Sushi's Extraordinary Evolution: From Pickle to Primetime

About this episode

This episode explores the evolution of sushi from its origins as a fermented fish pickle to its modern popularity worldwide.

Sushi is everywhere these days—in grocery stores and gas stations, at buffets and birthday parties, in Europe and Latin America and all over the United States. This popularity is especially astonishing when you remember that, just a few decades ago, the idea of eating nuggets of raw fish and rice seemed bizarre, intimidating, and even a little gross to most non-Japanese people. Even more surprising? The simple nigiri and maki rolls we think of as “traditional” sushi are relatively recent inventions, too. This episode, we’re going back to sushi’s origins as a cheesy-tasting fermented fish pickle, to tell the story of how impatience, war, and the 1980s—the glory days of yuppies, Sony Walkmans, and The Breakfast Club—transformed it into the seafood snack we know and love today. Plus listen in now to hear why you're eating sushi all wrong—and what you're missing out on as a result. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People in this episode

Hosts: Cynthia Graber, Nicola Twilley

Topics covered

• sushi
• food history
• cultural evolution
• fermented foods
• 1980s
• global cuisine

Keywords

• sushi
• fermented fish
• cultural history
• 1980s cuisine
• global food trends
• nigiri
• maki rolls

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Sony

Books & works: The Breakfast Club

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