These tennis ball-sized combos of protein and carbohydrate were immensely popular quick and healthy meals for the typical always-in-a-rush, quick-tempered characters on which the Edokko stereotype was based they were even nicknamed hayazushi, or quick sushi! This was a vastly different product than narezushi which were made to last for several days at least-nigirizushi were made to be eaten on the spot. Koikuchi shoyu, produced about the same time, in the same general Edo neighborhood, was indispensable in the development of nigirizushi it was used to minimize any odors that might have been thought unpleasant, and it was also used to make zuke, or fish immersed for a bit in soy sauce before being placed on rice to extend the sushi’s shelf life and retain the fresh raw texture. Edo’s nigirizushi was made using seafood caught in Tokyo Bay which was said to be “in front,” or mae of the city thus it was called edomae zushi, or sushi from the front of Edo. To that end there was a rapid growth of all sorts of street foods amongst which was nigirizushi. As many of our readers well know, during the Edo period (1603-1868) there was a great influx of members of the working class into the city of Edo (the old name for Tokyo), and they brought with them appetites that needed to be satisfied by something with plenty of volume, that was reasonably priced, and could be consumed quickly and easily. Nigirizushi was created towards the end of the Edo period in the first half of the 19th century. Also, with food condiments few and far between, the distinctive aroma and flavor of this slowly and carefully fermented food made it a highly appealing and coveted delicacy. Since there was no refrigeration, this type of sushi was made to preserve the fish (the lactic acid from the fermenting rice helped to keep the fish from spoiling). This sushi, an important source of protein at the time, was called narezushi and consisted of a piece of salted raw fish placed on cooked rice and the whole thing was fermented for several days or months. It’s said that the type of cuisine that was the precursor to sushi was created in Southeast Asia about 4 BCE and this was transmitted to Japan via China during the Heian period (794-1185). When we hear the word sushi, most of us tend to imagine finger-food sized bites of raw fish atop a bed of vinegared rice, namely nigirizushi, but there are many other types of sushi to enjoy: chirashizushi, oshizushi, makizushi, inarizushi, temakizushi…and the list goes on! Now let’s try to calm those growling stomachs for a moment and explore how this delicious cuisine came about-and then let’s tuck in! Nowadays it has leaped over the borders of Japan to be found in myriad forms on menus worldwide, deliciously merging with indigenous ingredients and flavors to form the perfect fusion food. Sushi, probably the most well-known Japanese food.
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