Sushi, or sushi (Jap. すし, 寿司, 壽司, 鮨, 鮓, 寿斗, 寿し sushi, [sɯɕi]; Indeclinable), is a dish of traditional Japanese cuisine made from rice with vinegar seasoning and various seafood, as well as other ingredients. Since the early 1980s, sushi has gained wide popularity in the West and around the world.

The history of sushi originates in South Asia, where boiled rice began to be used for cooking and preserving fish. Peeled and cut into small pieces, the fish was sprinkled with salt and mixed with rice, after which it was placed under a press of stones, which was replaced with a lid after a few weeks. For several months, the process of lactic acid fermentation of rice and fish took place, so that the fish remained fit for consumption for a year. Rice, which turned into a glue-like mass with an unpleasant odor, was thrown away or used to prepare a new batch of fish. Around the VII century, through China and Thailand, this method of conservation became widespread in Japan.

The tradition of eating pickled or pickled fish has survived to this day in the countries of South Asia. The Chinese character for sushi means "pickled fish", but the tradition of such preparation in China itself has been lost. In Japan, narezushi is currently being prepared in a similar way.

In the XVII century, rice sushi appeared, which included boiled rice, rice malt, seafood and vegetables. Soon they began to prepare rice vinegar, which began to be added to rice, which eliminated the fermentation process and significantly reduced the time for making sushi.

In the XIX century, the chef Yohei Hanai from Tokyo decided to completely abandon the marinating of fish and serve the fish raw. The cooking process was reduced to a few minutes. The new sushi quickly gained popularity, and two styles of cooking appeared. The first was named Kansai - after the district of the city of Osaka, the second - Edo (as Tokyo was called until 1868). Very quickly, snack bars and restaurants that served sushi appeared, and stores began to sell specially processed rice for homemade sushi. Since then, the process of making sushi has not fundamentally changed, only new recipes and ingredients for the dish have appeared.

The last fundamentally important stage in the history of sushi was the introduction of sushi machines, the so-called sushi robots, invented in the late 1980s, which began in the 1970s. One line of sushi machines (each performs one or more operations, ranging from washing rice to packing each sushi in a polymer film) is able to replace up to several dozen professional sushi chefs, while the issues of technology, hygiene and sanitation, which are very important due to the specifics of sushi, largely cease to depend on the human factor. The use of sushi robots is expanding, although it is constrained by the widespread belief that sushi must be cooked by a person.

A standard ingredient in various types of sushi is sushi rice. The difference is evident in the choice of different fillings, seasonings and the manner in which they are combined. The same ingredients can be organized in different ways:

Nigirizushi (握り寿司: sushi made with hands). The most common type of sushi. It consists of an oblong lump of rice pressed into the palms, a small amount of wasabi, and a thin piece of filling that covers the rice (neta). Nigiri can also be tied with a thin strip of nori.Gunkan-maki (軍艦巻: roll-warship). Oval-shaped, palm-pressed rice (similar to nigirizushi), framed around the perimeter with a strip of nori to give it the shape of a ship. It is also stuffed with ingredients that are inherent in nori, such as caviar, natto, or the less commonly used pasta salad.
  
Makizushi (巻き寿司: twisted sushi). Sushi in the form of a cylinder made with a bamboo makisu mat. Usually, makizushi are twisted into nori, a leaf of dry seaweed that covers the rice and filling, but can sometimes be wrapped in a thin omelet. Makizushi is usually cut into 6 or 8 pieces. Outside of Japan, they are also called rolls.Futomaki (太巻き: large rolls). Large, cylindrical in shape, sushi, in which nori is outside. Usually futomaki with a thickness of 3-4 cm and a width of 4-5 cm Often they have 2-3 types of filling, which are chosen because of their additional taste and color.
Hosomaki (細巻き: thin rolls). Small, cylindrical in shape, with nori on the outside. Usually, hosomaki are about 2 cm thick and wide, and they are usually made with only one type of filling.
Temakizushi (手巻き: sushi made with hands). Large, cone-shaped sushi, with nori on the outside and ingredients "pouring" from the wide end. Usually, temaki is about 10 cm long, and is eaten with your fingers, because it is quite inconvenient to do it with chopsticks.
Uramaki (裏巻き: roll in reverse). Medium-sized rolls with two or more types of fillings. Uramaki differs from other maki in that the rice is on the outside and nori is on the inside. The filling is in the middle, surrounded by a layer of nori; Then there is rice dipped in caviar, dried tuna shavings or toasted sesame seeds.
Oshizushi (押し寿司: pressed sushi). Sushi in the form of cubes, made with a wooden device called oshibako. The cook places the filling on the bottom of the oshibako, covers it with rice and squeezes the press until a dense rectangular bar is obtained. The bar is then pulled out of the oshibako and cut into small pieces that fit entirely into the mouth.
Inarizushi (稲荷寿司: stuffed sushi). A bag usually filled only with rice. The pouch is usually made from deep-fried tofu (油揚げ or abura age), but pouches made from a thin omelet (帛紗寿司 or fukusazushi) or dried pumpkin (干瓢 or kampyo:) are also possible.
Chirashizushi (散らし寿司: scattered sushi). A plate of rice with the filling sprinkled on top of it. They are also called barazushi.Edomae chirashizushi (江戸前散らし寿司: Edo-style sushi). Raw, uncooked ingredients are beautifully stacked on top of the rice.
Gomokuzushi (五目鮨: Kansai-style sushi). Cooked or raw ingredients are mixed with rice.
Narezushi (熟れ鮨) is an older type of sushi. The peeled fish is stuffed with salt and put in a wooden barrel, dipped in salt again and pressed down with heavy tsukemonoishi (漬物石, pickling stone). The fish is left in this position from 10 days to a month, then it is dipped in water (from 15 minutes to an hour). Then the fish is placed in another barrel, in which it is shifted in layers with rice. The mixture is then partially sealed with otoshibut (落し蓋) and tsukemonoishi. Over time, when water appears on the surface, they get rid of it. After six months, "funazushi" can be eaten. It remains valid for at least another six months.