Sushi and children
If once the fish that ended up raw on our tables was limited to marinated anchovies, today it is quite common to eat carpaccio of swordfish, salmon, tuna, sushi or sashimi, inside and outside the home. But are they suitable for the whole family? We can give the sushi to children and from what age?
In this article
- Risks and safety rules
- At what age can we give sushi to children?
- Japanese cooking recipes for children
Risks and safety rules
"Like all raw foods of animal origin (milk, eggs, meat), even fish, if not cooked, should be consumed with due caution" explains Maria Caramelli in the book To not find out by eating ... Food security in our country ( Instar Books). Cooking destroys germs, bacteria and parasites which, if ingested, can cause food infections and poisoning.
"In particular, Anisakis can be found in sea fish, a parasite that can cause abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, fever (mild) and in some people ulcers and even quite serious allergies. infection occurs only with mild symptoms "explains the director of the Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Piedmont, Liguria and Valle d'Aosta.
In order not to give up the pleasure of raw fish, it is therefore good to follow some elementary rules: clean it immediately, wash it carefully and store it in the freezer before consumption.
"It is possible to kill the Anisakis larvae by freezing the fish at -20 ° for at least 24 hours, or in the home freezer at -15 ° for 3 days: procedure to be followed even if you want to marinate the fillets, because the marinade does not completely inactivate In any case, the immune system of children, as well as that of the elderly, is more vulnerable, so I recommend giving only well-cooked fish, even if generalizing is difficult as the immune defenses vary greatly from individual to individual ".
And for a meal away from home he recommends choosing the restaurant carefully and perhaps asking the staff how to freeze it, "in compliance with the European legislation which obliges you to freeze the product to be served raw".
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At what age can we give sushi to children?
No sushi before the age of 3 and, as a precaution, wait until the age of six.
"Sushi, therefore, should be avoided within the age of three, because a gastrointestinal infection at this age can cause greater dehydration and compromise the condition of the child: because the smaller it is, the faster it dehydrates and the infection can have a longer course. complicated "explains Ilaria Giulini Neri, pediatrician and nutrition expert at the Melegnano Hospital and the Icans Center of the University of our city.
But for further prudence, Giuseppe Morino, head of the food education unit of the Bambino Gesù Hospital in the city, advises against it before the age of six: "fish is an important food in infant nutrition, but to eat it raw it is better to wait" concludes.
Japanese cooking recipes for children
If we want to introduce our children to the kitchens of different cultures we could organize a dinner Japanese. Here are some easy recipes for a complete menu, also suitable for children.
- Rice salad: a classic also of local cuisine
- Meat ravioli: delicious dumplings stuffed with meat
- Japanese cheesecake: also known as Japanese cotton cheesecake, which became very famous in a short time in different versions, even one with only 3 ingredients.
Sushi recipes for children
The fundamental basis of sushi is the rice acidulated with rice vinegar combined with raw fish, seaweed, ginger, wasabi, soy ... a few elements that combined together in a different way give life to nigiri, uramaki, hosomaki, temaki. On Giallozafferano the recipe to prepare rice for sushi.
For children we can prepare:
- rice rolls with cooked fish and cut into small pieces (perfect salmon, tuna or shrimp)
- fake sushi: rice balls with small pieces of vegetables cut into mini cubes (peppers, tomatoes, courgettes), but also ham or cheese.
- sushi children
- 1-2 children years
