212-302-0707
108 West 44th Street, NYC
(bet. 6th Ave. & Broadway)
A Quick Glance of the History of Japanese Sushi
Circa 270
Su or rice vinegar was first introduced to Japan from China, during the rein of the Ohjin Tenno era, and was found and produced in the area presently known as Osaka.
The Japanese vinegar was named Izumi-Su. During that period of time, vinegar had been used to flavoring throughout various parts of the world, along with alcoholic beverage such as Sake and wine, but its acidity and lack of aroma made it less popular compared to the simple citrus juices.
Circa 645
The origin of sushi; Izushi or Narezushi was brought to the Japanese imperial household from China long with Buddhism. Izushi or Narezushi was made in a barrel with alternate layers of cooked rice and salted fish. The fermentation of the rice and fish made Izushi a natural preservative. This type of sushi still exists today in Kyoto and Hokuriku (Japan Sea Coast) areas.
Circa 1118-1190
Saigyo Hoshi, a celebrated imperial court samurai who became a monk and poet, was one of the first to introduce original and highly aesthetic Japanese elements into the imperial and noble classes which had been under the influences of Chinese culture. For example, in the imperial gardens, cherry trees were introduced to take place of traditional plum trees from China. Saigyo's aesthetic views, represented by his praise of Ka-cho-fu-getsu (flower, bird, wind and moon) had an important influence among Japanese culture to appreciate more of the beauty of nature.
Circa 1575
During the Azuchi-Momoyama era, emergence of powerful samurai clans along with rich merchants helped bring about a marked exchange in many of the Japanese art forms such as, tea ceremony, paintings, lacquer ware, architecture, kabuki and kimono dying. As for the epicurean trends, more rare and delicious food were brought into urban life, and made more accessible to the average person.This era saw high appreciation for more aesthetic presentation of foods and serving ware, as cooking techniques became far more sophisticated. The first production of Japanese soy sauce also begun in this period, with wheat soybeans and salt as its main ingredients. Prior to this, most sauces were made from fish and salt or miso and brine, sometimes from plain pickle juice.
1590
Tokugawa Ieyasu started the cultivation of Wasabi for his personal health care, based on studies of various medicinal plants. The family crest of Tokugawa clan displays three Aoi leaves, which somewhat resembles the leaves of Wasabi. The earlier Shoyu (soy sauce), mainly produced in Osaka, were costly and therefore not popular among the commoners. As the production of wheat increased in Edo (Tokyo), Koikuchi Shoyu became more popular for its lower cost.
1660
During Edo Genroku period, Unagi Kabayaki (broiled eel) and Soba (buckwheat noodle) made their first appearance in Edo's culinary scenes. Vinegar made from sake lees became very popular, and was mixed with rice or used with fish. Sashimi also became popular during this period. Dry seaweed was cultivated in Tokyo Bay area (Edo-mae).
1820
Nigiri Sushi (individually made sushi pieces) was first introduced by Kaya Yohei. This form of sushi was considered as a fast food, due to the quick and simple process in making them.
1830
Inari Sushi (cooked fried bean curd sushi)
1870
Raw fish gradually found its way into Japanese dining tables, as a result of the invention of icebox. Toro (fatty tuna), one of the most prized sushi fish today, was not popular at that time.
1950
AS prices for sushi became more reasonable, the demand for Toro increased.
1975
Globalized economy brought an unprecedented number of Japanese business into New York. The trend triggered a sushi boom in the metropolitan area, with sushi making a steady step into American culture.
2002
Now American style sushi, such as California Roll, is making a fantastic home coming to Japanese culinary scene. Today the demand for restaurants with distinct characteristics is ever increasing. Ambience, quality of food and its ingredients, as well as the service are crucial to their success. A low-keyed and spiritually restful ambience is in high demand. American culture appreciates more diverse presentation of Japanese food than ever before.
Sushi is essentially designed with intent to magnify the natural qualities of various ingredients by combining them with delicately flavored rice.
Today’s trend to add exceedingly seasoned toppings to sushi, rolls with contents that have too much fat and coloration worry me. It seems to me that
excessive consumption of fat could be attributed to the use of too much spice. We have to respect the historical development of sushi once again to
savor this marvelous dish at its best.
I think the development of sushi was cultivated mainly by three traditional Japanese ideas.
The first is the spirit of harmony (wa), which emphasizes the importance of both the concord and the uniqueness of individuals.
The second is the spirit of zen cooking methodized by Eiheiji. The method is described in the book called Tenzo Kyokun by Dogen and influenced Japanese
public significantly.
Some of the points in the book are,
Be considerate to whom you serve.
Devise hard without begrudging.
Reflect the season’s change.
Respect the materials and do not waste.
Use of 6 tastes (hot, sour, sweet, bitter, salty and the 6th delicate taste)
Use of 5 ways to cook (raw, boil, broil, fry and steam)
Use of 5 colors (blue, yellow, red, white and black)
You may refer to http://tenzo.net/ for more information. I also like to add that it is common among Buddhists to avoid strong scent and flavors (such as
garlic and chive).
The third is the spirit of Saigyo. Saigyo’s aesthetic view stresses the appreciation of natural beauty and the keen awareness to the change of
seasons. This has evolved to the schematic placement of objects that represent sky, earth and man in traditional Japanese flower arrangement.
These ideas and spirit, developed over 800 years, are still valid and contain many suggestions for chefs of all different backgrounds. In the
future, I hope that sushi will fuse the spirit of Japanese chefs and that of other cultures and promote diverse and richer culinary world.
December 2007
Toshio Suzuki