Yvonne Southern Cuisine

Sushi is acknowledged as a Japanese delicacy, which is now fast gaining momentum in other parts of the world too. Though widely known as Japanese in origin, there are claims that this particular dish was introduced in Japan from China, during the seventh century. Let us take a look at what is sushi and what are the various types of sushi.

What is Sushi

It is a common misconception that sushi means pieces of raw fish. In fact, sushi is cooked vinegar rice, which is topped with ingredients like vegetables, raw fish, etc. Some types of sushi have sliced raw fish as a topping. The term sashimi denotes the sliced raw fish alone. You may also come across a dish called sashimi, which is sliced fish served attractively with some garnishing. Usually, such a dish consists of raw, cooked or pickled fish, (sliced or cut in different shapes), served on shiso leaves with garnishing. Read more on how to make sushi rice.

In short, the term sushi denotes a dish of rice seasoned with sweet rice-wine vinegar. The main ingredient of sushi is this rice, but, apart from that, there are some ingredients that are added, in order to make sushi. The ingredients vary with different types of sushi and may include raw fish (sashimi), cooked fish, shellfish, tofu, boiled corn, mayonnaise, etc. Now, you know more about, what is sushi and sashimi and what is the difference between sushi and sashimi. The following paragraphs deal with the origin and history of sushi.

Origin and History of Sushi

The origin of sushi is linked to the efforts of people of ancient China and other parts of south east Asia to preserve fish. They developed a technique of fermenting fish with rice and salt. During that period, it took around three months to one year for the fish to get fermented and after that amount of time only – was the fish eaten and the sour rice discarded. This fermented fish was termed as narezushi. With time, the process of making sushi changed, as people started using vinegar for fermentation, along with rice and fish. This enhanced the taste of the end product as well as shortened the time taken for fermentation, which was later abandoned. People in Osaka started using wooden molds to press seafood and rice and this type of sushi was termed as oshizushi. By the nineteenth century, the forerunner of contemporary sushi was developed in Tokyo, by Hanaya Yohei. The process of fermentation was not necessary for making this sushi and this made sushi preparation a faster process, as compared to traditional ones. Earlier, this sushi was termed as edomae zushi, as the fish used for this purpose was from Tokyo bay and Tokyo was known as ‘Edo’ at that time. Now, you have a basic idea about the origin and history of sushi. This was only an overview of sushi history, as there is no substantial evidence to conclusively prove its origin and history.

Types of Sushi

As mentioned above, there are various types of sushi and the common factor among all types is sushi rice, which is vinegared rice. The difference between sushi types lie in the different toppings, condiments and fillings. The method of serving may also make a sushi different from other types. The following are some of the common types of sushi.

• As stated above, narezushi is one of the earliest forms of sushi, which is made of fermented fish. The rice used for fermentation is discarded and only the fish is eaten.
• Oshizushi is another form of sushi, which is made by pressing the ingredients inside a wooden mold called oshibako. The bottom of the mold is lined with toppings, which are covered with sushi rice. The lid has to be pressed tight, so that the contents are transformed to a rectangular block, which is then sliced and served.
• Nigirizushi is another type of sushi, which is made by placing fish slices over rice balls, along with wasabi (a thick green root of the wasabi plant that tastes like strong horseradish). In some types of nigirizushi, thin strips of seaweed are used to bind the rice and toppings.
• Makizushi is another sushi variety, which has various subtypes. This type of sushi is mostly cylindrical in shape and wrapped in seaweed (nori). The various types of makizushi include futomaki (mostly vegetarian), hosomaki (with one filling, either vegetable or fish), kappamaki with cucumber filling, tekkamaki with raw tuna filling, etc.
• Another type of sushi is a stuffed one, which is known as Inarizushi. This sushi is made by filling plain sushi rice in a pouch of fried tofu.
• Chirashizushi/barazushi is another form of sushi, which is served in a bowl. This sushi is different from others, because, it is served as a bowl of sushi rice, mixed with other ingredients. Read more on sushi recipes and how to eat sushi.

Now, you have a basic understanding about what is sushi and what are the different types of sushi. Apart from the above mentioned ones, there are various other types and subtypes. Off late, different types of western sushi have also been developed. Though, not a sushi in the true sense, these types of sushi are more suited for a western palate. So, try the various sushi types and enjoy the delicacy.