Why does sushi usually come as a pair?
The practice of serving sushi in two pieces (ni kan/2 kan) comes from the original edomae-zushi of the 1800’s, the ancestor of today’s nigirizushi. Originally, nigiri-zushi was one large piece, a square. Because it was sometimes difficult to eat, some people began cutting it down the center into 2 pieces. The custom of serving sushi today in a set of two comes from this practice.
