【Reading】にしごと

【English Name】Nishigoto (Simmered Preparations)

What ni-shigoto (simmering work) means is the collective term for the work of applying cooking by simmering and stewing to ingredients such as conger eel (anago), clam (hamaguri), mantis shrimp (shako), simmered squid (ni-ika), and octopus (tako) at a sushi restaurant.

What fundamentally distinguishes it from "tsukeba-shigoto," in which raw ingredients are shaped into nigiri as they are, is that techniques of simmering degree, seasoning, and heat application are fully called into question, and it is known as a domain where a chef's level of skill shows strongly.

The kitchen of Japanese cuisine has a dedicated station for simmered dishes called "nikata," and at ryotei and the like there is a long-handed-down culture in which being entrusted with the nikata is proof of being a full-fledged chef. At sushi restaurants too, the quality of simmering work is counted as one of the measures of a shop's standing.

The sweet sauce finished by reducing the simmering liquid produced in the course of simmering work is called "tsume" (reduction), and is brushed onto conger eel, clam, and the like before serving. Because the blend of simmering liquid and the heating time differ by ingredient, it becomes an important element from which each shop's individuality is born.