The history of 寿司(Sushi) began with paddy fields, where fish was fermented with rice vinegar, salt and rice, after which the rice was discarded. The dish is today known as "narezushi" ( – "salted fish"), stored in fermented rice for possibly months at a time. The lacto-fermentation of the rice prevents the fish from spoiling; the rice would be discarded before consumption of the fish. This early type of sushi became an important source of protein for its Japanese consumers. The term "sushi" literally means "sour-tasting" and comes from an antiquated し ("shi") terminal-form conjugation, 酸し "sushi", no longer used in other contexts, of the adjectival verb 酸い "sui" "to be sour"; the overall dish has a sour and umami or savoury taste. Narezushi still exists as a regional specialty, notably as "funa-zushi" from Shiga Prefecture.