A Short History of Sushi

Nowadays sushi is maybe the most cherished dish in Japan. And most of us tend to believe that it originates from Japanese areas. However, Sushi has first appeared and started being cooked in Thailand and Vietnam, as sources state. Then, it became known in Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines and finally brought to China.

While at first it was considered as the food of poor people, who worked in or near paddy fields, it ended up becoming one of the most sophisticated dishes worldwide.

Around 718 sushi had finally reached Japan, after having been discovered and consumed in Thailand and Vietnam for quite a while. While glorified for its taste, it was found unworthy because of its smell.

Actually it was the Muromachi period, between 1338 and 1573, that made sushi lose its smell by changing the way people cooked it. During the 12th century, an update was going to be made in regards to the preparation of sushi, which eventually led to it being consumed in big amount by artisans, warriors, merchants and nobles.