The History and Evolution of Sushi

I must admit, my favorite past time is eating and when I'm not eating, I love to sleep. I love every type of food except coconuts and everything that I'm allergic to. Sushi, however, is definitely one of my true loves. I love everything from sashimi (raw salmon and tuna please!) to a Philadelphia (smoked salmon and cream cheese heaven!). Learning about Japan this week gave me an intensified craving for a Japanese smorgasbord. To give thanks to where it's due for the blessing we call sushi, I decided to look into its origins.

The origins of sushi are widely unknown, but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy an old wise tale. An elderly Japanese woman once said that she hid her rice in osprey nets because she didn't want anyone stealing her rice. The rice began to ferment and when osprey's fish scraps mixed in it, it had a wonderful taste. Thus starting the invention of sushi. Historically, it has no evidence.

A second possibility is that early Chinese texts wrote about salted fish being placed in cooked rice initiating the fermentation process. Mix salt and lactic acid together, bacterial growth on the fish is halted.

A third hypothesis is that sushi entered Japan around the ninth century when Buddhism began to spread. Buddhism calls for strict dietary guidelines that includes abstaining from the consumption of meat. Luckily for Japan, there is a large supply of water and fish to catch.

In the mid-1700s, people starting developing ways to cut the fermentation process of sushi in half. Around this time, chefs added vinegar to the rice with a layer of fish then placed it in a box that was covered for a couple of hours then served. A wonderful man named Hanaya Yohei created nigiri sushi and opened up the first sushi stall. He figured he would make this into a fast food stall by cooking rice and adding rice vinegar and salt. He would take the rice and make it into a ball then placed a thin slice of freshly caught fish then served. Sushi hit the United States first in Los Angeles then sushi spread like wild fire across the United States. Now, I can enjoy sushi whenever I want (or at least when I have enough funds for it.)

http://www.pbs.org/food/the-history-kitchen/history-of-sushi/

Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandi, "the great souled-one" was born as Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. He was born on October 2, 1869 in India. His father was a successful chief minister in India and his mom was a very religious woman. When he was 19 years old, Gandhi was sent to London like most upper and middle class Indians to study law and become somewhat westernized. His law career in India was a failure so he moved his wife and children with him in South Africa where he met a little more success. It was not until he lived almost 20 years in South Africa did he realize that the British were manipulating Indian culture to put the people against each other. It is important to remember that India did have a caste system, but the British found another way to suppress them and cause more internal conflict despite unifying India as one which was never done before. In 1913, Gandhi and the British and Indian governments pressured the South African government for their killing and imprisonment of Indians there. He lead a resistance movement against the British government and was imprisoned for two years from 1922 to 1924. When he came back in 1930, he lead yet another civil movement but retired in 1934. In January 1948, Gandhi fasted as he often did when pushing for changes. He fasted for 12 days until Delhi found peace, but on his way there he was shot to death.

http://www.history.com/topics/mahatma-gandhi

Empress Dowager Cixi

Empress Dowager Cixi was born on November 29, 1835 in Beijing, China. She was one of the concubines under the Xianfeng emperor. However, she was the only one to produce an heir to the throne. When her son as 6 years old, Xianfeng died. Her son became to be known as the Tongzi emperor and she became one of his councilors. He died at an early age so she adopted her three year old nephew that would keep her in power. She maintained her regent position which she shared with someone named Ci'an. But, Ci'an died and she became the only one with enough power to declare herself as Empress Dowager in 1881. At this time of her rise to power, the Qing dynasty was rapidly declining and needed to industrialize and modernize. She became everything China didn't need in order to maintain power and peace. She reversed advances by reverting back to old ways of thinking in regards to Confucianism. Her ultimate fall was humiliating. Her role was weakened by the Boxer Rebellion and she eventually was forced out of Beijing. She returned in 1902 and died on November 15, 1908.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Cixi

The Rani of Jhansi

The rani or queen of Jhansi was quickly noted in chapter 14 under the section "The Revolt of 1857" and I felt a little ashamed that we do not give so much attention to women's reigns, legacies, or deaths in history. I decided that since March is the Women's History Month, I would like to elaborate more on who she was. Rani of Jhansi was named Manikarnika and was queen of the Maratha state Jhansi. She is remembered in Indian history as a hero and leading figure in the Indian Rebellion of 1857 against British imperialism.

At a young age, she was often called Manu and was raised by her father. She was well educated and even took up martial arts. She was born on November 19, 1835 and died on June 17, 1858. Her father worked in the courts giving her a higher status and she married the Raja (King) of Jhansi at the age of 14. Her husband died in 1853, so the protection of their people rested in her hands. When the British went from tolerant and enthusiastic of Indian culture to imperialistic, she gathered voluntary men and women to create an army that would defend Jhansi. She did not allow her people to surrender even when the British military made its way to Jhansi. She was able to escape, but later died of battle wounds on June 17, 1858.

In recent years, her story and pictures are used as a symbol of the Women's Movement in India.

http://www.liveindia.com/freedomfighters/jhansi_ki_rani_laxmi_bai.html

Sumo Wrestling

In honor of my and little baby sumo wrestler's (Fitzgerald's baby) birthday, I wanted to explore sumo wrestling. Sumo wrestling is a real, professional sport that is very popular in Japan. Sort of like wrestling here in the United States, two sumo wrestlers face off to be the best sumo wrestlers they can be, hopefully winning the grand champion title or yokozuna. Originally, sumo wrestling was a tool to entertain and appease Shinto deities. Many of the guidelines used when setting up the wrestling matches are still used today as they have been used in the past. However, the wrestlers do not only come from Japan. Many people around the world train to become sumo wrestlers. Most recently in 2017, an actual Japanese native won the yokozuna after 20 years. At a young age, sumo wrestlers have to leave their homes to eat, sleep, and train very hard. They also have to live a strict life to watch what they say and what they do in public as many people are looking up to them. Sumo wrestlers look the way they are portrayed in movies, however, it is a real life profession.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2080.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsround/38742096

The Reign of Mao Zedong

Mao Zedong was the founding father of communist China, The People's Republic of China. This name would eventually conflict with Taiwan's Republic of China. Mao was a peasant and eventually went on to become a teacher. When reading and learning to become a teacher, he came across Marxism and was so fascinated in it that he founded the Chinese Communist Party. Mao Zedong is probably the most remembered for the "Great Leap Forward." This can be compared to the Soviet Union's change from a Tsar to a communist party. The whole point of the "Great Leap Forward" was to focus on and enhance industrialization and agriculture in China in the late 1950s through the expansion and use of laborers. However, he received much backlash because during this time, the people had suffered from famine. Again compared to the Soviet Union, like Joseph Stalin, Zedong purged China in 1966. This purge is known as the Cultural Revolution. Regardless of the harshness of his reign, Mao is still revered as one of the most important leaders of China. His picture can be found in many Chinese homes just as Stalin and Lenin are patronized by many Russians.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/mao_zedong.shtml

The Great Taj Mahal

The Taj Mahal is a great mausoleum built in 1632, in honor of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan's most beloved wife, Mumtaz Mahal. Mumtaz Mahal died at the age of 39 during her 14th childbirth. She was Shah Jahan's favorite wife out of the three he was married to. He had commissioned the Taj Mahal to house her dead body, but it now houses her and him. The Taj Mahal was built out of all white marble and is designed in an Islamic fashion. Scriptures from the Quran can be found written in calligraphy above doorways. The Taj Mahal can be found right across the Yumana River and the capital of the Mughal Empire, Agra. Shah Jahan wanted to built a great mausoleum for himself, however his son Aurangzeb imprisoned him before he milked the Mughal Empire dry. Shah Jahan was buried next to his wife at the Taj Mahal. India has taken extensive measures in protecting the white marble by forbidding air-polluting factories and cars in the proximity of the Taj Mahal. http://www.history.com/topics/taj-mahal

Empress Wu

Empress Wu went by many names including Wu Zetian, Empress Consort Wu, Wu Hou, and Wu Zhao. She lived from 624 to 705 CE and reigned from 690 to 704 CE. She was the concubine to the first emperor of the Tang Dynasty, Taizong then married his son, Gaozong after he had a died. After her marriage to Gaozong, she became empress consort and gained more power by putting her sons on the throne then removing them.

Her life before coming a concubine was prestigious. She came from a wealthy family with a father as a chancellor. She studied and became literate. Taizong became fascinated with her when she was 14 and took her as his concubine and later as his secretary. However, she fell in love with his son Gaozong and had an affair with him, but she was not destined to be his concubine after Taizong's death. She had been sent to a nunnery, but Gaozong loved her so much that he had her back in court.

Once she came to power, the dynasty shifted from Tang to Zhou. She also gave many important roles to women in a patriarchal China. She promoted Buddhism in the country as well. She established well organized secret police and spy networks as she know the men of China would be highly unhappy with her reforms because of her being a woman and for many other policy reforms she set forth. She never really could escape her concubine tendencies and often took young men as her lovers. Double standards were set in place in China, so she received severe backlash for her numerous affairs.

Towards the end of her reign, she (like Stalin) purged her own administration due to her paranoia. In 704 CE, her health began to decline and she had to pass on the power to her son and his wife. The same year, she not only abdicated, but died.

http://www.ancient.eu/Wu_Zetian/

The Warring States of China (Blog #5)

I asked Dr. Fitzgerald about the Warring States and I'm still curious as to how there were different states and the smallest ended up winning it all. When doing some more research, I stumbled across a page dedicated to the warring states period by San Jose State (http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/watkins/warringstates.htm ) . The Warring States period lasted from 475 BCE to 221 BCE, 254 years! There was a larger state named Jin that had broken into some of the warring states: Han, Wu, and Zhao. The states to follow and add to the tension were Chu, Qi, and Yan. But, the smallest and victorious state ended up being the Qin. At this time, the Qin were not considered Chinese. They were considered barbarians, but the irony behind this that many Chinese still refer to themselves as Qin. Interestingly enough, during this period, it was not just all brutal fighting and wars. Confucianism was big during this time and Confucius's student Mencius was teaching during this time. A lot of attention was still being focused on education, Confucianism and how it outlines the way society should be ran, and art. The wars that broke out during this long period of time was to establish order and unity. After Shinghuandi died, the Qin ruled a little longer and then the Han Dynasty was established.

Geishas (Blog #4)

I was looking for some action films to watch on Netflix and I kept going back to Asian films that included martial arts, samurais, and geishas. I was fascinated by the beauty of the way geishas dressed and did their hair with beautiful flowers and charms to adorn their hair. So, I wondered, what is a geisha exactly?

A geisha is a professional woman entertainer trained in Japanese arts, dance, music, and games. They are present at meals to entertain guests and to "lighten" the mood. In Japan, geishas are referred to as geikos. They are most prominently found in Kyoto, Japan. Woman as young as 15 (maikos) are trained and taught in various subjects and activities. Geishas live together in houses specifically for them called okiya. Geishas are often thought about as prostitutes but this is not necessarily the case. Unfortunately, they are thought of as prostitutes because actual prostitutes call themselves geishas to gain more business. Geishas are talented and intelligent women. Geishas still exist today in Japan for a high price. 

Here are a few links to refer to if you are interested:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2102.html
http://www.historyundressed.com/2008/08/history-and-culture-of-japanese-geisha.html

Chopsticks and All Their Glory (Blog #3)

My family and I love our fair share of Asian foods ranging from Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Filipino, Indian, and Thai food. I noticed that every time we go out to eat, we usually lean towards Asian options. We were eating delicious ramen and my brother was having difficulty using his chopsticks and eventually gave up. So, I asked my parents if they knew when chopsticks came about and why. But, they didn't and we ended up having fun guessing why we think some of Asian cultures use chopsticks. I decided to actually learn the history of chopsticks and found a link on history.com (http://www.history.com/news/hungry-history/a-brief-history-of-chopsticks ) which I was totally surprised to find. It is estimated that the Chinese have been using chopsticks since around 1200 BC. Chopsticks were made out of bronze or other precious metals that could withstand boiling water. They were generally used for cooking and around 400 AD, they were used as eating utensils. The most interesting fact shared on this site is that in Japan, chopsticks were 8 inches long for men and 7 inches long for women. Happy eating everyone!

India's Caste System (Blog #2)

In class we discussed the importance of certain relationships in China that establish a patriarchal society. I decided that I wanted to look more into the importance of hierarchal societies by taking an extra look at India and its caste system. According to the small section in our book and the site that I found specifically about the caste system (http://www.ushistory.org/civ/8b.asp ), the caste system is commonly explained in terms of Brahman. The subgroups within the caste system are termed jatis. The first class being priests and teachers known as Brahmins. The second class is a warrior class referred to as the Kshatriyas and the third class of merchants known as Vaishyas. The fourth class is the working class called Sudras. The "fifth" class is the Untouchables or dalit. They have the worst of the worst jobs and are considered the most filthy people. People are only able to marry and eat with people within their own jatis. In modern day, the caste system is outlawed in India but there is still discrimination and less rights allocated to the Untouchables. Gandhi was a prominent leader and advocate of ending discrimination against the Untouchables. As of today, the Untouchables who call themselves Dalit are still fighting for equal rights and political involvement.

Jomon Culture, Prehistoric Japan (Blog #1)

If there is any part of Asia that I would love to explore, it would be Japan. Upon reading the introduction and chapter 1 of our textbook, I found myself more interested about Japan than the other countries mentioned. So I did a little bit of web surfing and I found more about Neolithic Japan and a culture named Jomon (https://www.britannica.com/topic/Jomon-culture). Like many of the countries mentioned in our reading, there are not exact dates as to when this culture came about but, some scholars would estimate around 10,500 BCE and lasting until approximately 300 BCE. The name Jomon refers to the type of pottery style found in Japan which had cordlike designs. The clay pottery is sophisticated despite not having any innovations such as the pottery wheel. The peoples here were much like those of Southeast Asia and even northern China.They mainly relied on hunting and gathering along with supplementing their diet with fish. Over the long period of time that this culture lasted, the pottery began to change and became more sophisticated. The pottery went from simple bowls to large vases, to figurines of fertility. I would love to see recreated sites and some of the pottery up close and personal. I feel that this is important when studying Asia because it shows which stages different countries were in around the same time and where people have migrated to and from. Here is another great site that has a sort of time line of the Jomon culture, http://jomon-japan.jp/en/jomon-cultur/ .