Sushi is most closely associated with Japan as a traditional cuisine. In its modern form, sushi combines vinegared rice with ingredients such as seafood, vegetables, omelet, or other toppings and fillings.
Sushi’s deeper history began with fermented fish preserved in rice, a technique that developed in Southeast Asia and spread through the region. In Japan, the preparation gradually changed: people began eating the rice as well as the fish, and vinegar eventually replaced long fermentation. These changes produced styles more recognizable today.
The fast-food version of modern sushi emerged in Edo, now Tokyo, during the nineteenth century. Hanaya Yohei is widely credited with popularizing nigiri-zushi around 1824. His hand-pressed rice topped with seafood was convenient to eat and suited the busy urban culture of the Edo period.
Sushi is often confused with sashimi, but the defining feature of sushi is seasoned vinegared rice. Raw fish is common, not mandatory; sushi can contain cooked seafood, vegetables, tofu, or no seafood at all. Korean kimbap may look similar, but its rice is usually seasoned with sesame oil rather than sushi vinegar.