Foods fermented in this way, with their characteristic vinegary taste, reached the height of popularity in the Tang (618--907). At that time members of the Japanese nobility took chefs skilled in making this dish back to their own kitchens in Japan, and there it developed into a form in which fish is placed into vinegar-soaked rice, Hung Chien-te explains in his "Sashimi Legends" series of articles.
酢酯在唐代極為盛行，當時日本上流社會從唐朝帶回熟悉中國「生魚壽司」作法的庖廚，之後在日本發展成把魚肉放在加醋的米飯上。「壽司漸從醱酵熟成的食物，轉化成今天的魚壽司」，洪建德在一系列「沙西米的神奇」文章中寫道。