Sushi - The Appetite of Japan 

Being a native dish in Japan, Sushi is now widespread and loved by most of the people in the world. It is formed with short-grain rice, medium-grain white rice or brown rice. 

The rice is accompanied by seafood such as tuna, squid, salmon, eel, etc. You also get to enjoy vegetarian sushi served with wasabi, soy sauce, etc.   

What is sushi?

Sushi is a Japanese cuisine prepared with vinegared rice, salt and sugar and is accompanied with seafood and vegetables. Garnishes like pickled daikon and daikon radish are used for garnishing the sushi. Now that you have an idea on what is sushi, let us know the types of sushi that are prepared, such as:

• Inarizushi
• Modern Narezushi
• Oshizushi
• Chirashizushi
• Makizushi
• Nagirizushi

History of sushi

The dish was first introduced in Japan approximately around the Yayoi period. During this time the fish was fermented with salt, vinegar and rice after which the rice was discarded. The history of sushi grade fish along with the rice began in the Muromachi period. Later in the Edo period, vinegar was used along with rice apart from being used for fermentation. 

Origin

The earliest origin or history of sushi began after it was prepared by Lacto-fermenting the fish with rice and salt to keep the putrefaction under control. In the Muromachi period, sushi named ‘namanare’ was the most popular type. It was prepared with partly raw fish wrapped with rice. This form of the sushi was eaten fresh to avoid the change in flavour. 

With changes in time, the rice was eaten along with fish at the same time. The rice was mixed with vegetables, fish, vinegar, etc. This form has further been improvised, and sushi is now eaten with a mould of rice with a slice of fish used to drape over it. 

Health benefits 

Now that you have learned what is sushi and its origin let us take a look at the health benefits it provides. 

1. Sushi consists of fish, which is a good source of vitamin, protein, minerals and iodine. Fish is also known to contain omega-3 fats which are required by your body and brain to function accurately. These fats are also known to keep multiple heart diseases at bay. 
2. In many areas, seaweeds are used to roll sushi. Seaweeds contain phosphorus, calcium, thiamine, magnesium, etc. which contributes to the daily nutrient of the human diet. 
3. The primary component of sushi is known to be white rice, which has low fiber content. This low fiber content ensures that the carbs of this food item are broken down comfortably in your digestive system. 
4. Often, sushi is served along with wasabi paste. Wasabi is rich in compounds like isothiocyanates, beta carotene and glucosinolates which are known to have anticancer, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Besides the above, sushi has other health benefits, such as it helps in the regulation of hormones, boosts our immune system, boosts metabolism, improves heart health, etc. To describe what is sushi size- it can be eaten in one bite dipped in wasabi, soy sauce or any other sauces.