Sushi History - Sushi Knowledge

What is sushi?

It should be pointed out first of all that the term sushi does not refer to raw fish, but to vinegared rice served with various fillings and toppings, which may include raw fish. With this in mind, sushi of some sort has existed for over two thousand years, although the sushi of those days does not bear much resemblance to that available now.

The origins

It was originally invented as a means of preservation, when fermented rice was used to store fish for anything up to a year. This was known as narezushi, and in fact the rice was thrown away and only the fish consumed. A later variant called namanarezushi, invented in the 16th century, introduced the idea of using vinegared rice, which was consumed instead of being thrown away, and this is still enjoyed today, particularly in Japan's ancient capital, Kyoto.

The birth of modern sushi

It was not until the 16th century that sushi began to be enjoyed for the taste of the rice as well as the fish, when hayazushi was invented. This gave rise to oshizushi, where vinegared rice and fish, generally cooked, are pressed into a mould. This is still eaten today, and is a speciality of Japan’s second city, Osaka. Hayazushi also led to the development, in the 18th and 19th centuries, of nigirizushi, which was the first to use raw fish, and is the main type of sushi we eat today. It is also sometimes referred to as edomaezush, because it was developed in the city of Edo, which is the old name for Tokyo.