Can You Microwave Sushi? [4 Methods Explained]
As delicious as sushi is, it is one of the most delicate foods when it comes to doing anything with it other than eating it right away. It is a very fragile dish made with the most delicate of ingredients, so whether you want to preserve it or refresh it, you need to be extremely careful. So, can you microwave sushi?
You can microwave sushi, and it’s pretty simple. However, you must be very observant of a few things to reheat it successfully.
Sushi is a dish best served cold and raw. However, since food is essentially an art and is open to as many variations as people are eating it, microwaving sushi is also an option. In the following paragraphs, I will explain how to microwave sushi so you can try both warm and cold and see what fits better.
Is It Okay to Microwave Sushi?
Although some would say it is a sin to microwave sushi, microwaving sushi is not the worst thing you can do. Even though sushi is a type of dish to eat cold, you can still microwave it and enjoy it warm.
However, since the dish isn’t meant to be microwaved, there are certain risks brought about by the microwaving process. Luckily, there are ways you can avoid or at least minimize those risks.
One of the greatest negatives of microwaving sushi is the diminishing flavor. Sushi is supposed to be very flavorful and intense, and microwaving it can dry it out, causing the flavor to decrease, giving you a somewhat bland dish.
Another thing is the texture. Since sushi is a fragile dish, you can easily cause it to fall apart by microwaving it. Also, there isn’t only one type of sushi, but six main types, further dividing and branching out.
Raw fish sushi isn’t the one you want to microwave, as the point will be completely lost. Furthermore, microwaved raw fish sushi will result in bland, not fully cooked, and not fully raw fish. Therefore, if you decide to microwave sushi, do it with cooked fish sushi.
In addition, sushi often contains rice, which may quickly dry up in the microwave, become sticky, make the sushi fall apart, or even the moisture from the other ingredients.
Therefore, if you microwave sushi, pan ahead and start preparing the sushi for microwaving specifically, even though microwaving is a simple process, spontaneity is not what you need with sushi, but precise planning and preparation.
To successfully microwave sushi, first, you need to soak your sushi in soy sauce and leave it in the fridge for about an hour. The soy sauce-soaked sushi will be juicier and moister, so the microwave drying it out won’t be such a bad thing.
You also need to fill a small bowl of water and place it near the sushi in the microwave. This way, there will be moisture constantly circulating the sushi, so the rice doesn’t dry out, preventing it sucking the moisture from the other sushi ingredients.
Reheat in short 10-second cycles until you are satisfied with the results. Keep an eye on the edges of the sushi; if they get dry, don’t continue microwaving.
Can You Microwave Raw Fish?
The microwave has been designed to cook meat fully. So, why wouldn’t you cook raw fish if you can cook a chicken in the microwave? So yes, you can microwave raw fish. [1]
However, microwaving raw fish alone and microwaving raw fish in sushi are two different things. If you microwave raw fish in sushi, it will be neither raw nor cooked. To thoroughly cook it, you will need more time, during which the other sushi ingredients will get very dry and render inconsumable.
Therefore, to avoid eating bland, not raw, and not cooked fish, don’t microwave raw fish sushi. On the other hand, if you microwave raw fish alone, you can get excellent and quick results. Fish is lean meat, so it doesn’t need much cooking time.
The microwave will give you a nice, soft, and even buttery texture of the fish; however, not every fish is meant to be cooked in the microwave. Fish is a specific meat, and all fish have a particular way of making.
So, although you can cook fish in the microwave, that doesn’t mean that it will be delicious.
How to Reheat Sushi?
Although you absolutely don’t have to, if you want to, there are ways to reheat sushi while keeping its essence intact.
Steam It
Steaming is the best way to reheat sushi, allowing it to retain its flavor and consistency. Moreover, the sushi ingredients react better to steam than anything else. Add some water to a pot and let it boil.
Place a holed cover over the pot and put the sushi on a heatproof plate. Ensure you leave enough space between the pieces and place them on the holed cover. Cover the plate with a glass lid to be able to see how the sushi is doing.
Let the sushi steam for a few minutes and remove it from the pot.
Microwave It
If you microwave sushi, make sure it doesn’t contain raw fish. Soak the sushi in soy sauce for an hour in the fridge and pop it into the microwave. Place a small water bowl inside the microwave to ensure it doesn’t get overly dry.
Microwave in short 10-second cycles and check the sushi after each cycle. If you notice the edges getting dry, stop microwaving the sushi, regardless of whether it has warmed up or not.
Deep Fry
Deep frying sushi transforms sushi greatly, but it is still a viable reheating option. It is a suitable reheating method as it amplifies the flavors and prevents the sushi from falling apart. Heat some oil and carefully place the sushi rolls inside.
Let them fry for less than two minutes, and take them out. Place them on a napkin-covered plate to absorb the excess oil. Pair them afterward with a lot of sauce and enjoy.
Bake
If you want to play it safe, reheat your sushi in the oven. It is a safe method yielding great results. To avoid overly drying the sushi, soak them in soy sauce before popping them in the oven.
Place them on a parchment paper-covered baking tray and place them in a preheated oven at about 300 °F, i.e., 150 °C. Bake at the same temperature for about ten minutes.
Is Sushi Supposed to Be Warmed Up?
Generally, sushi is supposed to be consumed cold, so initially, it wasn’t meant to be warmed up. However, even though it isn’t the best practice, you can warm it up if that is how you prefer it.
