Sushi (寿司) is not raw fish. It is vinegared rice. The key ingredient is shari, rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The fish, vegetable or egg on top is the neta. This difference matters. It explains where sushi came from and why it takes so many forms.
A short history
Sushi began not as a fine dish but as a way to preserve fish. In nare-zushi, people packed fish in fermenting rice for months. Then they threw away the rice and ate the soured fish. Over the centuries, the process got shorter, and the rice itself became the point. Most people picture sushi as a slice of fish on a small mound of rice. This is nigiri (握り), or "hand-pressed" sushi, and it is surprisingly young. It appeared in the early 1800s in Edo, today's Tokyo, as fast street food. Stalls sold it to eat in one or two bites. A snack for workers once, nigiri now appears in some of the most demanding restaurants in the world.
The many forms
- Nigiri : fish on hand-pressed rice, often with a dab of wasabi hidden underneath.
- Maki : rice and fillings rolled in nori seaweed and sliced.
- Sashimi (刺身): sliced raw fish with no rice, so strictly speaking not sushi at all.
- Chirashi : "scattered" sushi, with toppings spread loosely over a bowl of rice.
A little etiquette goes a long way. Dip the fish, not the rice, lightly in soy sauce. It is fine to eat nigiri with your fingers. Ginger (gari) refreshes your mouth between pieces. It is not a topping. At a traditional counter, you eat in the order the chef suggests, from light fish to rich.
Words & idioms to take away
Idioms & proverbs to carry away
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寿司: written with 寿 ("long life, celebration") and 司 ("to manage"). These lucky characters spell out the sound and bring a good meaning, but they do not describe the food. Older spellings include 鮨 and 鮓.
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刺身 (sashimi): literally "pierced flesh," the raw fish itself. It is not sushi, because it has no vinegared rice.