When did we become so obsessed with sushi?
Ebru Erke
About four years ago, I was invited to a tasting in Çanakkale.
Japanese seafood expert Musashi Seto and Niyazi Önen, the founder of Dardanel, were introducing the first ready-to-eat sushi produced at their newly established factory. I still remember looking at the neatly packed boxes in front of me and thinking, “What a shame… They’ve invested so much. But can ready-made sushi really sell in Türkiye?” At the time, it struck me as an exceptionally bold venture.
Years passed. A few months ago, while speaking with Mr. Önen again, he told me they had expanded their sushi production and significantly increased capacity at their new facility. My response was immediate: “I have to salute your foresight in the face of my complete lack of it.” Sometimes entrepreneurs recognise a market transformation long before the numbers do. That day, I simply failed to see how dramatically Turkish eating habits were about to change.
