Did You Know? Sushi Was Never Meant to Be Eaten! Uncover Its Surprising Origins (2024)

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Did You Know? Sushi Was Never Meant to Be Eaten! Uncover Its Surprising Origins? ›

Did you know when sushi was invented, it was never meant to be eaten?! It actually started as a way to keep food fresh when refrigeration was not an option. The name "sushi" means "it's sour" in Japanese, reflecting the sour taste of the rice and salt used in the preservation process.

The History of Sushi. Sushi is said to have originated in China between the 5th and the 3rd centuries BC, as a means of preserving fish in salt. Narezushi, the original form of sushi, has been made in South East Asia for centuries, and nowadays, there are still traces of it in some parts.

While Japan is certainly the sushi capital of the world – and responsible for introducing the dish to travelers – sushi traces its origins back to a Chinese dish called narezushi. This dish consisted of fermented rice and salted fish. And, despite what you may think, it wasn't fermented and salted for flavor.

By the 4th century BC nari-sushi was in the Chinese heartlands. For many years it remained an “impoverished” food eaten by those, like its first purchasers, who worked in or near paddy fields.

It is very often prepared with seafood, such as squid, eel, yellowtail, salmon, tuna or imitation crab meat. Many types of sushi are vegetarian.

#3: Sushi Was Eaten By Hand Originally

Although chopsticks were commonplace in Japan in the ninth century, they were used during the Edo period (1603-1868).

The Japanese are credited with first preparing sushi as a complete dish, eating the fermented rice together with the preserved fish. This combination of rice and fish is known as nare-zushi, or “aged sushi.”

It originally wasn't Japanese: Like rice cultivation and ironworking, Chinese characters and Zen Buddhism, sushi came from across the sea, invented in China or Southeast Asia before appearing in Japanese records, as a form of tribute or currency, more than a millennium ago.

Even though Japan is the sushi capital, where most tourists love this dish, sushi originated in China, along the Mekong River in Southeast Asia. It began as Narezushi, a dish whose main ingredients were fermented rice and salted fish. It is known as the foundation of sushi.

Modern sushi - in the sense of raw fish served on vinegared rice - began at a street-food stall in the city of Edo, now Tokyo, in 1824.

Why is sushi junk food? ›

Low protein and high fat content

Additionally, a single piece of sushi generally contains very small amounts of fish or vegetables. This makes it a low-protein, low-fiber meal and thus not very effective at reducing hunger and appetite ( 35 , 36 ).

Sushi can be a healthy choice, as long as you know what ingredients to look out for. For a nutritious meal, consider sticking to sushi and menu items made with ingredients like seafood, brown rice, and vegetables, while avoiding ingredients like fried foods, high sugar sauces, and seafood high in mercury.

As for the shark, you won't find it served as Nigiri or Sashimi due to its specific requirements. For it to be safely consumed raw, it must be incredibly fresh. Shark blood contains urea, which over time decomposes and emits an ammonia odor. As such, it is not a common choice for raw consumption in sushi.

And though you might automatically associate the word sushi with raw fish, it's actually the rice that is the most important ingredient. Indeed, the word "sushi" refers to the sour flavor of the vinegared rice. Regardless of the toppings or fillings, sushi always includes rice.

Sushi is a dish made with vinegared rice that's combined with fresh ingredients like veggies or fish, wrapped in seaweed, and cut into small, bite-size pieces. Although raw fish is a common ingredient, not all sushi contains fish.

Today's sushi is most often associated with Japanese culture, though the many variations of sushi can actually be traced to numerous countries and cultures including Japanese, Korean, and Chinese.

Raw fish began to be eaten for various reasons, these included taste and because according to Shinto traditions it was a cleaner way to eat it. Within the local, folkloric and historical Japanese religion, the fresher the fish was, the purer it was, so it was the best way to eat this food for religious reasons.

Instead, chefs began looking for more creative ways to produce large quantities of sushi in less time. Thus, the first sushi rolls were created. Chefs were able to roll all of the ingredients together, slice them into bite-sized pieces and offer them as a colorful dining experience.