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Sushi has a very interesting origin that has lasted for centuries and continues to be a very popular food today. Sushi is made with a combination of shellfish, cooked or raw fish, vegetables, and seasoned rice. Although Sushi is most commonly linked to the Japanese heritage, it actually began in China during the 7th Century.
At that time, any fish caught had to be preserved. The only method possible was by fermentation. Raw fish was cleaned, filleted, and then pressed between layers of heavy salt and usually weighted down with some type of stone. The fish would remain this way for weeks at which the stone would be removed and then replaced with some type of light cover. The fish would stay in the salt layers for a couple of months until the fermentation process was complete.
Over time, a discovery was made that by rolling the fish in rice that had been soaked in vinegar the fish was fermented in a matter of days rather than months. The rice was then tossed out and the fish eaten. However, with drought and a food shortage, people began consuming the rice as well as the fish and thus, Sushi as we know it today was born.
Sushi is usually consumed with hot green tea. Gari (thin slices of vinegar pickled ginger root) is offered free and eaten between bites to freshen the palate. Two kinds of sauces are usually available: one is soy sauce, which is poured on most kinds of sushi; the other is a thick sweet sauce used on eel. Wasabe (hot, green Japanese horseradish) can be added to make it spicier.
The popularity of Sushi continues to rise in that people are looking for healthy food that is quick and easy to make.Sushi has taken the world by storm and today is a multi-billion dollar industry.
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壽司有著非常有趣的起源，它流傳了數百年，直到如今仍然是非常受歡迎的美食。壽司是由貝類、熟魚或生魚、蔬菜以及調過味的米飯混合而成的佳肴。盡管壽司大都被認為與日本有著千絲萬縷的淵源，但它實際上是于7世紀時起源于中國的。
在那個年代，所有捕來的魚都要被貯存起來，唯一可能的貯存方法就是發酵。生魚被清洗干凈、切成片，然后用一層層厚重的鹽給壓起來，通常再壓上某種石頭。生魚會以這種方式被保存數周，之后，石頭被移走，轉而壓上一些較輕的覆蓋物。接著生魚在鹽層中被保留數月，直到發酵的過程完成為止。
隨著時間的推移，人們發現可以把魚肉卷在醋浸過的米飯中，和以往那種發酵幾個月的方式比起來，這種方法僅用數天就可以發酵完。米飯則被扔掉，留下魚肉食用。然而，由于旱災和食物短缺，人們在吃魚的同時也開始連同把米飯都吃掉，于是，我們今天所熟知的壽司便誕生了。
壽司往往和熱乎乎的綠茶一起搭配食用。（餐館）會供應免費的Gari（即細條、醋腌的生姜），在每口之間食用，用來提鮮。一般有兩種醬汁佐用：一種是醬油，可以倒在大多數種類的壽司上調味；另一種是濃稠的甜汁，用于搭配鰻魚壽司食用。山葵（一種綠色的日本辣芥末）可以使壽司的味道更辛辣。
壽司因其健康以及易做的特性而受到越來越多的人的追捧。如今，壽司已經風靡全球，更成為了一個銷售額達數十億的產業。
壽司分類相關閱讀：
Nigiri Sushi（握壽司）：是最常吃的生魚片壽司，下面是飯團，上面是各種生魚片，在日本，若不加說明的話，“壽司”一詞多是指握壽司。它又稱攥壽司，日本江戶時代興起。制作者用手把米飯握成一口塊，涂上一層山葵（日本芥末），最后鋪上配料。視配料種類之不同，有時會用一塊海苔把兩者縛在一起。品嘗握壽司的食客講求食材的新鮮度、刀功及不會過實或過松的飯團。 食用方式可以手將握壽司拿起用魚肉去沾點醬油提升魚的鮮味一口吃下。
Maki Sushi（卷壽司）：常見的是紫菜卷，也有不是紫菜包卷的。是將海苔鋪上壽司飯，加入不同的食材，使用竹廉卷成長條后再切段食用。制作卷壽司講求的是緊而不實、松而不散，飯量也不可過多。一般卷壽司的分量不小，一般人在吃完握壽司和其他菜肴后，才決定要不要加點一份或半份卷壽司，卷壽司有用來填飽肚子的意思。
Chirashi Sushi（散壽司）：是將壽司飯鋪放于容器底層將各總食材放至于上層。特色是內容及色彩豐富，菜色主要以生冷的海鮮食材及蔬果為主、適合夏天食用。
Temaki Sushi（手卷壽司）：是壽司飯配蔬菜或海鮮，用燈箱烤過酥脆的海苔卷成甜筒狀的壽司。制作時講求食材的水分不可過多，否則紫菜很快軟化，失去口感。食客講求的手卷入口要香脆，在第一時間內食用，一般食客看到手卷上菜都會放下手邊的筷子立即品嘗。
Oshi Sushi (押壽司/千層壽司)：是制作最復雜的壽司。特色是以小木箱將食材及飯團壓成方形，再切段食用。壓壽司的制作過程要求緊實，外形精致。因為制作時間長價格也偏高，即使在日本吃箱壽司的人也愈來愈少。
Inari-Sushi (稻荷壽司)：俗稱豆皮壽司，使用腌制過的油炸豆腐皮，切半，將里面填滿壽司飯團，大小以一口為基準，無須沾料口感微酸且甜美，非常受到小朋友的歡迎。
