Narezushi (fish fermented in rice, origin of sushi)
Narezushi (pescado fermentado en arroz, origen del sushi)
- Date
- c. century II (discutido) · confidence low
- Place
- Mekong basin, Laos
- Credited to
- Peoples of mainland Southeast Asia
- Field
- Life & health
⚠️ Disputed: the sources disagree.
What it is
Fish preserved between layers of cooked rice and salt, fermenting by lactic acid and eaten without the rice. Sushi derives from this method of preserving fish.
An origin in Southeast Asia (Mekong) is the common hypothesis, supported by the distribution of similar preparations; the Chinese dictionary Shuowen jiezi (121) already defines a fish preserve in rice. Date and place are inferred.
What it led to
- funazushi of Lake Biwa in Japan
- sushi with vinegared rice (haya-zushi) in Edo
- sushi as a global cuisine from the 20th century