Stocking the Sushi Makers Refrigerator 
The well prepared sushi chef, both homemade and professional, will need the perfect complement of cold or frozen items in order to be prepared for his sushi making endeavors. The following ingredients are what are recommended for a well stocked fridge. These two ingredients are must haves in every sushi chefs arsenal, pickled ginger (amuzu shoga) and Wasabi. The pickled ginger is for cleansing the palette between bites and the Wasabi is used to kick it up a notch or enhance the sushi experience. For those of you who haven’t tried Wasabi, tread lightly, this stuff is extremely hot in just the smallest concentration. Diners usually like to mix this with soy sauce and use as a dip for the sushi rolls. These next ingredients are highly recommended to have on hand when you start. You may not need all of them at once, but if you make sushi regularly you will probably want to incorporate them into your menu at some time or other. Deep Fried Tofu Pouches (abura-age) Puffy little pouches that you cut in half and stuff with rice. Similar to pita bread where you stuff ingredients into them and eat with your hand. No chopsticks needed for this dish. Bar-B-Q Unagi (or freshwater eel) Used in several popular rolls, if you don’t have this you can’t make those rolls correctly. Kani Kama (imitation crabmeat) Use a GOOD brand, such as Osaki or Yamasa. These come as little straight rolls and are easier to use when rolling than the real stuff and you can’t hardly tell the difference in taste. Miso (fermented soybean paste) Comes in light and dark colors depending on whether you want a slightly sweet or very salty taste. Can be kept refrigerated for many months. Tofu (soybean curd) Faintly nutty and custard like it come in two textures, soft and creamy or firm and porous. Buy it packed in water and use before the expiration date on the package. This next one you might want to buy as needed, because not everyone will appreciate the experience of eating them. Quail Eggs Served either cooked or poured raw over a roll it is a once in a lifetime experience and not for the faint of heart (or stomach).
