I found that the skills we pick up through our life are never wasted, no matter how insignificant we think they might seem, but more importantly, is the attitude we attach to them.
I noticed that all the skills I acquired during my life were being used in my current job.
It wasn't just the attention to detail that was important, but the time management skills, and the longer I did my job the more those skills used in everyday life came to the fore.
Sushi may look simple to make, but the subtlety of it can take years, even a lifetime to perfect.
The ability to combine different flavours that, on their own may seem bland or even offensive, stand out in a way that tantalises the senses, and one of the most neglected ingredients that has the greatest impact is the rice.
It can take years for a sushi apprentice to be qualified in rice preparation and because rice is so important to Sushi, it is a closely guarded secret.
I’ve dissected videos on the subject and noticed that preparing rice was often omitted. One of the documentaries was called. Jiro dreams of sushi, about a Japanese chef who started making sushi when he was eleven. Even though now he is in his eighties and has a successful sushi bar, he is still trying to perfect his craft and looks for new ways to improve his skills.
These skills aren’t limited to the mechanics of the craft, but also include the comfort and consideration of the customer.
This made me think on not only is it important on how we handle ourselves in a work situation but also on how we present ourselves to others along the way.
Just by interacting with others, we are influencing them. That is inescapable. The question is, how are we influencing them, and what is the legacy we are leaving behind.
Someone once said what we do in this life, echos into the next. How will we be remembered.
Will the taste we leave in their mouths be a sweet savour or a bitter regret? Will our words and actions bring life and joy to those that cross our path, and in turn, inspire them, just like those that have inspired us. Will we fan the flame of hope and encouragement that we ourselves desire and bring in all the ingredients that make us who we are, to feed those who will go after us as an echo into the next generation, for in the end, when we help others, we help ourselves.
Tip for the Day
How to roll rice using a rice mat.
When laying the rice out on the Nori (Seaweed), put it evenly along the sides and the end closest to you. Leave an inch at the far end to seal the Nori like an envelope. The rice doesn’t have to be too thick. 1/4” is ok.
Lay out the ingredients in the centre.
When you roll sushi, think of it as rolling a four-sided box.
Don’t try to roll it like a wheel, but roll quarter, quarter, quarter and join at the end, pulling the mat out of the way with each turn.
Leave to sit on a flat surface. The seaweed will seal itself once the rice soaks into the seaweed.
Note: You may notice mine are like flower petals. This is my signature sushi
On another note. I made the chopping board.