In an endearing ancient Japanese tale, an elderly woman concealed her pots of rice in osprey nets in order to deter thieves. After a while, she found that the rice had begun fermenting within the nests. Along with the fermented rice were scraps of fish left from osprey meals. She discovered not only was this fishy rice concoction delicious, the fish was also preserved by the pickled rice. Therefore, this clever old woman is credited with discovering an ingenious way to help extend the shelf stability of fish. However, this is just folklore. The true origins of sushi are more mysterious. The first known mention of salted fish combined with fermented rice was found in a fourth-century Chinese dictionary, but this method of preserving fish with cooked rice has been used throughout several Southeast Asian countries dating back centuries.
This guide explores many types of sushi rolls, from the most primitive form naruzushi to modern American variations such as the California roll.
Infographic by: howtocook
