AMERICAN SUSHI

The United States has its own unique Sushi creations, larger in size than the traditional Japanese Sushi which can usually be eaten in one bite.  The rice is sweeter and quantity is emphasized over quality and visual appeal.  Common American Sushi includes Spicy Rolls, Salmon Skin Rolls, Spider Rolls, Philadelphia Rolls and California Rolls.   American Sushi is becoming very popular in Japan.   Beef Sushi is also more prevalent in the United States. Paper thin pieces of beef are usually filled with finely sliced scallions and asparagus.  Many types of sushi have been created for the American market.

The California Roll, also called an inside-out roll, is made of fish, avocado and cucumber rolled inside a sheet of rice.  That combination is then rolled inside a sheet of nori, or dried seaweed.  The meat can be salmon, crab, crabstick or some fish cake and it’s often decorated with flying fish roe (tobiko) and sesame seeds.  Depending on the sushi bar, finely grated carrots or spinach may be substituted for cucumber.

Gunkan-maki, also known as Battleship maki, is a more traditional type of rolled sushi.  It is topped with fish eggs (ikura) that give it a very salty flavor.  Made with an hand-formed oval of sushi rice with a strip of nori around it to form a type of bowl, it is filled with soft toppings such as oysters, roe or quail eggs.  It is often garnished with seaweed to enhance its presentation.

Crab Stick, also called Kanikama, actually contains very little crabmeat.  Various varieties of white fish are pressed together in stick form; they are often used as an ingredient in California Rolls.  In the United Kingdom they called “Seafood Sticks”

The Dragon Roll is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds, an American treat that uses barbequed eel as the base, rolled and encased in a wonderful combination of tastes and textures. Overlaid with sushi rice, the next layer is ripe avocado to represent the dragon’s scales.  Julienned cucumber and asparagus are then artfully arranged with Nori seaweed and the creation is drizzled with rich orange tobiko and red chili to represent the dragon’s whiskers and imply graceful motion.  Most sushi chefs then garnish the roll with Wasabi mayonnaise, shitake mushrooms and sesame seeds.

Hand Roll is another term for Temaki. It is made in the palm of the hand and eaten as it’s created.  Small sheets of nori are filled with sushi rice and fillings, rolled and eaten before making the next one.  This type of sushi is popular in Japan for family dinners or snacks.  Onigiri is another type of sushi that’s popular in American sushi bars as well as Japanese homes.  Triangles or ovals of rice are topped by pickled fruit, raw fish and often wrapped in nori.  Oshi-sushi, is another “casual” type sushi and more like a sandwich; sushi is put between squares of pressed rice and topped with lemon or other complementary toppings.

Spider Rolls are one of the more attractive American creations. It includes soft shell crab with other fillings, perhaps cucumber, avocado, or other vegetable.  You can get it with daikon sprouts, lettuce, roe, and spicy mayonnaise. The legs of the crab protrude from each end of the roll, similar to spider legs.

Funamori are “boat wraps”, usually dried seaweed wrapped around items that might fall off the sushi.  These edible wraps are similar to small bowls and are quite attractive as well.

Tekka-maki means tuna roll. Tekka means ‘iron on fire’ and the fish earns the name by its fiery color.  If you’d like to order a tuna roll authentically, you would request a “maguro maki”. Tekka also refers to Japanese gambling dens this type of roll was created to serve; gamblers liked this snack because they only had to use one hand to enjoy it and could continue their gaming.

The Philadelphia Roll, named after the cream cheese, contains sushi rice and salmon and cucumber with cream cheese rolled in nori.  Sometimes it also has onion and bonito flakes or tobiko (flying fish roe).

Temaki-zushi refers to a cone-shaped hand roll. Any type of fish in season that you choose will be wrapped in a layer of sushi rice when you order the Temaki.

The Salmon Skin Roll is a well liked specialty, an American invention in which the smoked salmon skin is broiled and served, hot and crispy, usually accompanied with cucumber, in the form of a hand roll. This is actually considered a delicacy.
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A Rainbow Roll is an overturned roll that contains strips of differently colored fish across the top of the roll.  Inside is usually Tuna with avocado or other vegetable.  It’s a beautiful creation with a refreshing flavor.

The Spicy Roll is just what it says!  Chinese hot paste and red pepper flakes or shichimi are mixed with mayonnaise and blended with chopped fish to mask the tint of the older tuna fish. The mayonnaise is sometimes mixed with Tabasco sauce or spicy chili oil.  This one is becoming very popular.