Sushi is a very popular food all around the world these days. A lot of chefs, cooks and ordinary people know how to make sushi and often do it at home. But few people know the origin of this dish. Where did it come from? What dish was a “predecessor” for sushi? And just so you know, it was funazushi – very original and a little bit weird food.
This video already has over 170,000 views. And it was published on YouTube less than 2 days ago.
The first time I tried it, since I had never had it before, it was shocking. It was as if I’d been electrocuted.
Sushi is born
Takashima city, Japan
Funazushi is said to be the origin of all sushi.
– My name is Atsushi Kitamura.
– My name is Mariko Kitamura. I make funazushi with my husband.
Mariko Kitamura: The taste is distinctive. A fish version of prosciutto. Its saltiness is a bit like caviar. There are two types of sushi: hon-nare and haya-nare. The general type is haya-nare. You make vinegared rice and put raw fish on it and eat it within a day. Funazushi is hon-nare. It is a preserved food – fermented carp that is caught in Lake Biwa, eaten with rice. This is a local cuisine in Shiga Prefecture. Our shop was opened in 1619, about 400 years ago. I am the 18th generation in the shop.
Atsushi Kitamura: Even though I am a lazy person, I like the process of making funazushi. In making funazushi, there are 3 important things: cleaning the inside of the fish, draining the blood, and desalinization. If I neglect any of the three steps, the taste becomes awful. It takes about 3 years to go from raw fish to funazushi.
Mariko Kitamura: It takes time and effort to make this, so the number of people making it at home has been decreasing. The dish is a part of food culture in Shiga Prefecture; and we are the only ones who can make funazushi, so we want to make sure people continue to know about the origins of sushi.
Atsushi Kitamura: It just tastes so good. I am addicted.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8rpgq5Wb9c
