GO AHEAD, MAKI MY DAY

In defence of supermarket sushi Claudia McNeilly

At a time when spicy tuna rolls have become as common as tuna fish sandwiches, it can be difficult to imagine things ever being different. But the concept of eating raw fish and seaweed wasn’t always so mainstream. When sushi was first brought to North America in the 1960s, many sushi chefs struggled to attract diners unfamiliar with the glories of nigiri and maki.

It’s hardly surprising, therefore, that there would be disputing accounts of the creation of the California roll — a clever concoction of cooked crabmeat and inside out rice. Looking to broaden sushi’s transcontinental appeal, it would seem that more than one chef introduced something to appease diners who couldn’t yet stomach the more daring combination of raw fish and seaweed. The roll’s popularity encouraged sushi chefs to take even more liberties with familiar American ingredients, including fresh fruit and cream cheese. By the time the 1970s rolled into the 1980s, sushi as we know it was everywhere. And our appetite for the stuff has hardly slowed down since.

From highbrow omakase experiences to convenient grab-and-go takeout counters, most of us are happy to indulge in sushi at a variety of price points and service styles. But there remains one outlier in the world of raw fish and rice: supermarket sushi. Painstakingly feared and notoriously questioned, a quick Google search for “grocery store sushi” reveals countless internet users turning to forums to ask about the safety of pre-packaged salmon rolls. Suggested top searches on the subject include “How long does grocery store sushi last?” and “Is grocery store sushi safe?”

It makes sense that pre-packaged raw fish might lead to some hesitation, but the majority of our concerns about grocery store sushi are not only misguided; they’re flat out wrong.

The problem begins with our outdated notions of what constitutes grocery store maki, nigiri and sashimi. Fifteen years ago, most supermarkets were limited to carrying a scary selection of California rolls with browning avocado and mushy imitation crab meat, plus a few basic maki rolls, if they sold sushi at all. Of course, it’s still possible to find the occasional miserable-looking California roll at your local supermarket. But countless grocers have also started offering full-service sushi counters designed to provide restaurant-quality sushi right next to the deli meats.

Take Vancouver’s Urban Fare. With locations across the lower mainland, the grocer serves handcrafted sushi made fresh to order with certified Ocean Wise seafood. On multiple visits to their Shangri-La location on a quiet stretch of Alberni St., two sushi chefs worked diligently to carve ruby red strips of sockeye salmon sashimi and place them, in generous portions, in takeaway containers available for just $10.99 — a steal for any quality sashimi lunch.

Meanwhile, supermarkets across Toronto, including Pusateri’s, McEwan’s and Wholefoods, have been elevating their sushi offerings to similarly high degrees. Where Wholefoods serves Ocean Wise sockeye salmon nigiri at accessible price points, Pusateri’s and McEwan’s employ experienced sushi chefs to create a range of appealing offerings, including green dragon rolls stuffed with crunchy shrimp tempura, torched scallop rolls and a range of nigiri lunch and dinner specials.

Even at more conventional grocery stores with fewer gourmet inclinations, the sushi counter is often nothing to look down at. At Metro and Sobeys locations across Ontario, chefs are similarly hired to prepare fresh nigiri and maki on site. Where fullservice sushi counters aren’t available, the grocers contract local quick-service sushi purveyor Bento Sushi to ship readymade rolls to each store.

With over 540 kiosk locations spread across airport terminals, supermarkets and schools in North America, most people have encountered Bento Sushi’s unmistakable rolls and red soy sauce packets, which come divided by a piece of faux green grass. The ubiquitous maki sets can seem like nothing special — especially after they’ve been sitting at an airport terminal for hours. But while Bento Sushi is unlikely to win any Michelin stars anytime soon, the company still has its merits. They produce each roll in a rigorously monitored facility that undergoes regular food safety audits, and also follow the principles of the Marine Stewardship Council and SeaChoice, opting for sustainable ingredients whenever possible.

And even when the occasional grocery store maki set looks like it’s seen better days, our fears about foodborne illness are often misplaced. In most sushi, it’s not the fish but the rice that poses the more common safety risk. This is because cooked rice is known to germinate a potentially harmful bacterium called Bacillus cereus in mere hours if it isn’t treated correctly. Thankfully, vinegar inhibits bacterial growth and keeps the rice safe, which is why sushi rice is always seasoned with it. In places where sushi is prepared to sit out for longer periods of time, extra vinegar is often added to the rice as insurance against the harmful bacteria. It’s why sushi connoisseurs often lament the rice found in pre-packaged sushi rolls, criticizing it for tasting abrasive and astringent compared to the lightly seasoned, fluffy rice found at more serious sushi eateries. And yet, the tradeoff is a small price to pay for a dish that still competes with its restaurant equivalent on nearly every other level.

There is even one area in which grocery store sushi outshines its fancy competitors: it’s always available. Supermarkets begin selling sushi in the morning before most sushi restaurants open for the day, and they stay open long after many brick and mortar shops close. While it may be tempting to use this as evidence of our North American inclination to over- consume, it should be noted that in Japan, where sushi was first invented as a street food in 1824, prepackaged sushi remains a popular offering at convenience stores, supermarkets and food halls. Its popularity ultimately makes sense: in cities like Tokyo, where omakase and a la carte sushi restaurant prices can balloon to hundreds of dollars and require months of advanced reservation notice, grocery store sushi offers a convenient and affordable alternative.

Back home in Canada, it’s ironic that a food we pay hundreds of dollars for in upscale settings is also one we fear most when it’s sold to us at the store. It’s time we let go of the stigma around grocery store sushi and embrace the dish wholeheartedly — just as we embraced restaurant sushi decades ago. Our wallets and our palates will only thank us for it.