A Chop, Dip, and a Roll

NYC Museum of Food and Drink ~ November 8 ~ November 22

2nd Century BC

Despite many preconceptions, the origin of sushi actually dates back to the rice fields of Asia, in China specifically. Sushi traces back to the 3nd century BC, originally a Chinese dish called “narezushi”.

It was made of fermented rice and salted fish. However, this dish was not created necessarily for flavor, it was more of a practical dish. Since the dish predates refrigerators, this process of wrapping the fish in rice was mainly for preservation purposes, heavily salted to avoid bacteria growth and microorganisms on the fish. In fact, the rice was typically thrown out when eating the fish.

718 AD

The first reference to “sushi” appeared in the Yoro Code, making its first appearance in Japanese culture. They took it upon themselves to begin eating the rice and the fish, making them accredited for first preparing sushi as a complete dish. Yoro Code is one iteration of seven different governing codes or rules established in the early Nala Period in Classical Japan. It was put into effect in 757.

800-1300 AD

Narezushi is only available to the wealthy upperclass in Japan since the fermentation process, even with a weighted press to speed up the completion time, took about half a year. Additionally, many Japanese’s transition into Buddhism resulted in the dietary practice of abstaining from eating meat, making this dish high in demand. The common go to fish in narezushi was Golden Carp, also known as funa, caught in Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest freshwater lake.

1400 AD

Japan in the midst of a civil war searched desperately for a way to speed up the sushi fermentation process. They found that applying more weight to the press could shorten the fermentation process to one month. From this they discovered that pickled fish did not need to reach full fermentation to taste great. This new method meant a new name for the dish, now called mam-nare zushi or nare-zushi.

1750 AD

In Edo, what was one of the largest cities in the world at the time and a huge Japanese hub for nightlife, sushi makers used a newly developed fermentation process for the sushi. A layer of cooked rice seasoned with rice vinegar laying beside a layer of fish were compressed in a wooden box for two hours, then sliced and served. This process greatly shortened the preparation time for sushi.

1824 AD

Yohei, a Japanese sushi chef, is considered the creator of modern nigiri sushi. He used a “speed fermentation” process in his sushi stall, a process that involved adding rice vinegar and salt to freshly cooked rice, letting it soak for a few minutes. The sushi was then hand pressed in elongated ovals, then topped with a thin slice of raw fish.

It was considered “fast food” sushi since the fresh fish required no fermentation or preservation. It became widely popular at the time, making nigiri sushi the new sushi norm.

1950 AD

Sushi is served almost exclusively indoors. The movement from sushi from outdoor carts, also called yatai, to indoors began when the Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo, decreasing land prices drastically, giving these vendors a chance to buy spaces. By 1950, restaurants catering to sushi trade, also called sushi-ya, could be found all over Kapan’s capital city, Tokyo.

1970 AD

Advances in refrigeration, the ability to ship fresh fish long distances, and a thriving economy post-war created a booming sushi market in Japan. Sushi bars opened up all over throughout the country and a sharp increase in suppliers and distributors allowed sushi to go global.

NYC Museum of Food and Drink ~ November 8 ~ November 22

This timeline is animated to move along with you. As you step on the beginning trigger pad a sushi roll appears and rolls as you read. Discover the origins and rich history of the most iconic and delicious Japanese dish, sushi.

NYC Museum of Food and Drink ~ November 8 ~ November 22 25ft 9in x 5ft 3in