The History of
Sushi

By: Christina Castellana

Sushi made its way to the US in the transitional 1980s, and its worldwide popularity has only increased with time. Not only is its exotic appearance appealing, but also its healthy ingredients make it a staple for the 'weight watchers' of America. We are in love with sushi because of its compact character, its unique yet simple flavors, and because it allows us to experience a taste of an ancient culture in modern times. It's easy to see that sushi is here to stay, but in order to go forward you have to go backward, so let's go back in time, and see just how these magnificent mini-foods came about…

Sushi literally means the 'marriage' between rice flavored with vinegar and other ingredients whether it's fish, vegetables or both. Originally, it was a Southeast Asian method of preserving seafood. Salted fish was placed in between two layers of vinegar rice, and was left to fervent beneath heavy rocks for months. After the required period of time had passed, the rock was lifted off the sushi, and the rice layers were either discarded or also eaten with the fish. It wasn't until the 19th Century that sushi evolved into its modern form. A Japanese chef by the name of Hanaya Yohei began to serve fresh raw fish atop small, oblong shaped pads of rice. This type of sushi came to be called Edomaesushi, because the fish used in this type of sushi came from the Edo bay in front of Tokyo city. This fresh innovation also captured the taste buds of locals in the city of Osaka where they adapted their own version called Kansai.

Today, you can find sushi restaurants in almost every city around the world. The taste may vary due to the use of ingredients indigenous to each locale, and the presentation may alter due to each chef's artistic expression, but each unique and distinct flavor makes every sushi adventure new and exciting!

Here are some types of sushi you can enjoy:

• Edomaesushi, also known as nigirisushi, is a small, oblong pad of rice topped with a piece of fish.
• Gunkanmaki is a variation of nigirisushi; the only difference is the sides of the pad of rice are wrapped with a strip of nori, which is a compressed and dried seaweed sheet.
• Temakisushi, (temaki means hand roll), is made by placing the rice and fish onto a hand-sized piece of nori, and wrapping the sides of the nori around the sushi tightly.
• Makisushi is made by placing the ingredients on a sheet of nori, and rolling them into a cylindrical shape with a bamboo mat. Once firmly compacted, the roll (maki) is sliced into many bite-sized sushis.

Whatever your delight, sushi vendors around the world will be able to tempt and satisfy your appetite!

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