3.289

20 (Sat) October 2012

Maguro Tataki Nigiri Sushi

2.0

from E-Mart

at home

-Oksu, Seongdong, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

with W

Tataki is a Japanese cooking technique.  It consists of pan-searing a large fillet of fish, such as tuna (“maguro”), or meat, such as beef, while leaving the inside raw.  The fillet, which is sometimes marinated in a vinaigrette, is cross-sectionally sliced into thin pieces.  The pieces are traditionally served as an appetizer accompanied by soy sauce and ground ginger.  The term “tata” means “to pound” – literally, “hit hit” – referring to the traditional method of pounding ginger into a paste with a mortar and pestle.  In modern practice, the pieces of fish are sometimes used as a topping for nigiri sushi, as here.

This was the latest offering from E-Mart’s ready-to-go sushi bar.  Unfortunately, the tuna itself was flavorless, both the albacore and akami, and the sear was too light to impart any charred flavor.  10,000 won for 10 pieces.  I’m not sure what I was expecting from prepackaged sushi.  It looked pretty.