Episode

The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
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45:08
Published: Sun Nov 14 2021
Description

In 1980, when few Americans knew the meaning of toro and omakase, the Rev. Sun Myung Moon, the founder of the Unification Church, spoke to dozens of his followers in the Grand Ballroom of the New Yorker Hotel.It was said Moon could see the future, visit you in dreams and speak with the spirit world, where Jesus and Buddha, Moses and Washington, caliphs and emperors and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and even God himself would all proclaim his greatness.“You,” Moon later recalled telling his followers in the ballroom, “are the pioneers of the fishing business — the seafood business. Go forward, pioneer the way and bring back prosperity.” They did. Today a business they grew and shaped is arguably America’s only nationwide fresh-seafood company of any kind. It specializes in sushi, and its name is True World Foods.One of Moon’s daughters, In Jin Moon, once asked in a sermon whether their movement really made a difference. “In an incredible way, we did,” she said: Her father created True World Foods. “When he initiated that project,” she went on, “nobody knew what sushi was or what eating raw fish was about.” Her father, she concluded, “got the world to love sushi.”This story was recorded by Audm. To hear more audio stories from publications like The New York Times, download Audm for iPhone or Android.

Chapters
The story of a middle-aged Korean fisherman’s rise to fame posing with his catch, including the seafood kingpin’s mansion and a giant lobster at a warehouse.
00:00 - 02:02 (02:02)
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Fishing
Summary

The story of a middle-aged Korean fisherman’s rise to fame posing with his catch, including the seafood kingpin’s mansion and a giant lobster at a warehouse.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily
True World Foods sells to over 8,300 clients in North America, primarily sushi restaurants, distributing a vast range of seafood, and sushi-making ingredients, as well as eel sauce, knives, exotic citrus, mochi ice cream bonbons, and virtually every other input a sushi chef might need.
02:02 - 10:03 (08:01)
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True World Foods
Summary

True World Foods sells to over 8,300 clients in North America, primarily sushi restaurants, distributing a vast range of seafood, and sushi-making ingredients, as well as eel sauce, knives, exotic citrus, mochi ice cream bonbons, and virtually every other input a sushi chef might need. The company has sold more than $1 billion worth of seafood products in 2021 so far, with a surprising background originating in the controversial Unification Church founded by 'Messiah' Sun Myung Moon.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily
The development of new domestic medium-grain rice was a key factor in America's sushi boom.
10:03 - 18:08 (08:04)
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sushi
Summary

The development of new domestic medium-grain rice was a key factor in America's sushi boom. Sushi has a complex history rooted in regional dishes of fermented seafood, salt, rice, and sometimes even deer or boar.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily
The rise in sushi popularity in America began in the 1980s and depended on a feeling of social distinction, leading to a demand for suppliers to sushi restaurants and even sushi becoming a ballpark snack and a reference in pop culture.
18:09 - 27:01 (08:52)
listen on Spotify
Sushi
Summary

The rise in sushi popularity in America began in the 1980s and depended on a feeling of social distinction, leading to a demand for suppliers to sushi restaurants and even sushi becoming a ballpark snack and a reference in pop culture.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily
True World Foods, a Japanese food distributor founded by members of the Unification Church, played a key role in spreading sushi across America in the 1980s and 1990s, with a powerful shift in cultural influence as a result.
27:01 - 34:42 (07:40)
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Sushi
Summary

True World Foods, a Japanese food distributor founded by members of the Unification Church, played a key role in spreading sushi across America in the 1980s and 1990s, with a powerful shift in cultural influence as a result.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily
Unification Church International filed a lawsuit against former board members, including Preston, for allegedly stealing the company's assets when Sun Myung Moon became disenchanted with Preston.
34:42 - 43:47 (09:04)
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Unification Church International
Summary

Unification Church International filed a lawsuit against former board members, including Preston, for allegedly stealing the company's assets when Sun Myung Moon became disenchanted with Preston. The court ordered the removal of Preston and three co-defendants from the board and to be replaced with directors chosen in consultation with Moon's church.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily
This essay recounts the history of the Unification Church's (aka the Moonies) business ventures, including the founding of the American Tuna fishing company, and reflects on the author's personal experience with the church's influence in his family's life.
43:47 - 44:59 (01:11)
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Religion
Summary

This essay recounts the history of the Unification Church's (aka the Moonies) business ventures, including the founding of the American Tuna fishing company, and reflects on the author's personal experience with the church's influence in his family's life.

Episode
The Sunday Read: ‘The Untold Story of Sushi in America’
Podcast
The Daily