Asia has seen a steady rise of visitors these days. Its main attractions are the cultures of its inhabitants, nature and of late, its wide variety of mouthwatering cuisines. Indeed, Asia has seen a steady stream of tourists whose main aim is just to sample the traditional foods and recipes. There are quite a number of Asian cuisines, top on the list being, the Chinese cuisine, the Thai cuisine and the Japanese cuisine.
The cultures of the countries always, more than often, have a direct impact on the recipes and the preparation of their respective cuisines sushi. The people of Japan for example, have rich cultures that have amazed the world over and over again. Their fighting techniques, their clothing, their beliefs and their world renowned ceremonies and celebrations, are all clear indicators of their cultural wealth. Believe it or not, each of the above named cultures has influenced the Japanese eating habits in one way or another.
Japanese cuisine has a rich history that dates back to approximately 2,000 years ago. However, a big chunk of the modern day cuisine has been influenced greatly by events that have occurred in the recent years. Arguably, the biggest turning point for Japan in terms of food was the introduction of rice into the region from Korea. Within a hundred years of its introduction into the islands, rice became the most common food in Japan, making it the staple food.
In fact, the Japanese were so impressed by this new crop that they started devising other uses for it. A popular use of rice at this time was in the making of wine. Shortly after the introduction of rice into Japan, Chinese immigrants introduced two other crops: soy beans and wheat. These two crops later came to be used as ingredients in Japanese foods and are still used to date. Other important imports from the Chinese included chopsticks and tea. This supports the notion that Japanese eating habits borrowed heavily from China and Korea.
Another integral factor in the history of their culinary development has been religion. The consumption of meat especially from four legged animals as well as chicken was prohibited. However, this did not take long and Japanese started eating meat again but during the time, there was an increase in the consumption of fish. The increased consumption of fish was also accelerated by the fact that Japan is an island. Due to this, there came the need to preserve fish. Subsequently, this led to the origination of sushi, referring to fish that had been preserved by fermenting it in boiled rice. As the years went by, the time used to ferment sushi was shortened and this led to the emergence of sushi as a popular snack.
It can never be complete if you walk into a Japanese restaurant and fail to order sushi. It is not only tasty but it is also healthy and affordable. Different restaurants prepare the meals differently and it is at your pleasure to ask the waiter to prepare sushi the way you want it. Japanese people are hospitable and welcoming and if you are planning for a vacation you better consider Japan. Apart from the foods, you are going to enjoy great sceneries and other beauties of the world.