Japanese narezushi, the original form of modern sushi (p 207) The best-known version is funa-zushi, made with rice and goldfish carp (Carassius auratus) from Lake Biwa, north of Kyoto Various bacteria consume the rice carbohydrates and produce a range of organic acids that protect against spoilage, soften the head and backbone, and contribute to the characteristic tart and rich flavor, which has vinegary, buttery, and cheesy notes In modern sushi, made with pristinely fresh raw fish, the tartness of narezushi survives through the addition of vinegar to the rice Scandinavian Buried Fish: Gravlax According to food ethnologist Astri Riddervold, Scandinavian fermented fishes — the original gravlax, Swedish surlax and sursild, Norwegian rakefisk and rakørret — were probably the result of a simple dilemma facing medieval fisherman at remote rivers, lakes, and coastlines, who landed many fish but had little salt and few barrels The solution was to salt the cleaned fish lightly and bury them where they had been caught, in a hole in the ground, perhaps wrapped in birch bark: gravlax means “buried salmon.” The low summer temperature of the far northern earth, the airlessness, minimal salt, and added carbohydrates (from the bark, or from whey, malted barley, or flour), all conspired to encourage a lactic fermentation that acidified the fish surface And enzymes from the fish muscle and the bacteria broke protein and fish oil down to produce a buttery texture and powerful, sharp, cheesy smell: the sur in sursild and surlax means “sour.” Modern, unfermented gravlax is made by dry-salting salmon fillets for a few days at refrigerator temperatures (p 233) Smoked Fish ...lakes, and coastlines, who landed many fish but had little salt and few barrels The solution was to salt the cleaned fish lightly and bury them where they had been caught, in a hole in the ground, perhaps wrapped in birch... “buried salmon.” The low summer temperature of the far northern earth, the airlessness, minimal salt, and added carbohydrates (from the bark, or from whey, malted barley, or flour), all conspired... encourage a lactic fermentation that acidified the fish surface And enzymes from the fish muscle and the bacteria broke protein and fish oil down to produce a buttery texture and powerful, sharp, cheesy smell: the sur