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Few dishes are as delicious as sushi, though that statement might not be true for everyone. For some, sushi can be a taste that needs to be acquired. And let's be honest, not everyone is on board with raw fish, eel, sea urchin, or all the other delicacies that come with it. However, for those who love to dive in with chopsticks and enjoy the freshest seafood, this list will certainly have your mouth watering!
To the casual observer, sushi may appear simple: a bit of rice, fish, maybe spicy tuna, cucumber, and a drizzle of spicy mayo or eel sauce. But there’s far more depth to this delicious treat than that! In this list, we’ll uncover ten surprising, odd, and incredibly tempting facts you probably didn’t know about sushi. By the end, not only will you be craving sushi, but you’ll never view it the same way again!
10. Where Did It All Begin?
When you think about it, the concept of sushi is rather unusual. After all, humans have been cooking meat for centuries, learning quickly that eating raw meat was not the best choice for health. We figured out that cooking it over fire was far safer for our stomachs, so that became the norm. But sushi has always marched to the beat of its own drum.
The concept behind sushi was quite groundbreaking for its time, and still impresses us today! You might assume sushi comes from Japan, since it’s widely enjoyed there. But that’s not quite true! In fact, sushi’s origins trace back to Southeast Asia. Experts believe it emerged between the 5th and 3rd centuries BC.
During that era, farmers and fishermen in Southeast Asia were looking for a way to preserve fish for long periods after catching it. Their solution involved wrapping fish in rice and sealing it up tightly. Before this, they salted and gutted the fish, and the rice fermented the seafood. This method allowed the fish to stay preserved for months without spoiling.
The preservation method worked so well that it spread from Southeast Asia to China over the centuries. Japanese fishermen later adopted it, and when they returned home, fishmongers throughout Japan began experimenting with the technique, eventually leading to the creation of sushi as we know it by the 8th century AD.
9. Quick and Tasty! Sushi transitioned from a lengthy fermentation process to a fast food sensation in the early 19th century. In the 1820s, Tokyo was a lively city, and street markets were thriving. It was during this time that food stall vendors came up with the idea of offering their fermented fish as a quick snack to the bustling crowds.
Sushi’s popularity exploded in the 1820s. Tokyo, with its busy streets and active market scene, saw a new wave of innovation: food stall owners began selling their fermented fish as an easy, quick bite for people on the go.
They named it “Edo-Mae sushi,” after an old term used to refer to Tokyo, and it closely resembled the modern sushi we know today. At the time, Japan’s business scene was opening up to common citizens, with emperors allowing ordinary people to start businesses and own things like food stalls. This new accessibility to commerce helped the sushi stall industry thrive.
Much like today, the people of Edo (modern-day Tokyo) were known for their fast-paced lifestyles. With little time to spare as they went about their busy days building businesses, they craved quick meals they could eat on the go. Sushi, wrapped tightly and easy to carry, was the perfect solution. In a way, it was the drive-thru of that time.
People flocked to food stalls on the streets of Edo, grabbing a sushi roll to take with them as they walked about their business. Before long, Edo-Mae sushi spread beyond Japan’s coastal cities into the inland towns. As Edo transformed into Tokyo, the sushi process continued to evolve, and the sushi we enjoy today can trace its roots directly to the food stall vendors of two centuries ago!
8. The Power of Wasabi Sushi lovers are all familiar with wasabi—that fiery green paste that accompanies nearly every sushi roll at restaurants. But there’s more to this spicy condiment than just adding heat to your dish.
Wasabi, that bold green paste that’s served alongside almost every sushi roll in restaurants, is known for its intense spiciness. However, there’s much more to this condiment than simply spicing up your meal.
In earlier times, wasabi’s sharp paste was used primarily as an antibacterial agent to eliminate harmful microbes that could be present in raw fish. Sushi chefs and fishmongers would apply wasabi to ensure the raw fish they were selling and preparing remained fresh and safe to eat before it was served to customers.
In modern times, wasabi has become more of a garnish or delicacy, if we can even call it that. At many sushi restaurants around the world, the “wasabi” that accompanies your order is frequently a green-tinted horseradish paste, crafted to look like real wasabi. Sorry for the disappointment.
However, if you’re lucky enough to get authentic wasabi, you’ll be pleased to know it has some remarkable benefits. For example, the compound “6-methylsulfinylhexyl isothiocyanate” found in true wasabi has been shown to play a role in eliminating harmful bacteria like E. coli and Staphylococcus aureus. But there’s more—researchers have also discovered that wasabi can boost brain function and improve memory capacity for those who consume it!
7. The Deadly Fugu Did you know there’s a type of sushi that can be fatal within hours if it’s not prepared correctly? This sushi is called “fugu,” and it’s a pufferfish that holds the dangerous distinction of being a deadly delicacy in Japan. The pufferfish contains a toxin potent enough to cause death if consumed after improper preparation.
There is a sushi called “fugu,” a pufferfish that can be deadly if not prepared properly. This dangerous delicacy from Japan contains a toxic substance that can kill if consumed when not carefully prepared.
Tetrodotoxin, the deadly compound found in pufferfish, triggers swift and excruciating pain. It starts with sudden numbness around the mouth, quickly spreading throughout the body, leading to paralysis. In a short time, the toxin causes death. Just. Like. That.
It’s terrifying to think that there’s no known antidote for this poison anywhere in the world. The toxin is believed to be up to 1,000 times more potent than cyanide. If it were to be consumed unknowingly in a sushi restaurant, it could result in a catastrophic tragedy. Despite this, fugu remains a popular delicacy in Japan, admired for its danger and allure.
Unsurprisingly, chefs preparing fugu must be specially trained and licensed to handle the pufferfish and remove its toxic parts. The toxin is mostly found throughout the fish, except for the edible flesh, so a skilled and certified chef can prepare the dish safely. Still, would you be willing to risk your life for a few bites of sushi?
6. Mastering Sushi Etiquette Sushi isn’t something you just eat any way you like. It’s not pizza, folks! There are specific rules to sushi consumption, and being mindful and respectful of the proper way to eat it is part of the experience!
Sushi isn’t a casual meal where you can eat however you wish. It’s not like pizza! There’s an art to eating sushi, and following the proper etiquette enhances the experience. So take your time and enjoy the ritual!
First and foremost, proper sushi etiquette dictates that you should never mix wasabi into your soy sauce. Instead, it should be dabbed directly onto the sushi, adding a fiery spice to the fish. The pickled ginger that accompanies your sushi, known as gari, should be eaten in small bites between different rolls to cleanse your palate, preparing it for the next piece.
The most important rule of sushi etiquette concerns soy sauce. You should never dip the rice side of your roll directly into the soy sauce. Doing so will cause the rice to absorb too much sauce, overpowering the delicate flavors of the fish and leaving you with only a soy-heavy taste.
Soy sauce is meant to complement, not dominate, the dish. When eating a common nigiri roll, the proper way is to dip the fish side of the sushi into the soy sauce, allowing just a hint of flavor to soak into the fish. This enhances the taste without overwhelming it. Delicious!
5. Hold Up! Stop That Sushi! If you've eaten your fair share of sushi, and especially if you've ever been to Japan, you're probably familiar with conveyor belt sushi, or “kaiten-zushi.” This quirky dining experience involves a conveyor belt that runs continuously around the restaurant, delivering a variety of sushi to guests.
If you’ve ever indulged in sushi, especially in Japan, you might have encountered the phenomenon of conveyor belt sushi, also called “kaiten-zushi.” It’s a fun and unique way to enjoy your meal, with plates of sushi rotating on a never-ending belt, bringing fresh options right to your seat.
Diners seated next to the conveyor belt select the sushi pieces that appeal to them, grab them off the belt, enjoy the meal, and settle the bill once they're done. It’s a fast and efficient way to enjoy sushi whenever you like, kind of like a reverse drive-thru. Instead of driving to a window to pick up food, the food comes right to you. How much easier can it get?
The story behind conveyor belt sushi is quite intriguing. It began in a sushi restaurant in Tokyo during the 1950s, where the owner, Yoshiaki Shiraishi, struggled to find reliable staff. His restaurant was extremely popular with customers, but the staffing challenges made it hard to serve everyone efficiently.
Unable to meet the demand with sufficient staff, Shiraishi came up with a brilliant solution: the conveyor belt. This innovation allowed him to serve more customers faster and more efficiently. From this invention came a conveyor belt culture that’s now a common feature in many sushi restaurants worldwide!
4. California Rollin' The California roll is one of the most widely recognized sushi rolls globally. However, it’s rarely found in Japan—if at all! Instead, it’s a staple in the United States, Canada, Europe, and other Western countries. A classic California roll typically includes avocado, crab, and cucumber: simple, delicious, and straight to the point. Its origins? Well, that’s a bit of a mystery.
The California roll, often seen as one of the world’s most common sushi rolls, is actually quite rare in Japan. It’s a go-to option in Western countries like the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Made with avocado, crab, and cucumber, it’s a straightforward, tasty roll. But as for its history? That part is a little murky.
Some accounts suggest that the California roll wasn’t actually invented in California. Instead, it’s believed to have been created in Vancouver, Canada, by Japanese chef Hidekazu Tojo. Frustrated by his Western customers’ reluctance to eat raw fish, Tojo decided to combine locally popular ingredients like Dungeness crab and avocado. And from there, the iconic roll was born!
But that’s not the only version of the California roll’s origin story. Some historians and food enthusiasts argue that the roll was first created in California in the 1960s. According to them, it was the work of sushi chef Ichiro Mashita in Los Angeles. Seeking a way to encourage his customers to enjoy more fish, Mashita embraced fresh California ingredients, like avocado, and went on to popularize a roll that now graces sushi menus everywhere.
3. Keeping Up with Trends Sushi has come a long way. What was once a simple dish is now a canvas for new and creative food ideas. Sure, it still keeps the core ingredients—rice, seaweed, raw fish, and spicy mayo. But the world took a turn for the inventive when Peter Yen introduced the sushi burrito in 2008.
This innovation happened at Sushirrito, a fast-casual restaurant in San Francisco, where Peter Yen was on a mission to bring sushi to a whole new audience. Inspired by the growing popularity of burritos in the U.S., Yen took a cue from Mexican-American cuisine and turned sushi into a burrito, blending two cultures in a deliciously bold way.
At Sushirrito in San Francisco, Peter Yen set out to make sushi more accessible to a wider crowd. By tapping into the love for burritos, which were gaining massive popularity in the U.S., Yen created the sushi burrito, a fun fusion of Mexican-American and Japanese flavors that has since become a trend.
The sushi burrito quickly became a sensation, and it was far from the only innovation. Since then, creations like sushi burgers and even sushi donuts have been born. Essentially, if a sushi chef can figure out how to reshape sushi into the form of another dish, they’ll give it a shot!
Given that Americans constantly crave sushi in nearly every conceivable form, these new creations are almost guaranteed to be a hit. Why not get inventive and find new, exciting ways to present sushi to customers? No matter how it’s served, we’ll be there to enjoy it!
2. The Price of Tuna The most expensive sushi ingredient ever bought happened in 2013, when Kiyoshi Kimura, the president of a well-known sushi chain, spent a staggering $1.7 million on a 489-pound (222-kilogram) bluefin tuna. Kimura made the purchase at the famous Tsukiji fish market during a historic auction in January of that year.
This hefty price tag was due to the fact that bluefin tuna is considered a delicacy in Japan and is extremely hard to come by. After years of overfishing, bluefin tuna populations have dwindled worldwide, driving the price of the fish through the roof. In Japan, it’s so rare that it’s often referred to as the 'black diamond' of sushi ingredients.
Bluefin tuna is prized for its rarity and high demand in Japan, where it's seen as a luxury ingredient. Due to decades of overfishing, these tuna are becoming increasingly scarce, which makes them incredibly expensive. In fact, it's so coveted that sushi enthusiasts refer to it as the 'black diamond' of sushi.
For Kimura's record-setting tuna purchase, he would have needed to sell each slice of bluefin sushi for as much as $325 just to break even. However, he had no intention of doing that. Kimura told the media that he planned to sell the fish at a significant loss, pricing each piece of the bluefin sushi at approximately $4.30 at his restaurants.
"I wanted to meet the expectations of my customers who said they wanted to eat Japan’s best tuna again this year," Kimura told reporters after purchasing the extraordinarily expensive tuna. "With this good tuna, I hope to help cheer up Japan." Despite the hefty price tag, Kimura’s generosity did indeed lift spirits.
1. That’s How We Roll Sushi rolls continue to grow in size and creativity. Beyond the traditional nigiri and sashimi varieties found in Japan, the American-style rolls have become a global phenomenon. These rolls often feature tempura ingredients, such as fried shrimp, cooked fish, or baked scallops, placed atop a roll of raw fish wrapped in rice. Every year, these rolls get bigger, longer, and more elaborate!
However, none of these rolls can top the record for the longest sushi roll ever made. On November 20, 2016, a massive sushi roll was created during the Tamana Otawara Festival in Tamana, Kumamoto, Japan. Nearly 400 people came together at the Tamana City Labor Athletic Center to create a sushi roll that would go down in history.
At the 2016 Tamana Otawara Festival, a team of nearly 400 volunteers came together to set a world record for the longest sushi roll. The event, held at the Tamana City Labor Athletic Center in Kumamoto, Japan, successfully produced a sushi roll that broke records and captured attention worldwide.
As reported by Guinness World Records, the Tamana roll secured its place in history as the longest sushi roll ever made, measuring an astounding 9,332 feet (2,844 meters) in length. The roll, crafted by 400 participants, was packed with pickled daikon radish, sesame seeds, rice, and sushi paper. This monumental creation reclaimed the title of the world's longest sushi roll for Japan.
In 2011, a group from Russia had briefly claimed the record with their own giant sushi roll, surpassing earlier attempts. However, after the impressive feat at the 2016 Tamana Festival, Japan regained its rightful place as the home of the longest sushi roll ever made—just as it should be!
