: How similar can I make fictional and real cultures? If I use certain elements of a culture or language, how different should they be compared to the original? How different should the language

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Long Answer: I think when taking cultural inspiration for a work of fiction, you have to ask yourself: will this piece of a single culture fit the context of what is this universe's realistic. Example: Tolkien drew from Norse legends for his Dwarves and Elves, but how fitting would it have been for either of them to be depicted as owning slaves, even though early Scandinavian culture was (like many of the time) very slave-centric?

Short Answer: My favorite pieces of fiction have had parallels against historical or currently existing cultures only so far as cherry picked parts that could reasonably exist in that fictional world.

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Golden Rule: You can do whatever you like so long as it can stand on its own for your target audience.

If your story is constructed to be a plausible future where the swedes and japanese have taken over, then both of those things could realistically happen. But if you have to spend a lot of time with exposition explaining it, then your execution may have problems. And if your use is not justified by the story and people are drawn to these details, then it's like a cell phone showing up in a lord of the rings battle.

Don't overthink this. If it doesn't check out with your target audience or it stands out in a bad way, find a better way to do whatever you're trying to do.

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Can I use a culture specific dish like sushi and call it sushi to describe the cuisine of my fictional culture?
Yes, because you are framing it in terms the reader will understand and respond to. This, in turn, helps the reader (s?) immerse themselves in the story.

Nothing can prevent you from doing that. You are the author, and the paper (or the computer screen) will tolerate anything you scribble on it. The reaction to your choice of words, however, really depends on the reader.
If I would stumble upon something like that I would be tempted to put the book down. For me, it stabs the suspension of disbelief right in the gut.
If your story depends on calling a piece of raw fish, wrapped in steamed rice and seaweed leaf, nothing else, but sushi, it should be set in our world. Then your characters, dressed in burkas and ushankas can drink tequila and vodka and eat pizza and curry while hunting buffalos, wielding machetes, firing Kalashnikovs, and drive Camaros and Corvettes.

If you a relating it back to something familiar for the reader/protagonist then you can always describe it initially as "sushi-like"

Oh, this is even a better way to kill all joy of immersing oneself into a secondary world. Not only you confess (in writing) that you are unable to describe the food in focus of your story (ahem, a piece of raw fish, wrapped in steamed rice and seaweed leaf?) which is apparently very important for your settings, you also immediately introduce yourself as a narrator from the modern Earth.
But, once again, this is your story.

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