Sushi: An Historical
Perspective
Michelle Messer R.S.
April 5, 2010
Sushi and Sashimi
Sushi:
Rice, with raw fish, wrapped in seaweed
Sashimi:
(1)
(2)
A type of sushi consisting of only the thin
slices of raw fish
Of or pertaining to the type of sushi
served without sticky white rice
Sushi History
 Su
(Vinegar) + Shi (rice) = Vinegared
rice
 4th Century BC in SE Asia
 Preserved food: salted fish with fermented
rice
 Only the fish was eaten, the rice was
discarded
Sushi History
Japan food shortage
 Rice not discarded, but eaten along with
fish
 Fermentation process shortened so fish
was raw.
 Currently sushi is a multi-billion dollar
industry

What sanitarians are seeing
 Menu
and invoices not
matching
 Comingling fish within
boxes
 Incomplete parasitic
destruction records
 No or improper calibration
of pH meters
What sanitarians are seeing
 Display
coolers improperly used
 No HACCP plans, or time as a public
health control records for
acidified rice
 Wooden bowls (Hangiri
or Sushi Oke) and
soiled bamboo mats
Sushi popularity
The number of sushi bars in the U.S. quintupled
between 1988 and 1998, and has kept on
growing.
 Since 2000, sushi has thrived at the heights of
American cuisine, with classicist sushi chefs
shipping in rare fish from Japan and avant-garde
chefs bending tradition daily.
 Perhaps the ultimate compliment: American-style
sushi has emigrated back to Japan via the
California roll.
Food and Wine Magazine
