Japanese rice dish sushi is now so popular that it has become the UK’s fastest growing premium lunchtime main. Demand at Tesco has grown so much that sushi has even replaced the smoked salmon sandwich as Britain’s favourite premium lunchtime treat.
Since the beginning of the year when Tesco launched its £5 Clubcard Meal Deal, sushi sales have rocketed by 90 per cent. Included in the Premium deal, which offers shoppers a main, a drink and a snack, are a choice of sushi boxes, poke bowls and other pan-Asian delights such as gyozas and bao buns. As a result of the extra demand the supermarket now sells 21 million packs of sushi a year. One of the main reasons for sushi’s growing popularity is that it is a non-fuss snack that can be eaten on the go.
As part of the deal, shoppers can pick up well-known brands such as Itsu, YO! Sushi and Pollen & Grace, and a wide range of Tesco Finest mains.
The Tesco Premium Meal Deal is available now in 1,100 stores, offering a range of quality options to suit all tastes for just £5 per head with a Clubcard, or £5.50 without.
The concept of sushi began about 500 BC when south-east Asians found that raw fish could be preserved by placing it between vinegared rice.
The process is believed to have arrived in Japan in about 600 AD and quickly grew in popularity as a delicacy. Modern sushi, as we know it, originated in the 19th century when a street food stall holder in the Japanese city of Edo, now Tokyo, shaped vinegared rice with his hands and the added a slice of raw fish on the top. It became an immediate hit and demand grew quickly throughout Japan to become the culinary artform it has become today.
The seaweed – or nori – which is still used today was later added to prevent fingers from getting sticky. Besides being a tasty snack sushi is also nutritious with the strip of salmon commonly used on the top of it full of goodness. Salmon, which is considered a superfood, is an excellent source of omega 3 which helps maintain a healthy heart.
It’s also a good source of vitamins, in particular Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant helping to protect cell membranes and keep skin healthy while supporting the immune system.
Source: Tesco
