SUSHI AND JAPAN: 20 CURIOSITIES TO DISCOVER

Sushi is one of the most famous and typical dishes of Japanese cuisine , loved and appreciated today all over the world: a set of preparations based on rice, raw, cooked or marinated fish, meat, vegetables, eggs and seaweed, which can be served with or without sauces. It is available in many forms and ranges from quick and economical dishes served in a frugal manner to elaborate starred and luxury culinary experiences.

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Sushi Chef by Moiz k Malik via Unsplash

We have collected 20 curiosities to discover about this dish.

1. Sushi did not originate in Japan
According to scholars, the first, embryonic, form of sushi arrived in Japan from China about two thousand years ago, when rice was still used to preserve fish: sushi as we know it today developed in Japan around the 8th century .

2. Jiro Ono: the best sushi chef in the world
Three Michelin stars, Jiro Ono runs a tiny restaurant in the basement of a building next to Ginza station in Tokyo. The peculiarity of this chef (besides the exquisiteness of his preparations)? He is 95 years old and has been cooking since he was 8.

3. Sushi was used as currency
Very few people know that around the 8th century sushi was highly appreciated not only for its organoleptic characteristics, but because it could be used as real currency, for example to pay taxes .

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The restaurant of Jiro Ono, 3 Michelin star sushi chef © Luxgallery

4. The inventor of sushi
The father of this tasty dish is Hanaya Yohei , also known as Yoshi : in the first half of the 19th century he decided to serve his customers morsels of pressed rice with a lightly marinated slice of fish, thus creating the version of sushi that we all know.

5. Sushi etiquette
A nigiri can be eaten with chopsticks, even if tradition favors using the hands to bring the rice to the mouth: sushi was born as street food and the seaweed that surrounds some types of sushi was also used to avoid getting dirty.

6. The arrival of sushi in the West
Sushi spread to America and Europe thanks to a reception held by the then Prince Akihito in Washington in 1953 : the royal offered this dish to American officials who particularly appreciated it.

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Photo via freepik

7. The purpose of ginger
Although it is not always fully appreciated by most people in the West, ginger has the function of cleansing and refreshing the mouth between courses.

8. Salmon sushi was not born in Japan
If you find yourself in the country of the Rising Sun, don't start by asking them to prepare a salmon nigiri: this fish mainly comes from Northern European countries, while in Japan the protagonists of the dish are generally tuna, prawn and eel.

9. Enjoy the different types of sushi to the fullest
To taste sushi following tradition, simply move from the more delicate flavor to the more decisive and spicy one: usually starting with plaice or cuttlefish, continuing with tuna and herring and ending with eel, mackerel, fish roe, sea urchin .

Sushi Restaurant photo by George Kedenburg via Unsplash

10. What does the word “sushi” mean
The word "sushi" does not define raw fish but rather the rice that accompanies it, which is cooked with sugar, salt and vinegar : it is thanks to cooking that the rice obtains that stickiness which is essential for creating the morsels on which the fish.

11. Sushi created a “new flavor”
It is called umami and in addition to sweet, salty, bitter and sour, it is one of the five fundamental tastes perceived by the cells present in the human oral cavity: it is described as a "satisfying, savory and meaty taste", typically associated with high-quality Japanese sushi. level.

12. For good sushi it is important to observe nori
Nori is the dried seaweed that surrounds some sushi preparations: it is an ingredient incredibly rich in vitamins and capable of preventing cholesterol deposits. A suggestion? The darker it is, the better it will be!

Photo by Machima / Omakase restaurant in Tokyo

13. How do you become a sushi chef?
For the first two years an apprentice chef can only observe his master and help him by cleaning the floors and dirty dishes: after two years he will be able to start studying and practicing the rice cooking technique and only after four years will he be able to learn the art of cutting of fish and the creation of sushi.

14. Deadly sushi
Fugu , or "puffer fish" , is one of the most delicious and sought after ingredients for preparing sushi, but be careful: only some qualified chefs can create recipes with this fish because if it is not filleted correctly it could be fatal.

15. Often the wasabi in restaurants is not the original
In most restaurants, the spicy green paste offered as an accompaniment to sushi is horseradish powder with the addition of food coloring, not the original wasabi: this is because growing and packaging it is very expensive and complex.

Photo by Machima / Omakase restaurant in Tokyo

16. Food and soy sauce are not wasted
In Japan, wasting soy or leaving pieces of rice in the bowl while dipping it in the sauce is considered almost disrespectful: tradition dictates that you pour it a little at a time and be careful not to let anything fall inside.

17. An earthquake in 1923 changed the fate of sushi
The tragedy and devastation caused by the 1923 earthquake had far-reaching effects and caused a significant drop in land prices, resulting in sushi vendors being able to move their stalls inland to create small restaurants. or shops on the street.

18. Forbidden for women
There was a time in the past when women could not aspire to become sushi chefs , as it was believed that their hands - warmer than men's - and their scent would taint the taste and quality of the fish.

Uramaki Ph. Anna Daverio

19. The “dirtier” it is, the better it is
In the early days of sushi, a dirty noren (traditional Japanese cloth dividers) was the best indication of a good sushi shop : customers would wipe their hands on the curtain upon exiting, so the fact that it was dirty indicated that the shop had many customers.

20. The most expensive sushi
The most expensive sushi dish ever recorded in the world is a five-piece set of nigiri, wrapped in 24-karat gold leaf and garnished with real diamonds: it was made by Angelito Araneta Jr. in the Philippines and sold for around 2,000 dollars .