[Photo] Hanoian Foodies Say "I Love Sushi"

Japan's national dish - Sushi - is enjoyed across the globe. From April 12 to May 5 in Hanoi, the exhibition with the theme of “I Love Sushi” offers a unique learning experience about the history and culture of sushi, including sushi making class and workshop with a Japanese culinary expert, much to the delight of Hanoian foodies.

Fanasy Nguyen Le

April 25, 2024 | 10:17

The exhibition is hosted by the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam, aiming to promote Japanese history and culture to both locals and tourists in Hanoi.

The exhibition draws the attention of many young people (Photo: Nhung Nguyen).

The exhibition is divided into two areas. The first area is visual displays of artwork replicas illustrating the formation and development of Sushi through periods of Japanese history. There is also a copy of a Sushi counter at the fish market in the 19th century. This is a collection compiled from museums or cultural centers of many localities across Japan to give the audiences in Vietnam a deeper understanding of how sushi is portrayed in Japanese culture.

In the second display area, visitors can watch the sushi making process at Kizushi restaurant - the oldest and most famous sushi restaurant in Tokyo (Japan), through a virtual experience. There is also a massive installation, including 930 pieces of colorful sushi models.

930 pieces of colorful sushi models make up a massive installation (Photo: Nhung Nguyen).

Sushi models with realistic visual (Photo: The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam).

On the afternoon of April 21 in Hanoi, the exhibition program combined with the lecture "Japanese Sushi: History and Change" took place. Prof. Hibino Terutoshi, the speaker at the program, is an culinary expert in local traditional sushi from Aichi Shukutoku University (Japan).

According to the Japanese expert, while sushi is considered the most famous dish in Japanese cuisine, it is believed to have originated from Southeast Asia. In Japan, sushi appeared more than 1,200 years ago and has undergone many diverse changes throughout history. In the present time, the remaining ancient sushi types become a local culinary specialty.

Prof. Hibino Terutoshi at the exhibtion (Photo: Nhung Nguyen)

Ancient types of sushi include "Narezushi" (ancient fermented fish dish), "Namanare (fermented fish with rice, 15th century) and their variations that appeared in the 18th and early 19th centuries.

Young visitors watch the sushi making process at Kizushi restaurant - the oldest and most famous sushi restaurant in Tokyo (Japan), through a virtual experience (Photo: Nhung Nguyen).

Ancient sushi has many different characteristics from today's sushi. Ancient sushi was not soaked in vinegar but is fermented with rice. Additionally, it was not is not served with rice. Instead, the rice that was used to mix fish in wooden barrels after fermentation has a sour taste and to be thrown away.

Visitors can learn the history of sushi through the exhibtion (Photo: Nhung Nguyen)

"Through events like this exhibition, I hope the people of the two countries can understand better about the similarities in Vietnamese and Japanese culture. I also hope it will attract more Vietnamese people to come to Japan," said Prof. Hibino Terutoshi.

As a side activity of the exhibition, visitors learn how to make sushi with sushi chef (Photo: The Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam)

The event is within the framework of the exhibition "I Love Sushi" from April 12 to May 5, at the Japan Foundation Center for Cultural Exchange in Vietnam (Hanoi city). A booth of the exhibition also opens at AEON Mall (Hanoi city) until May 5.

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