Japanese food (traditional Japanese food culture) was registered as a UNESCO World Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2013, and Japanese food is booming around the world. Sushi is probably the most representative of this Japanese food boom. A decade ago, sushi used to be a treat that could only be enjoyed at festivals, birthdays, and other special occasions where people gathered. Nowadays, sushi is readily available for as little as 100 yen per plate, and the awareness of sushi as a special treat for special occasions has faded considerably, but there still seems to be a sense of “sushi is a treat for special occasions” in our consciousness. However, the sense that “sushi is a treat to be eaten on special occasions” still remains in our consciousness. Sushi is a traditional food culture that Japan is proud of, but it does not seem to have originated in Japan.
Origin of sushi
The origin of sushi is said to have come from preserved fish and meat in Southeast Asia. It is said that it was introduced to China and then to Japan along with the culture of rice cultivation. The oldest document in Japan that contains the word sushi” is theYoro Rei,” which was enacted in 718, and in the Corporation Order,'' the charactersabalone sushi, kaikai zushi, small fish sushi” are found. Masu. The Yoro Ritsuryo Code does not exist, and most of it is passed down in the Rei Gikai (commentary of the Yoro Ritsuryo Code), but it is said that there is not much difference in content between the Taiho Code and the Yoro Code, which were established in 701. It is thought that the Taiho-rei also contained the characters sushi” andsushi”. This means that it existed even before the Nara period. At that time, it was said to have been a food for the nobles, so it may have been eaten by Emperor Monmu, Fujiwara Fuhi, and even Emperor Tenmu and Emperor Jito. What did it taste like? I get excited just thinking about it.
The prototype of sushi
From the above, I understand that the history of sushi is quite old, but at that time sushi was not the sushi we imagine with toppings on rice, but fermented fish with salt and rice. It is said that it was a so-called “ripe (ripe) sushi.” Funazushi, a specialty of Shiga Prefecture, still retains its original form. Vinegar is not used, rice is used for fermentation, and the rice is removed before eating. Fermentation creates a unique aroma. Funazushi also has a long history, with the word “Funa sushi” appearing on the tag of the Nagaya royal family in the Nara period. Also, according to the “Engishiki” of the Heian period, Funazushi is said to have originated from Chikuma-zushi in Omi Province (Shiga Prefecture). It is said that the city of Maibara paid tribute to the imperial court at the time.
Nigiri sushi was born in the late Edo period.
The form of narezushi” continued for quite a long time, and it seems that it was during the Muromachi period that people started eating rice with it. Namanare, which shortened the fermentation time, was born and evolved from a preserved food to a rice dish. Furthermore, in the Edo period,sushi” began to be eaten by the common people, and sushi restaurants” appeared in Edo, Kyoto, and Osaka. At that time, sushi was made by mixing rice with vinegar, placing seafood on top, putting a lid on it, placing a weight on it, and eating it a few hours later. Then,Nigiri Sushi” appeared in the late Edo period. It is said that nigiri sushi at that time was about the size of a rice ball, rather than the bite-sized size of today’s sushi. Nigiri sushi, known as “Edomae sushi,” was popular in the Edo period, and in Kyoto and Osaka, pressed sushi and stick sushi were the mainstream. In contrast to Edomae sushi, oshizushi (boxed sushi), stick sushi, battera, etc. are collectively called Osaka sushi.
Japan’s oldest sushi restaurant
Now, do you know where the oldest sushi restaurant in Japan is located? This is “Tsurubesushi Yasuke” located in Shimoichi Town, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture. It boasts a history of more than 800 years, and its name appears in the Kabuki and Ningyo Joruri performance “Yoshitsune Senbonzakura Sushiya no Dan.” Currently, it doesn’t seem like Narezushi is being served, but you can enjoy meals centered around sweetfish sushi.
When I think of sushi, there is an incident that comes to mind. For some reason, the elementary school I went to had bento lunches, and one day, my girlfriend’s mother had been busy with work in the morning, so she was supposed to bring a bento lunch. . However, when she opened the classroom door at noon, the man from the sushi restaurant came in with a rice cake in hand. It’s a funny story now, but at the time I felt very embarrassed.
Sushi does not seem to have originated in Japan, but it has evolved from Narezushi”, which was a preserved food, toHayazushi”, which was aged for a shorter period of time, to Oshizushi”, toOshizushi”, and then topped with fresh toppings. It evolved into edible “nigiri sushi” and became established as a uniquely Japanese food. When most people hear the word “sushi,” they think of nigiri sushi, but depending on the region, there is a rich variety of sushi that is unique to that region. It would be fun to take a trip to see local sushi restaurants.
I’m sure you know this because it’s such a famous story, but “conveyor belt sushi” was first born in the world in 1968. Genroku Sushi is located in Higashiosaka. Without this revolutionary invention, we might not be able to enjoy sushi at such reasonable prices today.
