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February 25, 1999
Web posted at: 3:15 p.m. EST (2015 GMT)

On final exam day, students prepare their sushi dishes

LOS ANGELES (CNN) -- The exploding popularity of sushi bars in the United States has created a serious shortage of qualified sushi chefs.

But lovers of the Japanese delicacy should not panic -- the California Sushi Academy in Los Angeles is working to train more chefs in the specialty.

The academy offers a six-month course in slicing and serving raw fish and vegetables, which are the common ingredients put in or on the vinegar-flavored rice rolls.

That may seem like a long time to study what appears to be a simple dish, but, by Japanese standards, it's alarmingly brief.

Even in Los Angeles, some sushi preparers have trained for eight to 10 years under a master chef, said Phillip Yi, an assistant instructor at the Sushi Academy.

The academy's students come from all races and walks of life.

Lois Campbell is already working as a chef but took the course to expand her culinary horizons.

Student Carey Matsumoto is an artist, which he finds to be an asset in sushi preparation. "My eye for color, and also for the aesthetic presentation, has definitely helped me put together platters that look pretty good," he said.

The students pay $4,000 each to take the academy's course, but with restaurants around the country offering up to $4,000 a month for a sushi chef to start, it may not be such a raw deal.