Rice Was Used to Preserve Sushi

Did You Know? Rice Was Used to Preserve Sushi

Our Seattle sushi restaurant is part of an age-old culinary tradition, which arose out of a need to preserve food in ancient China, and later spread to Japan. The original method was to put fish in rice in order for it to ferment, so that the fish could still be eaten a few days later. The rice was thrown out and the fish would be consumed alone. The Japanese had seafood as a dietary staple, and when they discovered this technique, they started eating the rice with the fish. In the 17th century, Matsumoto Yoshiichi of Edo (Tokyo) sprinkled the rice with rice wine vinegar and sold it, thus creating a new dish: sushi. The Japanese would put the rice with the fish wrapped in nori (seaweed), to prevent the meal from sticking to fingers. At I Love Sushi, a Seattle Japanese Restaurant, we are dedicated to preserving these honored and intricate preparation techniques, while infusing our menu with an exciting and creative sensibility.