It is believed that sushi has its roots in Southeast Asia where fish and meat were salted, then fermented for long periods of time. Records of similar methods of fermented fish are first seen in Chinese scriptures in the 2nd century. It also seemed that it wasn’t the most popular dish at the time. This type of sushi is documented in Japan in the 7th century. It was later in the Heian period or during the 10th century when uncooked rice was stuffed inside the fish after they were gutted, and cleaned with sake or Japanese rice wine, before they were fermented. A fresh water fish such as carp was often used for this type of sushi, and was called the nare sushi (ripe sushi). The rice aided in the fermentation process and made it quicker to prepare than the original sushi. The rice was discarded after the fermentation was complete (a period of 2 to 3 months depending on the season) and only the fish was consumed.