Don’t knock sushi until you try it

by Hannah Boggs, Arts and Style Editor

The following story was written by a student on the staff of The Jaguar Times as part of Hilliard Bradley High School’s Journalism Production course.

Hannah Boggs’ (12) orders from her favorite local sushi place, Fusian. Photo by Hannah Boggs.

Sushi has been a widely popular food for centuries; however there has been a recent spike in its popularity over the past few years. There seems to be many mixed opinions on sushi. Whether it be because of the raw fish or simply just the texture of it, people still have many different viewpoints on if sushi is actually a good food or not.

Many people like sushi because it’s quick, unique, and always tastes good! Natalie Hall (12) says that she loves sushi because “the flavor is immaculate”. The taste that sushi has seems to be a huge reason as to why many people love it, although it does require an acquired taste. Reyann Askar (12) also says she likes sushi for this same reason, she says she enjoys “the unique taste that [sushi] has”. Many people love sushi due to its unique taste that no other food offers.

Not only does sushi have amazing taste, it also has so many different ways that you can eat it. Quinn Henoch (12) says he loves sushi because “there’s so many different variants to it”. Sushi is extremely customizable so it’s super easy to find something that you like. Simone Dy (12) also says she enjoys sushi because she “grew up eating it in [her] household”. Once you eat a lot of something, it’s easy to become attached to it and find a love for that food! Penellope Kern (12) also says that she likes sushi because “it doesn’t make [her] stomach hurt”. Sushi is a super light food and it’s always a great option if you don’t want to feel sick after eating it.

However, many people don’t like sushi due to its fishy taste. Baylie Lawrence (12) says that she doesn’t like sushi because she “hates fish”. Caitlyn Conklin (12) also says that she hates sushi for this very reason, she says that “[she doesn’t] like seafood”. Seafood definitely is a huge factor in sushi, but there’s many different options that are available if you’re uncomfortable with eating raw fish!

Another reason why people don’t like sushi is because they’ve either never tried it, or they have yet to have good quality sushi. Jayla Shanmugam (12) explains that she doesn’t like sushi because “[she’s] never tried it”. Ava Battistelli (12) also says something similar, that she’s “never had any [sushi] that’s good quality”. There are tons of sushi places for first timers that are good quality and are sure to have something that appeals to you!

A poll was taken on my Instagram and 83% of people say that they like sushi, while only 17% of people say that they don’t. I got so many different responses, from people saying they love it due to the “fresh taste”, to people saying they hate it because “seafood freaks [them] out”. Overall, the majority of people on my poll said that they love it!

Personally, I love sushi! I think that the taste is amazing and it’s not super filling so I don’t feel terrible after I eat it. I recommend sushi to anyone who hasn’t tried it, even if you don’t like seafood you may surprise yourself and find yourself liking it!