The Beginnings of Sushi
Sushi has been around for a surprisingly long period of time, although not in its present form. The history of sushi is an interesting tale of the evolution of a simple dish. What was to become sushi was first mentioned in China in the second century A.D. Originally, sushi arose out of a way of preserving food. Fish was placed in rice and allowed to ferment, which allowed an individual to keep the fish edible for some time. The rice was thrown away and the fish was eaten when needed or wanted.
The method spread throughout China and by the seventh century, had made its way to Japan, where seafood has historically been a staple. The Japanese, however, took the concept further and began to eat the rice with the fish. Originally, the dish was prepared in much the same manner. In the early 17th century, however, Matsumoto Yoshiichi of Edo (now Tokyo) starting seasoning the rice with rice wine vinegar while making his ‘sushi’ for sale. This allowed the dish to be eaten immediately, instead of waiting the months it might normally take to prepare the ‘sushi.’
The Evolution of Sushi
In the early 19th century, a man by the name of Hanaya Yohei conceived a major change in the production and presentation of his sushi. No longer wrapping the fish in rice, he placed a piece of fresh fish on top of an oblong shaped piece of seasoned rice. Today, we call this style ‘nigiri sushi’ (finger sushi) or “edomae sushi” (from Edo, the name of Tokyo at the time) and is now the common way of eating Japanese sushi. At that time, sushi was served from sushi stalls on the street and was meant to be a snack or quick bite to eat on the go. Served from his stall, this was not only the first of the real ‘fast food’ sushi, but quickly became wildly popular. From his home in Edo, this style of serving sushi rapidly spread throughout Japan, aided by the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923, as many people lost their homes and businesses and moved from Tokyo.
After World War Two, the sushi stalls were shut down and moved indoors, to more sanitary conditions. More formal seating was later provided (the first iterations were merely an indoor version of the sushi stalls) and sushi changed from ‘fast food’ to a true dining experience. Sushi spread around the globe, and with the advent of the promotion of seafood, this unusual style of serving fish was quickly adopted by western cultures, always eager for something new, especially something that had grown as sophisticated and unique as sushi.
Modern Sushi
Sushi, the artful dining experience once uniquely Japanese, has now evolved to another level beyond the traditional Japanese methods. Western influences have given rise to new styles of sushi, such as California rolls and the many elaborate ‘fusion’ creations at upscale sushi restaurants. The history of sushi is a long one, at least 1,800 years in fact, but the current iteration is popular around the world, and rightly so. It is not often that something so singly cultural can not only take the world by storm, but also influence the direction of food in other cultures. Demand for sushi is only increasing and seems to be continuing to evolve. Traditional sushi restaurants sit alongside ‘fusion’ restaurants and both are popular for their own reasons. The history of sushi is still far from over.
TYPES OF SUSHI :
Maki
Maki-style sushi is the "roll" type of sushi. The sushi ingredients are rolled in rice, seaweed or a vegetable and then cut up into bite-size pieces. Often more meat, vegetables or masago are placed on the top of the roll, then sauce is drizzled over the top. Many sushi restaurants make specialized rolls with their chefs' creations. The creative possibilities are endless.
Nigiri
The word nigiri literally means grasped or squeezed--the rice is molded into a shape and then fish is placed on top, often held together with seaweed. This makes it easy to pick up and eat with your hands, which is why it is sometimes called "hand sushi." Nigiri-style became popular in the early 19th century in Japan, when street vendors were a big part of the food industry.
Sashimi
Sashimi consists of slices of sushi-grade fish and regular steamed, boiled or sushi rice on the side. The most common types of fish served in sashimi-style sushi in the United States are salmon and tuna.
Chirashi
Chirashi is sort of like sashimi-style sushi: it is slices of sushi-grade fish over a bowl of vinagared sushi rice, as opposed to having plain rice on the side.
THANK YOUU
SOURCES :
http://www.sushifaq.com/basic-sushi-experience-information/the-history-of-sushi/
http://iml.jou.ufl.edu/projects/fall09/smith_j/types.html
Komentar
Posting Komentar