Sushi is a Japanese dish that generally consists of lightly seasoned vinegar and salt seasoned rice, lightly pressed and served with a combination of mainly fish and seafood.
In addition to Nigirizushi, which is often associated with sushi, there are several other types of sushi, including Makizushi(vinegared rice and raw fish, shrimp, egg, vegetables, and others wrapped with seawead), Chirashizushi(vinegared rice topped with sliced raw fish, shrimp, egg, vegetables, and others), and Inarizushi (rice wrapped in fried tofu).
Nigirizushi
Nigirizushi can be made with a wide variety of ingredients, including tuna, young yellowtail, sardines, conger eel, sea bream, salmon, squid, octopus, shrimp, scallops, sea urchin, salmon roe, egg, natto(fermented soybeans), and even meat sushi made with beef and other ingredients.
Origins of Sushi
Sushi is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia from Nare-zushi, a lactic fermented fish dish made with salt, rice, and other ingredients. Narezushi is a preservation method developed by a mountain tribe as a way to preserve fish for a long period of time.
It was introduced to Japan during the Nara period (710-794), and during the Edo period (1603-1867), Nigirizushi became popular due to the increased production and distribution of rice vinegar.
During the Edo period, Nigirizushi became very popular at yatai (street stalls) because of its ease of eating quickly, and it was favored as a fast food.