30 Days of Thanks - Day 2 - Sushi

I recognize that this next one may make some readers cringe. The idea of eating anything raw is bothersome to a portion of society. Another, smaller subset hates seafood anyway. Put these together and you have people running to Cracker Barrel for 'safer' options. Raw seafood just does not match the taste codes and comforting thought qualifications for certain individuals.

I am not one of those individuals. I cannot go as far as claiming to be an addict, but if sushi is an option on the menu, my inclination is to order it and to try as many varieties as I can.

My affection for sushi started back in college. I had eaten sushi before but the opportunities were few and far between. Two years or so before I graduated, a Jasmine restaurant opened in town. Before long I discovered their sushi selections (not as well known at first, overshadowed by the popularity of their Thai lunch specials) and the place became a favorite. As time went on, even one of the school cafeterias started carrying boxes of their rolls. For my last year of college I had sushi for breakfast nearly every morning.

Now you may be wondering: sushi . . . for breakfast? But I assure you, it was a great source of protein and a tasty way to start the day. I'm not much for typical breakfast foods anyway. Rolls stuffed with crab, salmon, and tuna provided me with the energy to think, work, and tackle the engineering physics and secondary education curriculum to which I was subjecting myself. As such, I was thankful for the nutrients and the delicious flavor.

I have another reason to be thankful for sushi. I eventually got one of my friends hooked. We added sushi to our Sunday between church routine as we had already done with swinging by Book and Bean for coffee. It was a great way to spend time with a friend and to connect over a common gustatory interest. One time I showed up early for lunch and snagged us a table. As he came in and looked around for me, one of the waitresses came up to him and said, "Are you looking for someone? Is it a boy?" This quickly became our little joke for the restaurant and we made sure to invite other people with us in the future to avoid confusion of that sort.

Sushi is not only a nutrient-provider and delight to my taste buds, but it also holds a key to many fond memories such as the one above. As such, I am thankful for sushi. I am thankful for the rolls, the nigiri, the maki, the inari, the oshi, and the sashimi.

I'm just not thankful for the ikura (salmon roe). That stuff is like saltwater with skin. Seriously, kids, stay away from it.

A roll and nigirisushi combo from Jasmine.

A chirashisushi, nigirisushi, and sashimi combo from Jasmine.