【Reading】はやずし

【English Name】Hayazushi (Vinegared Sushi)

Hayazushi (early sushi) is a general term for all sushi using rice seasoned with vinegar. In contrast to narezushi, which pickles fish and rice for a long time to induce lactic-acid fermentation, its major feature is that it can be prepared in a short time using the power of vinegar. A cooking method utilizing vinegar was devised in the mid-Edo period, and the description "hayazushi" is already confirmed in the cookbook "Gorui Nichiyo Ryorisho" published in 1689. This technique spread and developed into box sushi (hakozushi), okoshizushi, and the Edomae nigiri sushi. Although it is not a term used in everyday life today, in Wakayama Prefecture mackerel pressed sushi is called "hayasushi," and a food culture of pairing it with Wakayama ramen still remains; a traditional dietary custom also continues in Echizen City, Fukui Prefecture.