Sushi presentation evolved as a form of marketing. Food artisans wanted to exemplify the simplicity of food with the beautiful presentation, artful color and decorated dishes. Sushi was created in China, not Japan as many believe, in 400 B.C. Sushi was not originally prepared as a delicacy, but as a form of preserving fish. Salted fish was kept in fermented rice for extended periods of time to preserve the fish and make it portable. Many believe that sushi means raw fish. Actually, sushi means vinegar-rice. This term is based from the original use of fermented rice to store fish. It’s considered a taboo in Asian cultures to stick long objects straight up because it resembles the incense used at a funeral.