Sushi, while often credited as a staple of Japan, actually originated in southeast Asia. The earliest form of sushi is a dish today known as narezushi. In early variations of what has now become sushi, the fish was fermented to preserve it then wrapped in rice, and only the fermented fish was eaten with the rice being thrown out.

Specifically speaking to Asian dumplings—as some variation of dumpling can be found in almost any culture, from Polish pierogis to Italian ravioli—Asian dumplings are known to have originated in China during the Han Dynasty by a man named Zhang Zhongjian.