Bizarre trend from Japan: armpit sushi (yes, really)
In Asia, they’re not averse to bizarre food trends. Do you remember the coffee with chopped spring onions from China? The latest crazy trend comes from Japan. Armpit sushi. And yes, that is exactly what you’re probably thinking it is.
To be more precise, they’re armpit rice balls. Armpit onigiri, then. Japan may have the tastiest mayonnaise in the world and croquettes with a 43-year waiting list… But when it comes to armpit sushi, I really do turn up my nose. Sorry.
Kneading with your armpit
Here’s how to think of it. Normally, sushi chefs knead onigiri with their hands. They shape them into that typical onigiri form: a kind of thick, triangular ball. With armpit onigiri, the chefs’ hands don’t do most of the work. No, the armpits do that (indeed). They shape them with their armpits. I find that not only disgusting, but also quite an impressive idea.
Can you picture yourself turning a sushi ball under your armpit? You’d need a pretty well-trained armpit for that, wouldn’t you say?
Breaking a sweat
Unhygienic? It certainly sounds that way. Still, you don’t have to immediately feel sick. The chefs (and it’s mainly women who practise this technique) thoroughly disinfect their armpits and hands before they start kneading. The ingredients are disinfected too. That reassures me somewhat. Although… I also read that before they start kneading, the chefs exercise vigorously so that their sweat production gets properly going. And that thought does give me another shiver down my spine.
Fetish?
Need to see it to believe it? You can do that at some Japanese restaurants. They organise demonstrations where chefs shape onigiri with their armpits on the spot. That sounds pretty fetish-like to me – sorry.
If you happen to be in Japan and genuinely can’t resist a portion of armpit onigiri, you’ll have to dig quite deep into your pockets. The unusual sushi is sold for 10x the price of a regular version. Whether there’s a whiff to it, you can decide for yourself.
Also read:
- 11 things about sushi you didn’t see coming
- So there is cheese made from human nose, belly-button and armpit bacteria
- Perfect rice every time
Source: Times Now
