The evolution of as a snack Tracing the journey of sushi from fine-dining restaurants into the mainstream. Japan or the Land of the Rising Sun, has graced the world with their exquisite cuisine. Dishes like tamagoyaki, okonomiyaki, shabu-shabu, onigiri, udon, ramen and much more have fans all over the world.d But there is one certain food that really stands out from the entire lot and that is Sushi. Fluffy steamed sticky rice, wrapped in seaweed with fish, vegetables and dipped in soy sauce with wasabi and ginger. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water. Sushi, which has world wide fan base is loved by many and disliked by a few simply because they feel put off by the idea of eating raw fish. But one must understand that “sushi” does not equate to “raw fish.” It actually refers to a rice meal that has been served with a variety of toppings and contents, including raw fish. So for those who have not yet formed a love for one of the most loved foods, let us help you change your mind! Sushi’s Origins Folklore and many stories surround the origins of sushi. According to an old wives’ tale from Japan, an elderly woman started storing her rice pots in osprey nests out of concern that robbers would take them. She eventually gathered her pots and discovered the rice had started to ferment.She also found that the rice had beenmixedwith leftover fish from the osprey’s meal. The combination was excellent and also worked as a fish preserver thanks to the rice. Although this sounds like a very realistic tale, the true origins of sushi are actually quite mysterious. A Chinese lexicon from the fourth century describes cooking rice with salted fish and allowing it to ferment. It’s possible that this was the first time the idea of sushi was printed. The practise of preserving fish with fermented rice dates back several centuries to Southeast Asia. Now how does this fermented rice help? Well, lactic acid bacilli are formed when the fermentation of rice progresses. The reaction that the acid and salt produce limit the growth of microorganisms in fish. The sushi kitchen, is known as a tsuke-ba, or “pickling station,” because of this pickling procedure. The original sushi, known as narezushi, has been produced in South East Asia for centuries and is still produced there today in some regions. In Japan, narezushi first appeared in the eighth century and is still eaten today in the shape of foods like carp sushi. Each Japanese region created its own variation of narezushi, which was largely used for food preservation. Sushi was a common meal during feast days and festivals back then, and it played a significant role in the festivities. The practise of sprinkling sake or rice vinegar on sushi dates back a long time, but in the Edo era, people started producing vinegar from sake lees due to the time-consuming nature of manufacturing narezushi. This famous dish, which included rice, extended the practise of sprinkling vinegar on rice to form nigirizushi. Nigirizushi is credited to Yohei Hanaya (1799– 1858); even Mizkan, the largest vinegar producer in Japan, refers to him as the “founder” of sushi. Hanaya started his own restaurant called “Yohei’s Sushi,” which specialised in hand-pressed sushi, after selling his sushi at street stalls. Sushi in India Sushi has grown and evolved over the years and has slowly come to be loved by all. And of course, this Japanese fast food has made its way to the Indian palate. LOOKING EAST 28|L U X E B O O K|J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 J A N U A R Y 2 0 2 3 |L U X E B O O K| 29
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