Sushi, as we know it today, is 100% Japanese. But here’s the kicker: its ancestor came from China. That’s right—this story starts with a fermented fish snack.
Ancient Chinese folks packed fish in rice to preserve it. They threw away the rice and ate the fish. Gross? Maybe. Genius? Absolutely.
Japan picked up the idea around the 8th century. And then they turned it into art. They started eating the rice, too. Game changer.
The “Narezushi” Prank
Early Japanese sushi was called narezushi. It stank. Like, really stank. The fish fermented for months in rice and salt.
Imagine biting into a slab of that. Your breath would clear a room. Thankfully, someone got creative.
By the 19th century, a chef named Hanaya Yohei invented nigiri. Fresh fish on vinegar-rice. Fast. Fresh. No smell. The sushi we love was born in Tokyo, not Beijing.
