Until the 20th century, sushi was not widely known outside Japan. It was a fast food that was served by street vendors. After World War Two, however, the Great Kanto Earthquake caused the stalls to move indoors for sanitary reasons. As a result, sushi became popular in Japan. By the 1970s, sushi restaurants began to pop up in Tokyo and other cities, and the demand for sushi became higher. The economic boom and wave of Japanese immigrants helped sushi become popular in the U.S. and other Western countries.
The history of sushi dates back to Southeast Asia, where hill tribes used pickling techniques to preserve their fish. The practice of fermenting fish with rice and salt was first documented in the 3rd to 5th century B.C., and later spread to China. The rice and fish were stored in barrels for a few months. The vinegar used in the process was later added to the rice to cut the fermentation time. In the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1573-1603), people began eating the rice and fish together, creating the foundation for sushi.
The first sushi to appear in Japan was called narezushi, which means “pickled rice.” In this early form of sushi, raw fish was wrapped in vinegared rice. The rice wrapped around the fish allowed the fish to be stored for a longer period of time, and gave it an umami flavor. The lactic acid produced during the fermentation process protected the fish from rotting. The rice and fish were then discarded after the fermentation process was complete.
In the early 19th century, the first sushi stall appeared in the Ryogoku district of Edo. Hanaya Yohei, who lived in Edo during the 1820s, is credited with inventing the modern form of sushi, known as nigiri sushi. This new form of sushi was served in restaurants, and was eaten with other foods. The rice was wrapped around the fish, which made it difficult for flies to enter the rice. Eventually, the sushi was eaten with rice, which gave the dish a modern presentation.
Nigiri sushi became the standard in preparation. It was served alongside inarizushi, which was made by filling fried tofu skins with rice. After World War Two, refrigeration made it easier to preserve raw fish. Increasing demand for premium sushi in Japan led to the establishment of thousands of sushi restaurants. The demand for sushi increased exponentially in the 1970s. Restaurants also began to offer a variety of meats and other foods. In the United States, Japanese immigrants began to bring sushi to the West in the early 1900s. Despite the anti-Japanese sentiment, sushi became popular in America.
The Great Kanto Earthquake caused land prices in Tokyo to plummet, and allowed sushi vendors to move their carts indoors. Sushi restaurants quickly gained popularity, and by the late twentieth century, sushi had spread throughout the world. By the early 1990s, sushi restaurants were open in almost every country. Many were expensive, and most consumers were upper-class people.