Whoever eats sushi will tell you that sushi is eaten fresh, cold, and with raw fish. And if you ask a Japanese sushi master can you microwave sushi, that would probably be considered blasphemy, something like breaking the spaghetti in front of an Italian chef. On the other hand, that same sushi master will tell you never to eat sushi bought in the supermarket.
But can you microwave sushi? The answer is yes. In fact, you can microwave anything you want. The problem is how that will taste. Many people do microwave sushi, and they say it tastes the same.
We decided to try this internet myth so you don’t have to. Keep reading and find out how microwaving will affect this famous Japanese dish.
Can I Eat Leftover Sushi the Next Day?
If you ordered sushi or brought some leftovers from the restaurant, there is nothing wrong with eating it the next day, without microwaving. Just put your leftovers in the refrigerator, and when you wish to eat them, get them out of the fridge half an hour before you wish to eat them. This way, your sushi will not be very cold, and it will taste pretty good when left at room temperature for a while. The sushi made in a restaurant is made out of fresh rice, vegetables, and fresh fish. So if you eat it the next day, it will be fine. On the other hand, sushi from supermarkets is a whole other story, and maybe microwaving is not such a bad idea.
Curious to know more about other Japanese delicacies? Read also :
What Is Tobiko?
Hamachi vs Sashimi
Is Tempura Shrimp?
Are Cherry Blossoms Edible?
Are Sushi Rolls Cooked?
How To Make Crab For Sushi
Can You Microwave Sushi and How Will Reheating Affect the Ingredients
If you bought supermarket sushi, the taste would not be as good as in the restaurant. The rice will be hard, seaweed paper will be limp, and the fish will lose their freshness. But, if you microwave sushi, some of the ingredients will regain their glory. Let’s see how reheating will affect the main sushi ingredients. Here are the most common ingredients found in sushi:
- Rice,
- Seaweed,
- Fish (tuna, salmon, eel),
- Cucumber,
- Crab,
- Avocado,
- Fish roe.
What Will Happen With Rice After Microwaving?
When it comes to rice, we all reheated the rice leftovers at some point in life, and the taste is good. The same is when reheating the sushi rice. Microwave heat will turn hard and dry rice into fluffy and soft again. To improve the taste of your sushi rice, you can soak a paper towel in soy sauce, wrap your rice with it, and leave it in the fridge for an hour. This will give extra moisture to rice.
The Vegetable Will Never Taste the Same as a Fresh One
Have you ever tried to reheat the avocado? Well, the results will be the same. Once the vegetable is treated with heat, they will lose their crunchiness and freshness. If this doesn’t bother you, then you are fine. But if you like to hear that pop when you take a bite of sushi, then reheating shouldn’t be in the game. Or find sushi without a vegetable, such as nigiri.
Will the Fish Regain Its Former Taste?
Another big issue about microwaving sushi is that this will affect the fish. It goes without saying that fish on the sushi must be fresh and served at room temperature. So will the microwave cook the fish? If you reheat it following the instructions, the fish will not cook, but the taste will become more emphasized. Still, the taste will never be like the fresh fish.
How Long Does It Take to Microwave the Sushi?
The process of microwaving the sushi doesn’t last long, and the whole process is pretty simple. The only thing we would advise you to do is wrap the sushi in a paper towel that was previously soaked in soy sauce. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to reheat the sushi.
| Step 1 | Wrap the sushi in a paper towel soaked in soy sauce |
| Step 2 | Let sushi sit in the refrigerator for an hour |
| Step 3 | Remove the towel, then put sushi on a plate |
| Step 4 | Reheat sushi on minimum voltage for 30 seconds |
How Long Can I Keep Sushi at Home?
The general recommendation is to keep sushi at home for 24 hours at the most. And this sushi needs to be in the refrigerator. Otherwise, it will spoil. On the other hand, even if you have relatively fresh sushi, check if it is good before you eat it. If the fish looks in any way different, throw it away. Also, smell it – if the smell is suspicious, the best course of action will be to put it in the garbage. You don’t want to eat that, it’s just not worth the risk.
Is It Good to Reheat Sushi?
Well, someone would say this is a philosophical question, but it will be perfectly fine if you really want to do it. Maybe the taste wouldn’t be the best, but it will be better than none. Still, this only refers to the sushi from the supermarkets. If you have some fine leftovers from the restaurant, it will be just fine if you eat them the next day without microwaving.
Reheating the sushi is something you should try, and when it comes to health or other issues, it shouldn’t be a problem. But one thing is for sure – the sushi will not taste the same. Something will happen that will make sushi taste a bit stronger and soggy. So it is up to you to decide whether this will be standard practice or not.