An is a cook in a

Japanese kitchen The Japanese kitchen () is the place where food is prepared in a Housing in Japan, Japanese house. Until the Meiji era, a kitchen was also called ''kamado'' (; lit. stove) and there are many sayings in the Japanese language that involve kamado a ...

or a

chef A chef is a professional Cook (profession), cook and tradesperson who is proficient in all aspects of outline of food preparation, food preparation, often focusing on a particular cuisine. The word "chef" is derived from the term (), the di ...

of a large

restaurant A restaurant is an establishment that prepares and serves food and drinks to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on the premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and Delivery (commerce), food delivery services. Restaurants ...

. The term can be translated literally as "in front of the board," referring to a

cutting board A cutting board (or chopping board) is a durable flat surface on which to place material for cutting. The kitchen cutting board is commonly used in food preparation with knives; other types exist for cutting raw materials such as leather, rubber o ...

''Itamae'' as sushi chef

In the western world, an ''itamae'' is often associated with

sushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

(also commonly referred to as "sushi chefs"). In

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

, becoming an ''itamae'' of sushi requires years of training and apprenticeship. After several years of training, an apprentice may be promoted to the position of ''"wakiita,"'' which translates to ''"near the cutting board."'' The ''wakiitas duties include daily preparation of the fresh ingredients, such as preparing blocks of fish, grating

ginger Ginger (''Zingiber officinale'') is a flowering plant whose rhizome, ginger root or ginger, is widely used as a spice and a folk medicine. It is an herbaceous perennial that grows annual pseudostems (false stems made of the rolled bases of l ...

, and slicing

scallion Scallions (also known as green onions and spring onions) are edible vegetables of various species in the genus ''Allium''. Scallions generally have a milder taste than most onions. Their close relatives include garlic, shallots, leeks, chive ...

s. Eventually, the

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...

might begin to prepare sushi for clients with

take-away A take-out (US, Canada, Philippines) or takeaway (UK, Ireland, Commonwealth) is a prepared meal or other food items purchased at a restaurant or fast food outlet with the intent to eat elsewhere. A concept found in many ancient cultures, take ...

orders. The ''wakiita'' also learns proper ways to interact and treat restaurant's customers by observing senior ''itamae.'' After additional years of training as a ''wakiita,'' the apprentice can be appointed as an ''itamae,'' fully authorized to stand in front of the cutting board. It is a common Japanese legend that a truly great ''itamae-san'' ("san" is an honorific suffix) should be able to create

nigirizushi is a traditional Japanese dish made with , typically seasoned with sugar and salt, and combined with a variety of , such as seafood, vegetables, or meat: raw seafood is the most common, although some may be cooked. While sushi comes in n ...

in which all of the rice grains face the same direction. ''Itamae'' training is conducted all over the world, including Japan, the USA and the UK. The process can take from 2 to 20 years. The terms “Itamae” and “Shokunin” are used as a title for the chef. “Itamae” refers to a skilled sushi chef, while "Shokunin" means someone skilled at a profession. While it is not necessary to be Japanese in order to be considered an ''itamae'', non Japanese must prove themselves worthy of such a title. ''Itamae'' traditionally wear a uniform of a white hat, white coat and apron, and frequently wear their knife in a sheath off the waist. Dave Lowry, in his book "The Connoisseur's Guide to Sushi: Everything You Need to Know About Sushi" he describes the four criteria to judge a good itamae: # How he handles the food. # How he handles his food utensils. # How he treats his clients # How he behaves, moves and works.

References

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External links

Dave Lowry: The connoisseur's guide to sushi: everything you need to know about sushi
Japanese cuisine Kitchen Sushi Chefs