Though plastic sushi grass is a modern development, the idea behind it has been around for centuries. Flowers, leaves, fruits and branches have been used to line vessels in Japanese cuisine for over a millennium, according to Nancy Singleton Hachisu, a James Beard Award–winning food journalist and an expert in authentic Japanese cuisine.
The use of leaves to separate food, however, became common during the Edo period (1603–1864). “Originally, the Kanto region (around Tokyo) used sasanoha [leaves from the bamboo plant], while the Kansai region (around Kyoto) used haran.”
I’ve never seen this in Canada. Is this an American thing?
Am Canadian, it’s definitely a thing here. At least in BC it is.
We have the plastic grass separators here in Japan.
LMAO at the downvote. Been here a decade and got grocery store sushi last week, plastic separator included.
I’ve only seen it in cheap gas station and grocery store pre-made packages. Never at an actual sushi/sashimi place.
I’ve seen it from some of the local sushi places here in Southern Ontario. I always thought it had something to do with trying to keep the flavours separate.