Ole G. MouritsenThinkers

Sushi is a cuisine that reaches sublime heights through the use of fresh ingredients from the sea (below) and from the mountains (above).

Sushi is a meal in which one participates in the process in its entirety, places one's order directly with the chef, sees the fresh ingredients, is able to evaluate their quality and follow along with their preparation.

Sushi is a style of preparation that was introduced to Japan with the spread of Buddhism in the 9th Century when it was still common practice to drink milk and eat meat, when it suddenly became necessary to devise new ways to store and prepare fish.

Sushi is an unrivaled culinary culture that offers an experiential chamber where one can change one's order in mid-stream and ask the chef questions while he works.

Sushi is reflective of sabi in that the most perfect sushi might be served to one on an old, worn wooden plank. One's chopsticks could rest on a rough, irregular stone. One drinks tea from a rustic raku cup with crackled glaze, which might even be cracked or chipped.

Sushi is reflective of wabi when the chef gives the guest his full attention and does not look down on him or her because of a possible deficiency of sushi expertise or when the guest shows respect for the chef’s work and appreciates the food for its taste and appearance it is also wabi.