Did you know that the typical dish of Japanese food, or the sushi, is it not actually from Japan? It may seem strange, but the reality is just this: it seems that sushi, as well as tofu and ramen, have been imported from abroad and then adapted to the Japanese style and taste.
The origins of sushi date back to the fourth century, when in many regions of Southeast Asia, and especially in China and Korea, a particular method of preserving fish was widespread, which provided for its evisceration, salting and subsequent storage inside boiled rice.
Thanks to the fermentation of the latter, an increase in the acidity of the environment in which the fish was located was generated, which could therefore also be stored for months in this way.
Apparently the original name of the sushi, in some countries still used today, was Narezushi or Funazushi, depending on the fish used and the area of origin.

But only in the period Muromachi, between 1336 and 1573, fermented rice was no longer thrown away, which was then eaten together with fish.
Sushi was rightfully entering Japanese cuisine, no longer as a method of preservation, but as a real dish, enriched with the sour taste of the vinegar with which the rice was seasoned.

The Edo period of Japanese cuisine

In the Edo period, sushi experienced an evolution in terms of preparation techniques.
It quickly spread to Tokyo haya-zushi, or the "fast shushi". Instead of waiting for the rice to ferment, it was mixed with vinegar and added to the fish, also stuffing it with vegetables and other ingredients.
The sushi, as we understand it today, or as a rice dumpling on which a piece of fish rests, appears in 1800. Its name was nigiri-zushi and it was the typical Japanese street food, sold in the stalls.
However, it was marinated in soy sauce and salt, to last longer, given the absence of refrigerators. The wasabi, moreover, it was used to cover any unpleasant flavors of the fish, often not very fresh.