A sushi lesson: are sushi from China?
Breaking news, the nigirizushi (the emblematic rice canapé topped with fresh fish) might not be as Japanese as we believe it is.
The method of this staple of the Japanese cuisine is said to have its roots in an 8th century Chinese preservation method. The fish was preserved in rice for several month or even a year before being consumed. The rice was then thrown away. During this process, lacto-fermentation of the rice would occur, allowing the fish to be preserved for months.
This method came to Japan and they began to use it to preserve the fish that arrived on the rice fields when lakes and river were flood during rainy season. The method evolved, allowing the fermentation process to be faster, the rice to be eaten and eventually vinegar replaced the fermentation, to give the sour taste to sushi.
The word sushi actually means “taste sour.”Gradually the sushi went from a whole fish on rice to a layer of rice covered with seafood and pressed into a rectangular shape, then called oshi-zushi.
The modern Nigiri sushi appeared for the first time in the 17th century in Edo, the previous name of Tokyo, as a large rice canapé topped with fresh, cooked or marinated fish. It was then street food for workers. To make it easier to eat, it has been divided in two, which is why we usually eat sushi by pairs.
The fermentation method still exists in some parts of Japan, it is called funa sushi and consists of a whole carp, brined and fermented on rice, just like the ancient method. The taste is apparently quite strong and specific, probably the reason why it did not cross the borders.
Stéphane Bellon, founder, studionomie, Geneva. |
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