|  Sushi
- The basic concept of fish preparation in Japan is suggested
by the following proverb: "Eat it raw first of all, then
grill it, and boil it as the last resort." To amplify, it
is felt that the taste and texture of fish is best appreciated
when it is very fresh and eaten raw. If the fish is a little less
than fresh then its best taste will be produced by sprinkling
it with salt and grilling it. If the fish is not fresh, then it
is better boiled with seasonings, such as soy sauce or soybean
paste (miso). Nigiri-sushi, prepared by putting a slice of raw
fish onto a bite-size portion of hand-rolled, vinegar-flavored
rice, has recently become internationally popular. But sushi originated
as a means of preserving fish by fermenting it in boiled rice.
Fish that are salted and placed in rice are preserved by lactic
acid fermentation, which prevents proliferation of the bacteria
that bring about putrefaction. A souring of flavor occurs during
the process, and the fish is eaten only after the sticky decomposed
rice has been cleaned off. This older type of sushi is still produced
in the areas surrounding Lake Biwa in western Japan, and similar
types are also known in Korea, southwestern China, and Southeast
Asia. In fact, the technique first originated in a preservation
process developed for freshwater fish caught in the Mekong River
and is thought to have diffused to Japan along with the rice cultivation.
A unique fifteenth-century development shortened the fermentation
period of sushi to one or two weeks and made both the fish and
the rice edible. As a result, sushi became a popular snack food,
combining fish with the traditional staple food, rice. Sushi without
fermentaion appeared during the Edo period (1600-1867), and sushi
was finally united with sashimi at the end of the eighteenth century,
when the hand-rolled type, nigiri-sushi, was devised. Various
styles of hand-rolled sushi were developed, such as norimaki,
in which vinegar-flavored rice and seasoned boiled vegetables
are rolled in paper-thin layers. In addition, sushi restaurants
became popular during this era. They offered seasonings and rolled
with different toppings according to the taste of the guests.
In this manner, sushi has changed from its original character
as a preserved food to that of a fast food.
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