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Derived from 16th and 17th Century Japanese culinary efforts, sushi today has evolved to offer much more than "raw" tastes, and has more flavor and choices than many discriminating restaurant patrons would believe.

At an excellent sushi bar or restaurant, attention is paid not only to the combination of flavors, but to the presentation of each dish. The sushi itself is beautiful to behold, and so is the speed and mastery of the chef behind the sushi bar. Sushi is an experience.

Types of Sushi Tastes
There are a few main types of sushi offer varying tastes to meet customer's personal preferences: 
Nigiri sushi (hand shaped sushi) is a small mound of sticky rice and is wrapped or layered with seafood and other ingredients.

Maki sushi (rolled sushi) is sticky rice and other fresh, cooked or fried ingredients rolled into a cylinder-shape, and wrapped with thin sheets of dried seaweed.
Sashimi is sliced, raw, previously commercially frozen fish, usually served with a variety of tasty dipping sauces.
Also there are Oshi-Sushi (pressed sushi) and Chirashi-sushi (scattered sushi).

On the Side
Some of the sauces and condiments you'll find served with sushi is soy sauce, (usually in a jar or carafe on the table or bar), wasabi, which is a hot spice served usually as a paste that typically is green in color and rolled into a ball or other shape, and pickled ginger, which is mild-tasting, pink slices. Many assume the wasabi and ginger are garnishes, but they have a purpose. The wasabi has been used for years to accompany raw fish, and the ginger helps to cleanse the palate and offer relief from indigestion and motion sickness. Ginger is also a very effective natural antiseptic. It has been reported to help the growth of the beneficial bacteria lactobacillus, which aids digestion, it is also very effective against the growth of many harmful bacteria including E. coli and salmonella.

Sushi in the Raw
Many are fearful of the risk of consuming the sometimes raw fish in sushi. California Health Services researchers recently studied seven risky foods that can carry infections, and what should appear on their list? You guessed it: raw fresh fish.

Properly prepared and handled sushi fish is safer than other raw fish, but it's obviously not as safe as cooked fish, says Erica Weis, a research scientist with the California Department of Health Services. The good news is, according to Phillip Spiller, former director of the Food and Drug Administration's Office of Seafood, generally, seafood is very safe to eat. He says that on a pound-for-pound basis, seafood is at least as safe as other meat sources. Commercial freezing for at least 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit kills the parasitic worms and their larvae that could be potentially ingested in raw fish. Many sushi restaurants receive fish after this type of processing. However, home freezers usually can't reach temperatures this low.

Order sushi from reputable restaurants, where the restaurant and fish provider follow food safety standards. Feel free to ask if the fish has been previously frozen. Completely cooked is always the “safest” way to eat fish. The FDA recommends that you don't risk eating raw fish if you're pregnant or have a compromised immune system. Don't make your own sushi with raw fish unless you can freeze the fish for more than 72 hours at 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Instead, use cooked fish or vegetables. However, with a reputable restaurant, you can feel much safer knowing they are compliant with health standards.

Sushi Drink Pairing
And what do you pair with sushi for a refreshing drink? Many recommend beer or cold sake. Sake is the Japanese's own pairing, due to the yeasty, lightly sweet, but strong taste. Also, we've seen recommended a malty beer for a strong sushi, heavy on the wasabi. But sushi and wine don't have to be frenemies. Wines like Pinot Noir have long-standing been paired with fish, and the balancing, crisp Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, and sparkling wines.

The Sushi experience is one that should be had by all. Even the most picky of eaters will find something in sushi's myriad forms and flavors - from fried to fresh, fashionable to plain ol' finger-licking good.