December 21, 2005
by Jonathan Haeber
Local Education Columnist
It took Americans over 1,000 years to discover Sushi. What begin as a small restaurant in Little Tokyo of 1960s Los Angeles has exploded into a multi-billion dollar business.
Forty years after Sushi's inception into the U.S., we've finally caught on to another culinary wonder: crudo. Italian and Spanish for "raw," crudo is the Mediterranean version of the ever-popular sushi. It's been served up in the fishing villages of Italy for years.
Crudo Crosses the Border
The first crudo restaurant in the U.S. was at Manhattan's "Esca," which only recently opened its doors in April of 2000. Since then, a number of San Francisco crudo establishments have broken ground.
The difference between crudo and sushi is the garnishes. With sushi you have wasabi and soy sauce. Crudo purveyors serve up olive oil and garlic. Some establishments add regional garnishes, including crimson pears and almond oil. One can find lime juice, lemon juice, avocado puree, and even watermelon paired with their favorite raw fish.
Crudo is the Chef's Choice
Most chefs prefer to eat raw fish themselves, simply because it offers the perfect combination of fat, spice, acid, and salt--all in a light, health-conscious dish.
"Raw fish was kind of uncharted territory, but now it is accessible at very high quality." Shea Gallente, chef at Cru in Manhattan told the New York Post.
Crudo Culinary Training in San Francisco.
The San Francisco Chronicle lists ten bay-area restaurants that serve crudo. Certainly the city of the Golden Gate is a major player in the crudo market. And San Francisco hosts some of the best culinary schools in the West. Each year, thousands of chefs receive their culinary training from San Francisco schools. If you're interested, you can find some San Francisco culinary schools on this site.
Sources
"Crudo Awakening."
"Crudo Catches On"
About the Author
Jonathan Haeber is no secret agent man, but writes about merchandise as a full-time copywriter for Discovery Channel Stores. He graduated from U.C. Berkeley with degrees in English and Geography.
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