Picture this: Southeast Asia, 4th century B.C. No refrigeration, no ice—just fish, rice, and a need to make it last. Enter narezushi, the OG sushi. Back then, it wasn’t about taste; it was survival. Fish was gutted, salted, and packed in cooked rice, then left to ferment for months—sometimes years. The rice turned sour, producing lactic acid that preserved the fish. When it was time to eat, the rice got ditched, and the funky, tangy fish was the prize. This wasn’t Japan’s brainchild—it started in places like Thailand or along the Mekong River, spreading to China before trickling into Japan by the 8th century.
In Japan, this became namanarezushi, still a far cry from today’s dainty rolls. Around Lake Biwa, they fermented carp into funazushi, a pungent delicacy that smells like blue cheese on steroids. It’s still made today, aged for up to three years, and costs a pretty penny for its historical cred. The name “sushi” itself nods to this sour past—derived from an archaic Japanese term meaning “sour-tasting.” That vinegared rice you love? It’s a modern echo of that ancient funk.