The evolution of sushi

No conversation about Japanese food can be without mentioning sushi. The popularity of this special dish is very great all over the world and especially in this country.

But surprisingly, sushi was not invented in Japan.

Sushi was supposedly born in BC in the 5th-3rd centuries, in the coastal areas of the Mekong River flowing through China.

There was a lot of fish here, but the hot and humid climate did not allow them to be preserved, and in order not to throw away the prey, the locals came up with a way to save the fish rice, which was plentiful in nearby fields.

They cleaned the fish, covered it with salt, and left it to dry for a couple of weeks. Then the salt was cleaned, and rice was poured into the belly of the fish and fermented with vinegar.

The resulting "stuffed" fish was kept in a wooden barrel, pressing it with a stone. After a few months, rice sugar turns into acid, which does not allow for spoiling fish meat, and the shelf life increases to a year.

Interestingly, at first the used rice was thrown away and only fish was eaten.

The dish eventually got from China to Japan in the 8th century:
Later, in the 16th century, another variant was invented called Nama-Nare-Zushi, which was based on the idea of using rice with vinegar.

The Japanese liked to eat fish with rice, not throw it away. They like it to this day, especially in the ancient capital of Japan, Kyoto:

When the refrigerator was invented, this dish underwent another change.
This made it possible to store and serve fish meat raw, without processing or cooking it.

People began to eat different types of fish, with which sushi became more diverse and colorful:

During World War II, residents of California, USA, created their own version of sushi in the 1960s by wrapping the filling in rice.

Now, more than 2000 years after its creation, sushi has received a completely new application:
Today chefs are experimenting with different types of fillings, even adapting them to the region and serving them to their customers:

Sushi made in the old days is no longer what we know today:
If history has taught us anything so far, it's that a modest and delicious dish will undergo even more changes.:

Follow our blog and learn more amazing facts about sushi.

With Love, Sunny Sushi