1.
sasa-zushi; pressed sushi wrapped in bamboo grass leaves
A regional pressed sushi, associated especially with Nagano and Niigata Prefectures, made by topping vinegared rice with ingredients such as fish, egg, or vegetables and wrapping each piece in a 笹 (bamboo grass) leaf, which adds fragrance and helps preserve the rice.
笹寿司 is pressed sushi wrapped in 笹 leaves, a regional specialty most closely tied to 長野県 (Nagano) and 新潟県 (Niigata).
The 笹 leaf has natural antimicrobial properties, and wrapping the rice in it both adds a subtle herbal fragrance and helps the sushi keep longer without refrigeration — useful in the mountainous regions where it developed.
Typical toppings include 鮭 (salmon), 錦糸卵 (shredded thin omelet), and 山菜 (mountain vegetables), pressed onto small rice mounds and served on the leaf itself.