Sushi Trivia - Interesting facts about Japan

apanese Sushi Trivia

1) Japanese green tea and pickled ginger are served with sushi. When sushi is made, Wasabi (horseradish) is placed between the rice and fish, while vinegar is used for sushi rice. All of these kill germs, thus working to prevent food poisoning.

2) In the Edo period, sushi was about three or four times larger than it is now.

3) Tea cups at sushi bars are very large and thick. This is so that the tea will not cool down quickly. Originally, sushi was street food and the chef had to take care of everything by himself. He needed a way to avoid having to continually make another cup of tea.

4) In the mid-1980’s, salmon sushi became available in Japan. Delegations from Norway suggested salmon sushi, as they wanted to export more salmon to Japan.

5) The person who came up with belt conveyor sushi got the idea when he visited a beer factory and saw the belt conveyors there.

6) People in Yamanashi Prefecture spend more money on sushi than do people in any other prefecture. Yamanashi is mountainous and does not face any ocean.

7) There are about 500 sushi restaurants in the so-called outer market area of Tsukiji Fish Market in Tokyo. Tsukiji is a very popular place among travelers from overseas.

8) The rice for sushi is called Shari. The term “Shari” originally referred to the Buddha’s ashes.

9) The first belt conveyor sushi restaurant opened in Osaka in 1958.

10) The belt conveyor at sushi restaurants goes around in a clockwise direction. This is because most people are right-handed.

11) Many prestigious sushi bars do not indicate their prices. One of the reasons for this is that businessmen often take their clients to such places and it is better if the clients do not know the prices.

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