Sushi Recipes

Sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, and one of the most popular dishes among the Japanese themselves who usually enjoy sushi on special occasions. During the Edo period, "sushi" was pickled fish conserved in vinegar. Nowadays sushi can be defined as a dish containing rice, which has been prepared with sushi vinegar. There are many different types of sushi. Note that "sushi" becomes "zushi" in word combinations in which "sushi" is the second word, e.g. nigirizushi.

What has become a Japanese culinary art with delicious flavor and colorful form, actually evolved from very meager beginnings? In the 7th century, Southeast Asians introduced the technique of pickling. The Japanese acquired this same practice, which consisted of packing fish with rice. As the fish fermented the rice produced a lactic acid that in turn caused the pickling of the pressed fish. Nare-Sushi is 1300 years old and refers to the finished edible product resulting from this early method.

However, due to its lengthy process, anywhere from 2 months to a year, an altered form appears through the 15th and 16th centuries. Nama-Nare refers to this more rapid process of pickling which cut the fermentation time while including the rice as part of the meal. Ancient sushi such as, Nare-Sushi and Nama-Nare were the foundation for what later became the delightfully tasteful sushi we are familiar with today.

Improvements through the centuries came about because of a few entrepreneurial Japanese who possessed the knack for recipe variation.  The 17th century saw this delicate finger food complimented with vinegar. Matsumoto Yoshiichi of Edo (Tokyo) introduced the use of rice vinegar into the sushi rice. The vinegar was a welcome ingredient. It served to reduce the usual lengthy preparation while adding a pleasant flavor of tartness.  Although the process of fermentation was shortened, the custom of aged pickling with the boxed or rolled method was continued until the 19th century.

In the 1820's Hanaya Yohei of Edo (Tokyo) brought to Edoites a recipe most similar to what we are served today. His morsels, which included Sashimi (fresh sliced raw fish) or seafood combined with the vinegared rice, were prepared and served for customers directly from his sushi stall. Not only did Hanaya introduce raw fish to sushi rice (Edomae-Sushi/Nigiri-Sushi), he began a tradition of serving snack food at its freshest and fastest. His idea won immediate favor over the more time-honored sushi dishes.  The portable stall was popular through WWII and was the "Fast Food" predecessor to the sushi bars of today.

This healthy and delicious mouthful saw its most recent transformation in the 20th century. Sushi now appears worldwide with a United States popularity increase around the late 1970's.  As in art, Japanese Sushi continues to grow, change and blossom.  The most common forms are: Nigiri -Sushi (hand shaped sushi), Oshi-Sushi (pressed sushi), Maki-Sushi (rolled sushi) and Chirashi-sushi (scattered sushi). The changes are not in form or preparation as much as they are in the ingredients and the atmosphere where it is served. These adventurous and tasty creations can be found in the most elegant of settings or the grocery market counter.