By now (and for some time) sushi has hit critical mass. Most cities have at least one sushi restaurant serving the raw stuff, and in some areas like Los Angeles and New York City, sushi has been accepted as an art. Diners willingly fork over $100+ dollars for omakase, or "chef's choice" where sushi and sashimi are served on small plates coursed out (usually 10+) over several hours. Why would anyone in their right mind pay so much for raw fish? Because it's not just raw fish. A reputable sushi chef, like Peter Park owner of Sushi Park in Los Angeles, will wake up around 4AM, drive to the fish market to be there when it opens at 5AM, thus procuring the absolute freshest fish possible. Fish as high quality as this never ends up in supermarkets or even most sushi restaurants. Dining at such a place is an experience to be savored obviously because of the price, but also because the fish simply melts-in-you-mouth. Moving right along, today The Wall Street Journal pens a rather informative piece giving readers a sneak peek into the life of a sushi chef. Take a gander down below at some interesting facts that will probably surprise you. 1. "Food historians say that sushi, which has become so identified with Japan, didn't actually originate there...it dates back to the sixth century B.C. in Southeast Asia, where salted fish, after being cleaned and gutted, was preserved by fermenting it in rice for six months to a year. 'Back then, they used to eat only the fish and throw away the rice.'" 2. "It wasn't until the end of the Edo or Tokugawa era (1603-1868) that sushi was served in bite-size pieces...customers munched them while standing, so for decades sushi was considered a finger food." 3. "According to an old wives' tale, a woman's hands tend to be warmer than a man's and therefore unsuitable for sushi-making." 4. "Tuna spends three days in the refrigerator to develop umami, the 'fifth taste' first identified by a Japanese scientist a century ago that is usually defined as a meaty, savory, satisfying taste." 5. "'The same kind of fish needs to be prepared differently in the summer than in the winter,' says Mr. Yamagata [a sushi master in Japan]. In cooler months, he puts extra salt on shad and mackerel because the fish tend to put on fat in the winter. Apply the same amount of salt in summer, though, and the fish gets waterlogged." 6. "According to the national union of sushi chefs in Japan, the number of chefs has dropped in step with the number of registered sushi restaurants in the country, which has fallen to 9,000 as of November 2009 from 10,000 in 2006. In 1992, there were 20,000...Ironically, the more popular sushi has grown, the less popular the profession has become." 7. "Rice: Once cooked, it's kept at 37 degrees Celsius. 'It can't be too hot, but it can't be too cold; body temperature is about right.'" 8. "Keeping...hands smooth and clean is one of the most important prerequisites in sushi-making. To protect them, [some chefs] refrain from engaging such potentially hand-bruising activities as tennis and baseball." 9. "A sushi master's day begins before sunrise and ends well after the sun has set."