Nigiri sushi is one of the most popular types of Japanese food.

Originally, this sushi was made using seafood caught in Edo and was called "Edomae sushi."

This time, let's explore the appeal of "Edomae sushi," which was counted as one of the four great specialties of Edo.

Characteristics of Edomae sushi

Edomae sushi is made by placing rice marinated in red vinegar on top of marinated gizzard shad or mackerel, simmered conger eel, steamed shrimp, rolled omelette, etc. It is said to be the prototype of nigiri sushi, and the ingredients that are prepared by "simmering," "steaming," "marinating in kombu," "washing in vinegar," and "pickling" become the sushi toppings.

These preparations help to preserve the ingredients and bring out the inherent flavor of the sushi.

The red vinegar used in Edomae sushi is made from sake lees, unlike rice vinegar, and is characterized by its mellow taste and strong aroma. It also helps preserve rice. Edomae sushi, which is said to have originated in Ryogoku, can still be eaten today in many areas, including Marunouchi, Shinbashi, Nihonbashi, and Tsukiji.

The origin and history of Edomae sushi

In Japan, lactic acid fermentation-based "narezushi" has been made since before the Nara period. Narezushi is a preserved food made by sprinkling salt on fish and placing it in rice to ferment, and it takes several months to complete.

To eliminate this hassle, vinegar, a fermented food, is combined with cooked rice to create "hayasushi." Eventually, hako-zushi, sasamaki-zushi, kaki-no-ha-zushi and other hayasushi varieties began to be made at home, but because it took several hours to overnight to allow the flavors to blend under a weight, "nigiri-zushi" was developed to be eaten quickly.

There are various theories about its origin, but the three sushi of Edo were "Kenuki-sushi" by Kiemon Matsuzaki, "Yohei-zushi" by Hanaya Yohei, and "Matsuga-zushi" by Sakaiya Matsugoro. It is said that these restaurants made a great contribution to the spread of nigiri-sushi in Japan.

The name Edomae sushi was given to distinguish it from the sushi of the Kansai region, where pressed sushi was the norm at the time. In the late Edo period, nigiri sushi was easily eaten at food stalls, and it is said that the size of the sushi rice was two to three times larger than it is today.

Edomae sushi spread throughout the country after the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II, when sushi chefs who had moved to other areas or returned to their hometowns set up shops in those areas. It is said that the fact that sushi chefs were given business licenses to process rice brought by customers into sushi, despite the food shortages after the war, also contributed to the spread of sushi.

Types of Edomae sushi

The ingredients of Edomae sushi have not changed much since then, and include tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), kuruma prawns, whitebait, tuna, gizzard shad, and conger eel.

However, in order to keep the seafood fresh, they were boiled, steamed, soy sauced, etc. Edomae sushi is characterized by the extra effort required for preparation: marinating tuna in soy sauce, cooking conger eel and applying tsume, tightening white fish with kelp, and searing fatty fish.

The prepared toppings are combined with red vinegar-flavored rice to enhance the flavors of each ingredient. Salmon, a popular sushi topping today, was not found in Edomae sushi, and fatty tuna was not eaten in Edomae sushi.

How to eat Edomae sushi deliciously

The Edomae sushi, with its slightly red vinegared rice and carefully prepared ingredients, has a unique flavor and texture for each piece, making it a taste that you will never tire of from start to finish.

There is no set way to eat it, and since the toppings and vinegared rice are well seasoned, you may not need to add soy sauce. Also, when nigiri sushi was first created, it was common to eat sushi with your hands, but it is also fine to use chopsticks. Please enjoy the delicious combination of the sushi toppings and red rice.

You can also eat in any order you like. If you're a first timer, we recommend starting with the mild white fish, then gradually moving on to stronger-tasting toppings, and finishing with kappa rolls or shinko rolls.

Recommended sightseeing spots around Sumida Ward

From here, we will introduce some recommended tourist spots in Sumida Ward, in honor of Ryogoku, which is said to be the birthplace of Edomae sushi.

If you come to Tokyo, the first place to go is Tokyo Skytree Town!

Tokyo Skytree Town is a town that includes an aquarium, a dome theater, and more, centered around the radio tower "Tokyo Skytree," the commercial facility "Tokyo Solamachi," and the office facility "Tokyo Skytree East Tower."

Tokyo Solamachi is perfect for shopping and sightseeing, including Tokyo Skytree, which has a restaurant with a panoramic view of Tokyo city from 345 meters above ground and an outstanding observation deck. It's a recommended spot that you'll want to visit again and again, so be sure to visit.

Spend your time at leisure at Sumida Aquarium

The appeal of Sumida Aquarium, located inside Tokyo Skytree, is that you can spend your time freely watching the animals in an urban atmosphere.

Come and enjoy interacting with animals that you don't normally get to see, such as the Magellanic penguins, which are characterized by their white bellies and two black lines, the softly swimming jellyfish, and an area themed around the Ogasawara Islands, a World Heritage Site.

Edo-Tokyo Museum: Learn about 400 years of history and culture

The Edo-Tokyo Museum is a cultural facility representing Tokyo that was opened as a place to look back on the history and culture of Edo and Tokyo and to think about the city and life of the future. You can learn about the approximately 400 years from Tokugawa Ieyasu's entry into Edo to the present day through valuable documents, models, and experiences.

*Closed from April 1, 2022 until the end of fiscal year 2025 (planned) due to major renovations.

Access to Tokyo

To access Tokyo from Hokkaido, it takes about an hour and a half one way from New Chitose Airport to Haneda Airport.

If you travel by Shinkansen, it takes about 4.5 hours from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Tokyo Station. From Naha Airport in Okinawa, it takes about 2 hours and 45 minutes to get to Haneda Airport.

You can travel from Haneda Airport to Tokyo Station by monorail, Keikyu line, etc. For visitors from Kyushu and Shikoku regions, it is convenient to travel by plane, and from other regions, you can also access the area by plane, bullet train, express bus, and many other means of transportation.

Location of Tokyo

summary

This time we introduced you to Tokyo's local gourmet food, Edomae sushi.

Edomae sushi, also known as the precursor to nigiri sushi, is a traditional Japanese dish that combines careful preparation with red rice. There are also Edomae sushi restaurants in Tokyo where you can casually eat while standing.

It is possible to have sushi made to suit your budget, so please feel free to come and try it.

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