Sushi: What Lies Behind Rice and Fish

Behind a small piece of rice topped with fish lies a thousand-year history, strict traditions, and bold experimentation. Let’s explore how Tokyo’s street food conquered the world—and why the Japanese often eat sushi with their hands.

Sushi Is Not About Raw Fish

The first myth worth debunking: sushi is not about raw fish. The heart of the dish is rice seasoned with rice vinegar, known in Japan as su-meshi. Fish, seafood, and vegetables are merely additions to this foundation.

The secret of good sushi lies in balance: the acidity of the vinegar, the sweetness of the rice, and the flavor of the topping must complement each other. That’s why Japanese masters say that 70% of sushi quality depends on the rice.

From Fermented Fish to Fast Food

The history of sushi begins far from Japan—in Southeast Asia around the 4th century. Back then, fish was preserved in boiled rice and left to ferment for months. The rice was discarded, and only the fish was eaten. Through China, this method reached Japan, where it evolved into narezushi—a dish with a strong smell and distinctive taste that is still prepared today.

A turning point came between the 14th and 16th centuries, when the Japanese began eating the rice together with the fish, without waiting for full fermentation. The invention of rice vinegar sped things up even more—no need to wait months for flavor to develop.

Modern sushi was born around 1820 in Tokyo, thanks to chef Hanaya Yohei. He placed a slice of fish on pressed rice, creating nigiri sushi. It was quick street food for city dwellers—something like the fast food of its time. Interestingly, the original fish slices were two to three times larger than those served today.

Types of Sushi: From Classics to Improvisation

• Nigiri — the classic form: rice topped with a slice of fish. Simple and elegant.
• Maki — rolls wrapped in nori. These include thin hosomaki with one ingredient, thick futomaki with multiple fillings, and uramaki—rolls with rice on the outside, popular outside Japan.
• Temaki — hand-rolled cones of nori, casual and home-style.
• Gunkan-maki — “battleship” sushi, rice wrapped in nori for soft toppings like roe or sea urchin.
• Chirashi — a bowl of rice topped with a colorful assortment of ingredients, perfect when you want a bit of everything.

Fish: From Staples to Delicacies

Tuna (maguro) is the king of sushi. The most prized cut is the fatty otoro, which melts in the mouth. Salmon is hugely popular today, but here’s a surprise: in Japan it became common in sushi only in the late 20th century. For a long time, the Japanese avoided it due to parasites. Its popularity grew after Norwegian producers began exporting safe, farmed salmon to Japan in the 1980s.

Eel (unagi) is always served cooked—sweet, tender, and glazed. Shrimp (ebi) and yellowtail (hamachi) are classics you’ll find in any sushi bar.

Among delicacies are sea urchin (uni) with its creamy texture, salmon roe (ikura) that bursts in your mouth, and scallop (hotate), sweet and delicate.

Wasabi, Soy Sauce, and Ginger: The Rules

Real wasabi is rare and expensive. Most restaurants serve a paste made from horseradish. Traditionally, the chef places wasabi between the rice and the fish, so there’s no need to mix it into soy sauce.

Soy sauce is meant for the fish, not the rice—dip sushi fish-side down. Pickled ginger (gari) is used to cleanse the palate between different types of sushi, not eaten together with it.

Where to Find the Best Sushi in Japan

In Tokyo, head to the Toyosu area, successor to the legendary Tsukiji Market. Here you can try sushi made from fish unloaded from boats just hours earlier. The restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro became world-famous thanks to a documentary film, though getting a reservation is notoriously difficult.

Osaka is known for slightly sweeter rice and a more casual approach to sushi. Hokkaido offers some of the best seafood in Japan—scallops, crab, and sea urchin.

Interestingly, many Japanese prefer kaiten-sushi—conveyor-belt restaurants where you can eat quickly and affordably.

When Sushi Goes Beyond Tradition

In Japan itself, chefs experiment with wagyu beef, duck, and citrusy yuzu. In the West, experimentation went even further: California rolls with avocado, sushi with cream cheese, and even deep-fried rolls appeared.

The Japanese are generally relaxed about these variations, but they don’t consider them traditional—much like Italians don’t mind pineapple on pizza, they just don’t call it Italian cuisine.

A Few Final Facts

• In Japan, eating sushi with your hands is perfectly normal—and even proper.
• Training to become a sushi master traditionally takes up to 10 years; in the first years, apprentices may only wash rice.
• Wasabi was originally used as an antiseptic to kill bacteria in raw fish.
• The world’s most expensive sushi is made from tuna sold at auctions for staggering sums—sometimes over one million dollars per fish.

More Than Just Food

Sushi reflects Japanese philosophy: respect for seasonality, minimalism, attention to detail, and a balance between tradition and innovation. It’s not just a dish—it’s a cultural code that continues to evolve.

History, craftsmanship, and art all fit in the palm of your hand in the form of a small piece of rice topped with fish.