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The origin of sushi is thought to lie in the first preservation techniques used by the people of South East Asia. To minimise the risk of shortages of meat and fish during the rainy and dry seasons, the people preserved fish or meat by salting and fermenting the excess that have been available in other periods of the year.
This preservation soon spread throughout China and Japan and was adapted by the people of Oki-Shima - a small island south of Lake Biwa in Japan. During the high season for catching Carp (Spring), the fish were gutted and salted and left until Summer when the salt was washed away and the body of the fish packed with cooked rice. The rice provided a nutrient source for lactic acid bacteria brought about fermentation of the rice and fish, and after a year the resulting soured fish was called 'Nare-Sushi'. However, the rice was discarded and only the fish eaten.
The original method took one year before the sushi was ready to eat, so a quicker method was devised. This method started by adding Rice Vinegar to the rice as a preservation ingredient as well as instant flavouring. The fish was also dipped in vinegar and then the two ingredients were pressed together in a wooden mould, producing pressed sushi. This originated in the Osaka region of Japan.
The Sushi we know and eat today was developed by the people of the capital of Japan, Edo (the old name of Tokyo). The Edo people were always very busy and in a rush, and so they invented the nigiri sushi, which is the most recognisable style of Sushi today. People would have this kind of Sushi in a cafe or Sushi bar as a snack as well as for main meals.
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