 Sushi is a Japanese dish made from 'sushi' or vinegared rice topped with other ingredients; most commonly raw seafood or fish. The origins of sushi can be traced back at least 1000 years to South East Asia where fish wrapped in fermenting rice was common. Sushi travelled to Japan via China and the dish as we now know it was developed in the 18th-19th centuries at Edo on Tokyo Bay. Typical elements include Wasabi and Nori (toasted seaweed sheets). There are many traditional forms of sushi (Nigirizushi, Makizushi, and Oshizushi are the most common)and now that it has been adopted world-wide as a fast food, there are many Western variants; perhaps the best known is 'California Roll'. Sushi chefs train for years and are highly regarded for their fastidious and precise knife skills and their expert knowledge of fish and seafood. The best Sushi cookbooks include cutting techniques with step-by-step photos, sashimi, and a wide range of recipes for types of sushi. |
