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Comment by imjk | Hacker News Reader

He explains things well generally, and then lists off a bunch of different examples, but I don't think we gets specific enough.

For example, he says, "I think my nigiri is still far from perfect: could use improvement to reach the perfect fish and rice balance with firmness and texture."

Why does this take years as opposed to taking standardized pieces of fish and testing by simply adding more or less rice to it. Why would this process take years?

I get what he's saying in general, that things can be infinitely improved, but why years and decades?

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I completely agree. It's just a process. The people trying to say that it takes years are just glorifying old standards

Today people are still buying hand-made portrait paintings. They could easily spend x10 less and take a photo or hire a digital painter. However, they still choose the old, irrational way.

The process itself is the value. The years spent mastering the little things is the sacrifice that makes it valuable to the costumer. In return, the chef follows the path to satori by sticking to his chosen kata, the way. Japanese work ethic is deeply rooted in the zen tradition.

I get what you are saying, and I'm just thinking about it from the perspective of a blind taste test because that's honestly all I care about. Others may love the experience of a person making it beautifully but I'm fine with a robot banging out high quality sushi for me.

Probably because there is more than just nigiri on the menu... and there is more than one kind of fish, etc.

Yeah I get that, and of course I'm just picking at just one example. But if you watch the Jiro movie, there's an apprentice who spends a full year just learning to beat an octopus. His job for one year is simply to beat an octopus to learn how to tenderize the meat. The same goes for making sushi rice. Why do these chefs have to dedicate themselves for a year to learn how to make rice when surely it can be taught in a week to a point of minimal palatable difference.

Because they're not going for "minimal palatable difference", they're going for "perfect".

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