Sushi was born over 2,000 years ago when rice culture came to Japan from Southeast Asia and it has evolved ever since. Historically, salmon in Japanese cuisine was used for grilling and kirimi, a lightly salted and dried fish dish. Today, salmon is one of the most popular choices for sushi and it's down to the Norwegians paying a visit to Japan with fresh salmon in their suitcases over 30 years ago.

The Norwegians had been visiting Japan since the 1970s to talk about trading mackerel, herring and salmon, but in 1985 a seafood delegation led by Fisheries Minister Thor Listau took close to 20 people representing Norwegian seafood exporters, government and organisations on a visit to Japan to scope out export opportunities. In their luggage, they brought fresh salmon. This was the start of what was to be called 'Project Japan', introducing Japanese chefs to the quality and safety of Norwegian salmon for raw use in sushi.

The preferred fish for sushi and sashimi used to be tuna and sea bream, thanks to their fatty flesh and clean flavour. The Japanese considered the Pacific salmon landed by Japanese fishermen dangerous to consume raw because the wild fish were exposed to parasites. They were also considered too lean for sushi. So salmon was originally used in grilling and kirimi, a lightly salted and dried fish dish.  

Project Japan had a profound effect on the culinary habits of Japanese who were unfamiliar with eating salmon in its raw state. 15-years into the project and the demand for raw consumption started to rise.  By 1995, Atlantic salmon was widely accepted as a raw sushi fish and the Norwegians managed to increase exports of salmon to Japan by 250%. Once salmon became a sushi staple in Japan, the rest of the world followed suit.

The cold, clear waters of Norway produce vitamin and Omega-3 rich salmon. The quality and handling of farmed Norwegian salmon makes it a safe and popular choice for sushi. Norwegian salmon go from sea to shipment in just 6-8 hours and every shipment is granted a 'salmon passport' allowing customers to trace the fish back to its origins. Farmed salmon from Norway is safe in its raw state for both sushi and sashimi, even when it has not been frozen (Nutrition and Seafood Research: www.nifes.no/en/art/atlantic-salmon-farmed).
 
Karibumaki Sushi with Norwegian Salmon

Chef: Jostein Medhus 
Photo: Tom Haga

Ingredients to make 8 pieces

150g farmed Norwegian salmon fillet, skinned and pin boned
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
0.5 tbsp rice vinegar
60ml sushi rice
80ml water
½ an avocado
2 tbsp mayonnaise
wasabi
1 sheet nori
1 tbsp fresh coriander
3 tsp salmon roe

To serve
soy sauce
wasabi
pickled ginger

Method
• Mix the sugar, salt and rice vinegar in a small pan, and gently bring to a boil while stirring. The rice marinade is ready when the sugar and salt has dissolved. Cool before use.
• Prepare the rice according to pack instructions. Transfer to a wide dish and gently fold in some of the marinade. Ensure the rice doesn't get too moist, so add a little at a time. Cool at room temperature.
• Cut the salmon into thin slices and avocado to approx. 1 cm thick strips.
• Mix the mayonnaise with some wasabi to taste.
• Divide the nori sheet in half and cover a bamboo rolling mat with cling film.
• Mix some water with a little rice vinegar, and lightly moist your hands to prevent the rice from sticking.
• Place half a sheet of nori with the rough side up on a bamboo rolling mat and spread a layer of rice on the sheet. Flip the sheet so the rice is facing down.
• Lay avocado and a little wasabi mayonnaise along the bottom edge of the sheet.
• Use the mat to roll the maki together and carefully cover with the salmon slices across the roll.
• Cut each roll in two, then in two and two until you have 8 pieces.
• Garnish the sushi with coriander leaves and salmon roe. Serve with soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger.

ENDS 

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Images available in high resolution and credited to Norwegian Seafood Council. For more product information/availability queries, recipes or photography, please contact Jocelyn Sowden (Née Barker), Senior PR Manager at Norwegian Seafood Council UK on js@seafood.no or +44 (0)7464 706098

About the Norwegian Seafood Council
www.seafoodfromnorway.co.uk 
www.salmon.fromnorway.com 
@NorwaySeafood #Salmon #InternationalSushiDay  
Founded in 1991 by the Ministry of Fisheries, the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) builds awareness of and educates the public on seafood from Norway. Headquartered in Tromsø, the NSC carries out Norwegian Seafood promotional, media, marketing and public relations campaigns and is a resource for market information in more than 20 different markets. Its efforts are financed by the Norwegian seafood industry itself. As the world's second-largest exporter of seafood, Norway provides quality, nutrient-rich seafood to over 150 different countries and is the world's largest joint marketer of seafood.