Sushi

By Haruna Tonomura

According to the literature, the history of Japanese sushi began round the 8th century. It originated in China and then was introduced to Japan as a preserved food. Japanese improved and established a new sushi style. They changed it from a preserved food into a fresh food. Sushi means “managing a happy event,” and it is an auspicious food. Nowadays, it is recognized as a typical Japanese food all over the world. Generally, sushi can be divided into three styles: nigiri-zushi, chirashi-zushi, and maki-zushi.

The most famous one is nigiri-zushi: vinegared rice topped with raw fish. Most people may imagine this type of sushi. People hardly make it at home. It takes at least 10 years’ training to be a sushi chef. This job requires rich knowledge, experience, and skill. During the high growth period after the war, the street stalls selling sushi disappeared due to hygienic reasons, and although there were some shops serving sushi at moderate prices, the idea that sushi was expensive had been kept among people until a new sushi restaurant system spread around the 1980s. This system enabled ordinary people to enjoy nigiri-zushi at low cost.

The other two types of sushi are more commonly eaten at home because they are fast and easy to make. Chirashi-zushi is one of them which has different characteristics in each district. Chirashi-zushi means “scattered sushi”: vinegared rice topped with fish, vegetables, eggs, and various other ingredients. We eat this type of sushi for the Girls’ Festival on March 3 annually.

The last one is Maki-zushi: rice rolled in seaweed with various ingredients. I think this type of sushi has a lot of variations that were mainly created overseas. For instance, the California roll is one of the most popular maki-zushi in the U.S. and other countries. It was reimported to Japan and became popular. There is an interesting difference between Japanese and Western maki-zushi styles. In Japan, the rice is generally inside of the seaweed because it is easy to make and hold maki-zushi in the fingers. However, in Western countries, they make inside-out rolls since some western people are unwilling to see black seaweed. As a result, inside-out rolls have become popular in western countries.

As in style, sushi continues to grow and change. The rising sushi popularity all over the world has caused revolutions in sushi style. Some Japanese feel uneasy that the new styles may break tradition, but I think most of us look on this change favorably. I like both the western style and Japanese style. They are not only beautiful to look at, delicious, enjoyable with friends and family, but also healthy. Sushi is an ideal food for all, and the possibilities of sushi are endless.