Spoiler: It's not just for decoration
Here’s Why Takeout Sushi Always Comes with Plastic Grass
Published on Mar. 10, 2025
The other night, I treated myself to dinner from my favorite sushi spot (my go-to order: spicy tuna roll, salmon-cucumber roll and miso soup). While I was eating, I found myself wondering—and not for the first time—about that piece of plastic grass that’s always on the tray with my sushi. Why is it there? Am I supposed to do something with it? Or is its sole purpose to give my dinner picnic vibes?
I had to find out. Step one: Eat the sushi. Step two: Ask two experts in Japanese cuisine to explain why faux grass finds its way into every order of takeout sushi. Read on to find out what they told me.
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What is “sushi grass”?
That plastic green grass in takeout sushi is known as baran in Japan. The name “refers to a plant called a haran, which is sometimes pronounced baran,” says Eric C. Rath, PhD, a professor of premodern Japanese history at the University of Kansas. “In English, it’s called a cast-iron plant because it’s really hard to kill.”
Fun fact: Sushi grass is also known as bento grass because it’s often included in compartmentalized Japanese containers known as bento boxes.
Is sushi grass a new thing?
Though plastic sushi grass is a modern development, the idea behind it has been around for centuries. Flowers, leaves, fruits and branches have been used to line vessels in Japanese cuisine for over a millennium, according to Nancy Singleton Hachisu, a James Beard Award–winning food journalist and an expert in authentic Japanese cuisine.
The use of leaves to separate food, however, became common during the Edo period (1603–1864). “Originally, the Kanto region (around Tokyo) used sasanoha [leaves from the bamboo plant], while the Kansai region (around Kyoto) used haran.”
What is the purpose of sushi grass?
Sushi grass serves several purposes, from the aesthetic to the practical.
Separation
One of the main functions of sushi grass is to divide the different pieces of food and their flavors. “Sometimes, we have some fish that’s kind of oily [like mackerel], and you don’t want those oils to mix with other fish,” says Rath. The grass helps maintain the integrity and flavors of each piece of sashimi, nigiri or maki.
Preservation
“Both sasanoha and haran have antibacterial properties to keep food from spoiling,” says Hachisu. This was very important “before the advent of refrigeration.” Obviously, the artificial green sushi grass won’t keep raw fish from spoiling—it’s just a continuation of a food-safety tradition.
Decoration
“Japanese food is about eating with the eye,” says Rath. The vibrant green sushi grass “adds a spot of color” to the plate and makes the dish even more visually appealing, though the geometric precision of a perfectly constructed sushi roll is a thing of beauty in and of itself.
Fragrance and taste
When fresh plant leaves like bamboo or shiso (perilla) are used, they impart a subtle fragrance to the dish, according to Rath. Plus, shiso leaves are edible, enhancing the meal’s sensory experience. (Please don’t eat plastic sushi grass!)
When did restaurants start using plastic grass?
The widespread use of plastic sushi grass in Japan began in the 1960s. During this post-war period, Rath explains, Japan took off. “We have this so-called economic miracle, with the GDP going so well,” he says. This raised the standard of living for many Japanese citizens. The result: More people ate sushi.
“And there’s this recognition that the modern is OK,” Rath adds. “You don’t necessarily have to have it cut by hand, so you get more mass-produced sushi.” Takeout sushi—sold in restaurants and supermarkets, the latter also new to Japan in the 1960s—took off.
Sushi purveyors needed to adapt to meet the increasing demand and needed a more durable and cost-effective solution to separate sushi pieces. Enter plastic sushi grass. Traditional plant leaves have to be cut by hand, and they lose color and texture after a few days. Plastic grass, however, can be mass-produced, lasts forever and is way less expensive.
It took time for the trend to take hold stateside. “The sushi boom really didn’t take off in the United States until the 1980s,” Rath points out. (That tracks for me, since I’m pretty sure the first time I saw sushi was when I went to see The Breakfast Club in the theater.) These days, most takeout sushi in Japan and here in the United States comes with plastic grass, though some higher-end restaurants still use real leaves on the plates.
Why is the plastic sushi grass jagged?
The jagged edges of plastic sushi grass are a design choice meant to resemble the uneven, textured edges of the real plant leaves they’re subbing for. “A rectangle would serve the same function but somehow not be as aesthetically pleasing,” Rath says. “And indeed, if some sushi shop is not relying on plastic and they’re cutting up the leaves themselves, it really shows off their knife skills.”
So the next time you’re about to tuck into your takeout sushi, remember that little piece of jagged plastic grass next to the blob of wasabi isn’t just decoration—it’s a bite-sized piece of history.
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Sources:
- Nancy Singleton Hachisu, James Beard Award–winning food journalist, expert in authentic Japanese cuisine and author of Japan: The Cookbook; email interview, March 7, 2025
- Eric C. Rath, professor of premodern Japanese history at the University of Kansas and author of Oishii: The History of Sushi; phone interview, March 6, 2025
- Japanese Food Guide: “The Actual Reason There’s Plastic Grass in Your Bento”
