The history of sushi

Originally sushi was designed as a way of preserving and fermenting fish using salt and rice to help prevent it going off.

Originally only the fish was eaten and the sushi rice was thrown away. The history of sushi in Japan evolved further around the 15th century when vinegar was added to the rice mixture to aid preservation of the sushi fish and give the sushi fish a better taste. The history of sushi continued to evolve in Osaka a few centuries later with the invention of Oshi-Zushi. Rice and fish were pressed into bamboo moulds giving a look very much like modern nigiri. This kind of sushi eventually spread to Tokyo by the 18th century.

The history of sushi finally takes us to today where maki sushi and nigiri sushi are the norm. This kind of nigiri sushi we know today was invented around 200 years ago by a man called Hanaya Yohei in Tokyo (formally known as Edo). Sushi was Japan's first fast food, it was not fermented like old fashioned sushi and so was very fast to prepare. He stopped wrapping the fish in fermented rice and instead put a piece of fresh fish on top of a oblong piece of rice. This sushi could also be eaten with your hands, at work, at the roadside or on the go making it perfect for a busy lifestyle. This kind of sushi was first named Edomae-Zushi, named after “Edo Mae” (Tokyo Bay) where all the fish for the sushi was caught. Although today the fish in modern sushi is caught all over the world the correct full name for this sushi is still “Edomae nigirizushi”. You will still see it called this at good sushi bars and sushi restaurants proving that the history of sushi is still alive today.