Japan – Makizushi Rolls

by Zayna Khan

INTRODUCTION

Makizushi is Japanese rolled sushi. This is formed by rolling a cylindrical roll of sushi then cut into a plain patty-like round shaped. This is rolled by using bamboo mats. There are so many options to wrap sushi rice with fish meat and vegetables. A long roll is made and cut into 6 to 8 pieces and serve. The way they look is so amazing with white rice and beautiful colored rice and meat. The thickness of the rolls depends upon the variety of ingredients you are using. This is served in various thicknesses from around 1 cm to 4 cm in diameter. We can use different wraps, rice for sushi, different pickled vegetable,s, and fish meat. There are many variations in which form the fish would be presented like mostly uncooked thin-sliced fish are embedded in it. But fishcake, fried fish, chopped fish, fish mince are used nowadays.

There is a huge variety of Makizushi served in Japan like :

VARIETIES OF MAKIZUSHI

NORIMAKI

Norimaki referred to those dishes that are wrapped with Nori seaweed. Nori seaweed is the dried edible seaweed that is very popular in Japanese cuisine. Makizushi is the sushi that is rolled up by Nori seaweed and this type of sushi is known as NoriMaki.

Main element of NORIMAKI is NORI SEAWEED.

FUTOMAKI

Futomaki is the type of makizushi that is thicker with an extra filling of rice and meat in it. It thickness of around 5 to 6 cm which is double the size of Makizushi. This type of sushi is serve for heavy dinner with extra stuffing. They are known by different names like :

• Fat sushi rolls
• Thick rolls
• Large sushi

You can add two or three fillings of your choice in meat and vegetables, etc. This can be a purely vegetarian dish by adding only vegetables like cucumber, radish, carrot, etc.

TAMAGO MAKIZUSHI

Tamago makizushi is a sushi that is wrapped by a thin omelet sheet. This gives the appearance of omurice. In omurice, fried rice is rolled up with a thick omelet sheet. But in this sushi, a thin slice of omelet is made and then sushi rice is wrapped. This is the same as sushi but with different wrapping.

TEMPURA MAKIZUSHI

In this dish as from the name, tempura is added as the meat element of the dish. Tempura is fried fish, having crispy coating made up of flour, eggs, water, salt, and pepper. This is a very popular appetizer and snack of Japanese cuisine. This version of fish is stuffed with rice and vegetables to have a new variety of Makizushi.

AGEZUSHI

Agezushi is a fried version of same dish. Zushi is fried into the oil and giving totally new effect to the dish. This is more like look like tempura but having rice with fish and vegetables.

HOSSOMAKI

Hossomaki is very thin rolls of sushi having very low filling, thin wraps and small in size.

TEKKAMAKI

Tekkamaki is the very popular true version of Sushi in which uncooked Tuna fish is used as the meat element. This is known as Red Hot because of the red flesh of tuna seen from the sushi rolls.

Tekki means, Red Hot Iron

EHOMAKI

Ehomaki is known as using seven ingredients. It is said to be lucky if you to use the number seven. Seven ingredients are added in making Zusuki. They are also known as Lucky Direction Rolls.

Seven Ingredients are :

• Kanpyo
• eggs
• Shiitake
• Eel meat
• Rice
• Nori seaweeds
• Tuna mixed with Mayonaise

TEMAKI

Temaki is a cone shaped, hand made long sushi type. This is not cut into pieces and shapes like cone.

ELEMENTS OF THE DISH

Meat

• Tuna
• Prawns
• White fish
• Oboro fish
• Roe
• Crabs
• Fish cakes
• Shrimp, etc.

Vegetables

• Cucumber
• Kanpyo
• Bamboo shoots
• Lotus shoots
• Carrots
• Shiitake mushrooms
• Radish
• Lettuce
• Avocado
• Scallions, etc

Rice

• Short grain rice
• Brown rice

Wraps

• Nori seaweed
• Cucumber thin slice
• Soya sheets
• Bamboo sheets
• Thin omelet, etc.

INGREDIENTS OF MAKIZUSHI ROLLS

• Tuna canned : 250 grams
• Short grain rice (boiled ) : 250 grams
• Nori seaweeds : 5 sheets
• Cucumber slices : 8
• Pickled radish : 1 cup
• Avocado : 3 chopped
• Scallions : 2
• Mayonnaise : 1 cup
• Mixed herbs : 1 teaspoon
• Vinegar :1 cup
• Soya sauce : 1/2 cup
• Mirin : 4 tablespoon

COOKING METHODS

• Take nori seaweed sheets on bamboo matts.
• Dipped rice in vinegar and soya sauce to make nice pickled rice.
• Now place rice on one side of the nori seaweed sheet with tuna meat and vegetables on top.
• Sprinkle mixed herbs and add some mayonnaise over the top.
• Roll the sushi and serve.
• 🙂