The Origin of Sushi Considering that sushi goes against one of the primary rules of preparing food that many people were brought up with (cooking meat), it is impressive how widely spread it has become. Due to the use of fresh ingredients and the interesting ways the dishes are created, it allows the person eating it the opportunity to actually enjoy the subtle flavors found in the ingredients instead of needing to cover them up with sauces. Sushi has been around for hundreds of years and actually originated from a means of preserving fish with fermenting rice. When this method of preservation was first used, the rice was discarded and fish eaten separately. Over time process evolved in various ways, including the introduction of vinegar, but it was with a desire for a quick meal that the rice and fish began being consumed together. A sharp vendor decided that by pairing the fish with the rice, a dish is created allowing for an on the go meal using one’s hands. For those who find chopsticks a puzzle impossible to overcome, you will happy to know that eating sushi with one’s hands is still considered acceptable. In addition, sushi as a good on the go meal is still possible in Japan at the various convenience stores or conbini out of a disposable sushi set. Since sushi’s creation in its modern form it has undergone many changes and variations. The common sushi to see on a menu in one part of the world might not be the same as another, but nigiri (commonly referred to as simply sushi) and maki (sushi roll) are very common. In addition, though not technically a type of sushi because of the lack of sushi rice, sashimi offers one of the simplest meals consisting primarily of sliced raw fish on a garnish of some sort. So it might be very different from the types of food that many people were brought up on, but it is clearly becoming very popular around the world. With this information in hand you have something to think about while eating any of the delicious types of sushi available off of a sushi set or right off the counter of a sushi bar.

By Laura