When one thinks of sushi, the mind immediately goes to the country of Japan. After all, that’s the country that made sushi what it is today. While the Japanese surely have perfected the art of sushi, the dish itself originated outside of the country of Japan. In fact, it is believed that the inspiration for sushi started in Southeast Asia. Narezushi, which is fermented fish wrapped up in sour rice, actually originated somewhere along the Mekong river before eventually spreading into China and then into Japan later on.

With that said, the modern day version of sushi that we enjoy today was invented in Japan. The credit for a more modern take on this raw-fish dish goes to Hanaya Yohei. T is believed that he created the dish sometime around the end of the Edo period in the mid-1800s. So while Japan certainly has perfected and made sushi into an art, the original concept did originate off of the island somewhere in Southeast Asia. Still, it is safe to say that without the Japanese influence, sushi would not be what we know and love today.

What comes to your mind when you think of sushi?