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We'll admit it, we've always hated that hoser who requests -- nay, demands -- brown rice over white when we go out for family style (like, Thai, Indian, Chinese) meals. Doubleplus hate goes to those who follow that order with a tight smile and a remark like "Oh, I don't eat white" or "brown is so much better for you." (Tangent: how do those people ever enjoy a freaking Oreo? Never mind.)
But after this correspondent had a long heart-to-heart with a nutritionist today, we might have to mentally apologize to those folks*, because apparently, the BR isn't just more sustainable than its paler counterpart, but once you start reading about the two, it's hard to ignore its nutritional superiority.
As we're incapable of unknowing, um, knowledge, we've decided to make the switch. Which is easy when we're dining on the Thai, but how are we going to handle maki or nigiri style sushi? Sure, there's plenty of BR to be found in grody supermarket sushi aisles, but a yelp search on the term only yielded one accurate result (we called the others listed, no dice): some place in Palo Alto.
Are our only options for sushi made with brown rice in Palo Alto or Bristol Farms? This can't possibly be right. Readers, correct us in the comments.
Not to the "I don't eat white" announcers, though. Those guys can go fuck themselves.
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Or you could just have sashimi and get your rice intake from drinking sake instead!
Safeway has BR Sushi, it's good for a quick (cheap) fix...
Wayo Sushi. Bush and Van Ness. I've been getting the lunch combo there for years.
Mmmmm. I dunno.
Not that I have a vendetta against brown rice, and I do understand its nutritional benefits, but everything has its place. Growing up with the slightly sweet and gentle flavor of white rice with my meat and veggies, I find brown rice's loud and nutty flavor obnoxious when mixed with my favorite Chinese dishes--same with many other Asian foods. Thai yellow curry over brown rice, for example? BLEUGH. :\ I'll cook brown rice at home with things it actually complements, and stick to white for my sushi needs.
Yuck. Brown rice is just not worth extending your life over. Real rice or nothing.
HATE brown rice in my sushi. see, now i want to throw my glass against the wall just thinking about it. it gets everywhere! and sashimi, while being the preferable form of raw fish to eat, is just too expensive.
but in the end, rice is an evil and fattening carb.
However, unhulled rice is delicious when mixed with tea leaves as Genmaicha.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genmaicha
I for one am really glad that there are not that many more places that make brown rice sushi. Sushi is a traditition, and it's made with white short grain rice. Brown rice under sushi will fall apart, and it is an insult to a way of life and a tradition. So respect sushi for what it is, eat it the way it's been made for thousands of years. You will live a healthier life by understanding the importance of a tradition, and the importance of preserving it, than thinking of ways to bend things the way you like it at the expense of ritual and heritage.
Brown rice on sushi would be very nontraditional in Japan. Brown rice has its place, but sushi rice is prized for its pearliness and stickiness ...
@ anon8mizer,
exoticize much?
whole foods has brown rice.
it's not great sushi, but if you're wanting something quick and to-go, then it's not so bad.
that sfgate article is sorta lame since I don't think it's really fair to compare sushi based on crab and especially imitation crab. Then again, I'm not sure I'd trust the raw fish from a lot of supermarkets anyway... but Whole Foods at least I can reasonably figure they're using good fish and it's all fresh. Plus the guy at the counter will roll you up fresh stuff if you ask and that's always better than the stuff sitting in the trays.
@ anon8mizer
Uhhh, putting aside the distinct possibility that, although poorly, you're joking, ya might wanna do some checking on the history of sushi. The practice of making and eating sushi, as we know it, is only around a few hundred years old.
And brown rice can be made sticky for sushi quite easily.
I enjoy brown rice with some dishes, but when I tried both Whole Foods and Trader Joe's brown rice sushi, I promptly spit it out into the trash. Maybe it is better on sushi in actual restaurants.
I do however like the California Roll from Safeway, which was rated highest in that Chron article.
Leanne, yah. It really depends on what quslity of brown rice you're using. And what is in most stores is absolutely horrendous. The stores in japantown don't sell a dozen different types for nuthin. If I remember correctly, one specialty brown rice is like $23/lb - prolly more nowadays.
Brown rice sushi is new on the menu at sushi bistro...and must be followed by fried green tea ice cream to counteract any of the health benefits.
Even so, try ordering brown rice sushi in Japan. They'll laugh you all the way to Vladivostok.
That place in Palo Alto is AWESOME. It's hard to find because it's in an alley, but you shouldn't knock it until you tried it.
To anyone who knocks something because it's "not authentic," maybe you should look in a mirror.
Bristol Farms also has the brown rice sushi. Sushi has lots of tradition... but there are plenty of ways to honor tradition. Take a look at the "beloved" California Roll. Order sushi with avocado in Japan, see how far that gets you.
Me? I'll take my spicy tuna roll with brown rice and one sprig of watercress. I'll have my avocado in a smoothie. Thankyouverymuch.
It's authentic Zippy food damnit.
Please, please no brown rice with sushi. My grandfather who owned a sushi restaurant in Japan is turning in his grave. There are plenty of things that you can eat with brown rice. I know because my mom has ALMOST completely switched to eating brown rice. The one thing both her and I will never eat is sushi with brown rice. Maybe a maki with vegetables only would work but never with fish.
Continuing the media feedback loop, today yelp comes up with this:
http://www.yelp.com/topic/san-francisco-yelps-sushi-smackdown
Interesting timing.
most whole foods stores have brown rice sushi in the fresh food section. it's really good and moderately priced.