【Reading】あさなれ

【English Name】Asanare (Lightly Fermented Sushi)

Asanare is a term referring to narezushi whose fermentation period has been shortened.

Narezushi is an ancient cooking method in which fish is pickled with salt and cooked rice and fermented with lactic acid for preservation, and is regarded as the prototype of modern sushi. Ordinary narezushi (honnare) is fermented over several months to several years, so the rice melts and loses its original form, and the fish also takes on a strong fermented smell. By contrast, because asanare cuts off the fermentation partway, the rice still retains its form and the fish's flavor also remains mild.

This way of eating asanare—"eating it together with the rice"—is thought to have eventually developed into modern nigiri sushi and pressed sushi using vinegared rice. Among the narezushi remaining in various regions, such as funa-zushi in Shiga Prefecture and sanma-zushi (Pacific saury sushi) in Wakayama Prefecture, there are also those classified as asanare.

Asanare is indispensable for discussing the history of sushi, and is an important concept indicating the turning point from fermented food to quick preparation using vinegar.