Chakin-zushi

Sushi

Different types of nigiri-sushi and a long, tapered temaki; pickled gari (ginger) is at the upper right of the serving board
Alternative names	すし, 寿司, 鮨
Course	appetizer, main dish
Place of origin	Japan
Associated national cuisine	Japanese cuisine
Serving temperature	cold, hot
Main ingredients	vinegared rice
Ingredients generally used	raw seafood, vegetables, tropical fruits

Sushi (すし, 寿司, 鮨^?) is the Japanese preparation and serving of cooked vinegared rice (鮨飯, sushi-meshi) combined with varied ingredients (ネタ, neta) such as chiefly seafood, vegetables, meat (usually fish), and occasionally tropical fruits. Styles of sushi and its presentation vary widely, but the key ingredient in all cases is the rice, also referred to as shari (しゃり), or sumeshi (酢飯).

Sushi can be prepared with either brown or white rice. It is often prepared with raw seafood, but some common varieties of sushi use cooked ingredients, and many other sorts are vegetarian. Sushi is often served with pickled ginger, wasabi, and soy sauce. Daikon radish is popular as a garnish.

Sushi is often confused with sashimi, a related Japanese dish consisting of thinly sliced raw meat or fish and an optional serving of rice. Sashimi is served as slices, unlike sushi, which is served as rolls.

Sushi originates in a Southeast Asian dish, known today as nare-zushi (馴れ寿司, 熟寿司 – "salted fish"), stored in fermented rice for possibly months at a time. The lacto-fermentation of the rice prevented the fish from spoiling; the rice would be discarded before consumption of the fish. This early type of sushi became an important source of protein for its Japanese consumers. The term sushi comes from an antiquated grammatical form no longer used in other contexts, and literally means "sour-tasting"; the overall dish has a sour and umami or savoury taste. Narezushi is still made in Japan to this day.