To Make Japan's Original Sushi, First Age Fish for Several Months

> Today, sushi has come a long way from the narezushi days, mostly due to societal changes in Japan. In the 19th century, explosive economic growth and a busy working class led to the genesis of modern sushi culture. It was during this period that sushi became a fast food, with vendors packing pre-cured fish on top of vinegar-seasoned rice and selling it on the street. “People started learning about seasoning instead of just waiting for a long time,” says Isassi. “They started seasoning the rice separately with vinegar and sugar.” Vinegar, she says, is great at mimicking the acidic bite of naturally lactic acid-fermented rice. > > As time went on, the curing time of sushi fish was eventually shortened from several weeks to a couple of hours. Refrigeration has since completely eliminated the need for a curing process, and most sushi sold today is simply raw fish over lightly seasoned rice. It’s almost the antithesis of its original form—ocean fish instead of river fish, fresh ingredients instead of aged, and a dish that’s assembled quickly instead of very slowly. But while narezushi may have waned in popularity over the centuries, it’s still very much a classic, passed down the generations under the careful care of chefs like Matsubara of Toho Chaya.