Tuna and salmon: How "typically Japanese" became what was not Japanese
The history of sushi holds some interesting surprises even for connoisseurs of the subject. Deep red tuna, delicate pink salmon—these are the widely known typical toppings for sushi. Really typical? Has it always been that way? Why are tuna and salmon considered typical sushi toppings when they are not? As always, when it comes to […]
Typical and less typical sushi toppings
Chicken, cream cheese, salmon in chili sauce—there's hardly anything you won't find on sushi these days. But what are the typical, authentic sushi toppings? It depends... If you look at sushi in the US, salmon, tuna, and avocado dominate. In Japan, you'll also find these two types of fish, but really [...]
Where sushi comes from - the story of raw fish and sour rice
Sushi as we know it today is ultimately a development of the second half of the 20th century. The original sushi dish differed significantly from what we now refer to as sushi. What began as a necessity to preserve fish over long periods of time and keep it edible has become a luxurious dish known for its supposedly quick […]
Historical interplay of ingredients around sushi
Sushi, as we know it today, consists of vinegared rice, fish, vegetables, nori, and a few seasonings such as wasabi and soy sauce. However, this was not always the case: originally, pickling fish in cooked rice was simply a method of fermenting the fish in a controlled manner to preserve it. The rice […]