00:00 This episode is about the history and ins and outs of sushi, and will make you want sushi by the end.

05:06 The history of sushi dates back to Southeast Asia 2,500 years ago, where cooked rice was packed with fish and fermented, eventually leading to the creation of sushi as we know it today.

10:04 Sushi was born in Japan when a man named Yohei Hanaya created nigiri sushi, which eventually led to the opening of the first sushi restaurants and the spread of sushi worldwide.

15:15 Raw fish is a common ingredient in sushi, but there are also other options like tempura and vegetable rolls, although not all vegetables are suitable for sushi.

20:34 Tuna is one of the most highly prized seafood options in sushi, with blue fin being the most expensive, and the record for the highest price fish ever sold was a 490 pound blue fin tuna for $1.8 million.

25:23 Sushi is an evolving dish that can include unconventional ingredients like cereals, corn flakes, and rice krispies, but traditional sushi is meant to be eaten as is without any additional toppings or sauces.

30:26 Sushi chefs in Japan are expected to be friendly and welcoming to customers, and there is still discrimination against women becoming sushi chefs, although the requirement to work at least two years at a decent sushi place is an improvement from the previous requirement of 10 years.

35:12 When eating sushi, it is recommended to drink green tea, light beer, or water instead of sake, and it is traditional to pour sake for your friends and have them pour it for you.

40:09 To make sushi, you need to rinse the rice until the water is clear, soak it for half an hour, cook it for 15 minutes, simmer for 20 minutes, turn the heat up for a few seconds, and let it sit for 15 minutes before adding rice vinegar.

45:06 To make sushi, you need to use rice vinegar, and if you want to make it yourself, you can mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt; once the rice is ready, you turn it out into a bowl using a wooden paddle, pour the vinegar over the paddle and spread it gently over the rice, fold it in and mix it together, cool it down to room temperature, rinse your hands and the paddle in vinegar, and then you're ready to start making nigiri sushi or maki.

49:45 To make a maki sushi roll, you spread a thin coating of rice on a sheet of nori, add your toppings, roll it up using a bamboo mat, and then cut it into eight pieces.

54:25 80% of all bluefin tuna caught in the world is used for sushi, while the other 20% is grilled rare and put on a salad.