, the third element of the Poke (sauces): Korean soy, ponzu, wasabi mayonnaise, and Korean pepper sauce.
The toppings: the fourth elements of your Poke: scallions, cucumber, corn, edamame, seaweed, avocado, masago, ginger, wasabi, carrots, jalapeños, garlic chips, sesame, fried onions, wonton chips, chia and bimi.
You are not familiar with many of the ingredients on this list?
Do not worry, we’ll introduce them to you in this blog little by little!
For now, let’s start with one of the most important ingredients in Poke: Sushi rice.
What is Sushi rice?
The Sushi or glutinous rice that we use in Hula Poke is a variant commonly used in Japan – where it’s known as “shari”, “sushi-meshi” or “su-meshi”. Its main characteristic is its high starch content – a characteristic that gives it that sticky consistency and prevents the grains in the balls or rolls of sushi from “ungluing”.
This rice belongs to the “Japonica” family – of which the Italian arborio and carnaroli rice used to make risotto, are also a part of – and it is a short grain of a bright appearance and pleasant texture.
How is Sushi rice cooked?
Traditionally the rice is washed several times and allowed to stand between 30 minutes and one hour before cooking.
(Attention! Please don’t dip it in water or let it soak for a while! Instead, rub it hard under the tap!).
Cover it in 1.2 volumes of water for each volume of rice, after having been washed repeatedly and letting it stand between 30 minutes and an hour before cooking.
After cooking the rice for about 22 minutes, we’ll combine 150 ml of vinegar with 150 g of sugar and 50 g of salt, mix it all well in a jar and add it to the rice while stirring it with a wide spoon (or a Shamoji, the Japanese palette used for this purpose).
Finally, leave it to cool.
You can accelerate the process by fanning the rice.
And should we follow this same process to serve Sushi Rice in our Poke?
No necesariamente.
Cuando utilices arroz glutinoso para la base de tu Poke, no es necesario que lo combines con arroz, aunque el conocido chef de Sushi Andrés Bravo formado en el restaurante de dos estrellas Michelín Mugaritz recomienda combinar el arroz Sushi con vinagre de arroz y alga.
En Hula Poke, estamos de acuerdo con Andrés porque creemos que estos ingredientes adicionales le dan más gusto al arroz.
Pero, si tú cocinas tu Poke en casa, puedes hacerlo como tú prefieras, con o sin vinagre, e incluso puedes utilizar arroz integral.
¿Por qué recomendamos el arroz Sushi en tu Poke?
Not necessarily.
When you use glutinous rice for the base of your Poke, you can do without the vinegar although Andrés Bravo – the well-known sushi chef trained at the Michelin-starred restaurant Mugaritz – recommends combining Sushi rice with rice vinegar and seaweed.
At Hula Poke, we agree with Andrés because we believe that these additional ingredients make rice taste even better.
But, if you cook your Poke at home, you can do it as you prefer – with or without vinegar -, and you can even use brown rice.
Why do we recommend Sushi Rice in your Poke?
Because it’s great for your health!
These are just some of the properties of this humble ingredient:
Because of its high protein content, it intervenes in the formation and repair of muscle tissues, skin, hair and nails (it is even said to help in cases of skin problems such as acne and burns).
Thanks to its high fibre content, it regulates the digestive system.
It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
It contributes to the health of the heart and the nervous system.
It strengthens the immune and bone systems.
And it even helps to reduce high blood pressure.
Can you imagine?
How about trying this great ally of your health?
Head over Ausias March Street in Barcelona, and ask for a Poke with a Sushi rice base!
And if you prefer to try it at home, you can place your order comfortably on our reservation platform.
It’s easy!
Aloha and see you soon!
