Sushi is a traditional food from Japan which is made with specially prepared rice mixed with vinegar, salt, and sugar. Sushi also contains raw or cooked seafood, and sometimes vegetables as well. The term “sushi” literally means “it's sour.”
Sushi is thought to have originated in the rice growing regions of Southeast Asia along the Mekong River around 2,000 years ago when fermented fish was eaten wrapped in sour rice. This delicacy was known as nare-zushi ("salted fish.")
It was not until around the 8th century AD that this delicacy appeared in Japan after it had considerably spread to other parts of the world. The earliest reference to sushi in Japan appeared in 718 in the Yōrō Code.
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HISTORY
Sushi is thought to have originated in the rice growing regions of Southeast Asia along the Mekong River around 2,000 years ago when fermented fish was eaten wrapped in sour rice. This delicacy was known as nare-zushi ("salted fish.")
It was not until around the 8th century AD that this delicacy appeared in Japan after it had considerably spread to other parts of the world. The earliest reference to sushi in Japan appeared in 718 in the Yōrō Code.
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| Bowl of Sushi (Painting by Hiroshige) |
The original sushi dish, narezushi, was made with fermented fish that was stored in rice. The rice was not eaten, but it was used to help preserve the fish. The rice would absorb the juices from the fish, which would help to prevent the fish from spoiling.
Narezushi is thought to have originated in Southeast Asia, and it was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks in the 7th century. The dish was originally made with salted fish, but it eventually evolved to include vinegared rice.
Today, narezushi is no longer commonly eaten in Japan. However, it is still considered to be a delicacy, and it is sometimes served at special occasions.
In Japan a chef named Hanaya Yohei (1799–1858) conceived of the idea of fresh sliced, raw seafood, served on small fingers of vinegared rice-an instant improvement on the more traditional sushi dishes. He perfected the technique in 1824 and it caught on at once in the stall he had opened in the bustling Ryogoku district of Edo. Yohei called his sushi dish nigirizushi.
In 1923, an earthquake destroyed many of Tokyo's streets. As a result, Nigirizushi chefs were displaced from Edo throughout Japan, popularizing the dish throughout the country.
The first American sushi spot reportedly opened in the 1960s in Los Angeles, but sushi developed a bigger following stateside with the rise of the health food movement.
The advent of modern refrigeration allowed sushi made of raw fish to reach more consumers than ever before. The late 20th century saw sushi gaining in popularity all over the world.
In 1923, an earthquake destroyed many of Tokyo's streets. As a result, Nigirizushi chefs were displaced from Edo throughout Japan, popularizing the dish throughout the country.
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| Nigirizushi Quiethut.com |
The first American sushi spot reportedly opened in the 1960s in Los Angeles, but sushi developed a bigger following stateside with the rise of the health food movement.
The advent of modern refrigeration allowed sushi made of raw fish to reach more consumers than ever before. The late 20th century saw sushi gaining in popularity all over the world.
Traditionally Japanese do not eat salmon sushi; they consider it dangerous, since Pacific salmon is prone to parasites. In the early 1980s, Norway had an abundance of salmon and Bjørn Eirik Olsen, a Norwegian businessman decided to teach Japanese consumers that Atlantic salmon was safe to eat raw. It took ten years before Salmon sushi/sashimi finally became popular.
There are almost 4,000 sushi restaurants across the U.S. today, which bring in over $2 billion every year.
SUSHI FUN FACTS
Today, the most common sushi in Japan is nigirizushi. However, in America, Makizushi, which consists of rice rolled around fish and/or vegetables is more popular than nigirizushi.
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| 4 kinds of Californian Makizushi in Brussels. |
Sushi is meant to be eaten upside down, so that the fish is the first thing you taste.
Some forms of sushi, notably those containing pufferfish fugu and some kinds of shellfish, can cause severe poisoning if not prepared properly. Victims who ingest pufferfish poison from wrongly-prepared sushi experience symptoms that are similar to nerve gas and die of asphyxiation.
The Emperor of Japan isn't allowed to eat pufferfish for his own safety.
Eating sushi on a Monday can be dangerous, since most fish markets are closed on Sunday, meaning your sushi is probably days old.
In Japan, it takes up to 20 years of school to become a sushi chef, which is years longer than it takes to become a doctor.
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| Chef preparing sushi |
Women have historically been barred from cooking sushi due to a superstition that their hands are too warm.
Pickled ginger and wasabi are more than spices to eat with your sushi; they are also a natural antibiotic. This is important in combination with raw fish because it protects your body against foodborne illnesses such as E. coli.
If you don't eat sushi by the age of 35, there is a 95% chance you never will. As we get older, we are less open to "novelty."
The code from The Matrix movie is actually a sushi recipe the production designer, Simon Whiteley, scanned from one of his wife's Japanese cookbooks.
Source Udaipurkiran
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