In Edo (modern day Tokyo), nigiri (“hand pressed sushi”) first became popular in the 1820s or 1830s. It consists of a rectangular pile of rice and a piece of fish. Chef Hanaya Yohei (1799-1858), who developed or invented the nigiri technique at his Rygoku shop in 1824, created the dish based on widely accepted origin accounts.
The nigiri of this era was slightly different from today’s nigiri. During this time, sushi rice was about three times the size of modern nigiri. The sushi developed during this time is called aka-su (“red vinegar”) and is made by fermenting sake. The amount of vinegar used is half that of modern sushi.
They also substituted salt for sugar more often than we do today. Different techniques are used to prepare seafood with rice. Mizkan’s founder, Nakano Matazaemon, a business that still manufactures and sells vinegar and other condiments to this day, is credited with creating this crimson vinegar.
Due to the use of freshly caught fish from Edo-mae (Edo or Tokyo Bay), the dish was originally known as Edomae sushi; however, the name Edomae nigirizushi is still used today as an adverb for high-quality sushi, regardless of its ingredients What is the source of.
