Shima-Zushi
Ogasawara is known for a particular type of sushi called shima-zushi, literally “island sushi.” The practice of making sushi was brought to the islands by the first Japanese settlers in 1876. In the days before refrigeration, fish for sushi was preserved with a soy sauce mixture, and shima-zushi in Ogasawara is still made in this traditional way. Although any fish can be used to make shima-zushi, in Ogasawara it is most often made with a type of Spanish mackerel called sawara that is common around the islands.
Unlike the sushi that is typical on the mainland, Ogasawara shima-zushi does not contain wasabi. Wasabi does not grow on the islands, and so mustard is used instead. Ogasawara shima-zushi is also generally sweeter than sushi served elsewhere. Although sugar was expensive in nineteenth-century Japan, Ogasawara was one of the few places in the country where sugarcane could be grown. Because sugar was so plentiful on the islands, it became common practice to mix it into the sushi rice as an added luxury.
Today, shima-zushi is available at several restaurants and is commonly served at events and celebrations.