A Timeline and Brief History of Sushi

Discover the History of Sushi.

While many think of sushi as raw fish, it actually refers to a dish made of vinegar rice served with various fillings and toppings which includes raw fish. As one of the most loved meals all around the world it’s about time to learn about the history of sushi:

A Timeline and Brief History of Sushi

~500 B.C.

Sushi as we know it today is completely Japanese. However, its origins root in Southeast Asia as far back as 500 B.C. The food has documentation of existing around the Mekong Delta and as time passed it spread across through China before making its way to Japan.

Back then, sushi was not at all raw fish over rice. Rather, it was created as a means of preservation with fermented rice wrapped around aged fish known as “narezushi”. This stored the fish for up to one year with the rice creating a more umami flavor and even protecting the fish from flies. When ready to eat, the rice as discarded and only the fish was consumed.

1500s

Now that narezushi existed in Japan, the fish and rice evolved to what was known as “namanarezushi” which was no longer about longterm preservation. The fermented rice changed to vinegared rice and the raw fish wrapped inside the rice was consumed partly raw and still fresh. And this time, the rice was also eaten.

Mid-1700s

The mid-1700s introduced the invention of sheet form nori, or seaweed which led to the creation of makizushi which we know as the sushi rolls of today.

1800s

The evolution of sushi in this century transformed the dish closer to its modern preparation and presentation. This new type of sushi was known as “hayazushi” or “nigirizushi” which consisted of raw fish on a bed of vinegared rice the size of a ball. Sushi using the seafood caught from the bay near Edo, or which is Tokyo today, was known as “edomaezushi”.

The sushi we know of today was invented in the mid-1800s by Hanaya Yohei who placed fresh fish on top of an oblong-shaped piece of seasoned rice.

At this point, sushi was one of the first “fast foods” in Japan and not at all a high brow dining experience. You could find sushi stalls on the street and which were served as a snack or quick bite on the go. Refer to the photo above taken from the Edo-Tokyo Museum as a replica of a sushi stall.

Early 1900s

Following the Meiji restoration in the late 1800s, Japanese immigrants introduced sushi to the West by the early 1900s. But due to racial tensions, sushi did not popularize internationally until over have a century later after the end of World War II when Japan opened for international trade, tourism, and business.

Within Japan, it took the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923 for sushi to spread around the country as sushi chefs dispersed to find new places to live and work while the capital restored

1960s

Sushi won the hearts of middle-class America in the 1960s when creations like the California roll and cooked sushi ingredients made sushi appealing and palatable to the West. The sushi roll caught on because chefs had to find a way to keep up with the higher demand. The roll allowed them to create larger quantities of sushi over a shorter period of time.

1980s

As decided passed, sushi continued to gain momentum internationally which resulted in the commercialization and automation of cranking out sushi and sushi rolls. This made sushi widely available at cheaper prices.

And Today…

Today, sushi is still a fun, affordable meal. In Japan, you can find standing sushi bars in train stations. In the US, you can find sushi packs in everyday supermarkets.

At the same time, sushi is also an extravagant splurge meal not only in Japan but also in major cities like New York City or London.