History of Sushi: fermented fish

[Guest guest]

Found this interesting. Vinegar is used today in sushi rice to mimic the

flavour of traditional fermentation:

" ..sushi began not as an elegant way to eat raw fish but as a way to

preserve it. Packed between layers of cooked rice, whole raw fish

fermented slowly instead of rotting, becoming lightly pickled. That

pickled flavor is still a faint but essential element in sushi. It is why

sushi rice is sprinkled with vinegar. "

-- http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/21/dining/21SUSH.html

Traditional sushi is not raw but a fermented food.

Any ideas why fermented fish would be beneficial to native peoples versus

eating it raw? Parasites come to mind. But more likely it was simply a way

to preserve fish before refigeration and without a source of good salt.

Any other ideas?

----

Balbach