The California Roll

When most people think of "gateway sushi," they think of the California Roll. It is creamy, crunchy, savory, and—perhaps most importantly for the some, completely devoid of raw fish. Instead, the star of the show is surimi (imitation crab), paired with the cucumber, avocado, and sushi rice. But before we get to the sticky business of making one, let’s look at how this inside-out icon conquered the world. The origin of the California Roll is a subject of heated culinary debate, what is known is that it was invented somewere in the 60's or 70's by a Japanese chef living in North America. And it does not belong to the original sushi menu! Are you looking for more authentic sushi recipes, check out the link!

Image: home-made california sushi roll with surimi avocado and cucumber.

What is Surimi?

Regardless of who rolled it first, the modern California Roll relies on surimi. While often called "imitation crab," surimi is actually real seafood. It is typically made from Pollock (a white fish) that is minced, washed, and blended with natural flavorings and starch to mimic the texture and sweet flavor of snow crab. It is affordable and provides the consistent texture that makes this roll a classic for western people (although it is not a real sushi classic!).

The Recipe: How to Make a California Roll?

What you need:

• A Rolling Mat: Better use a plastic (non traditional one), or put cling foil on your bamboo one.

• Plastic Wrap: If you use a plastic rolling mat, you don't need this.

• A Sharp Knife: The sharper, the better.

The Ingredients for one California sushi roll

• 50g (1/3 cup) sushi rice (uncooked)

• a splash Sushi Vinegar, a pinch of salt and sugar

• 1 Nori Sheet

• 2.5 Surimi sticks (Imitation Crab)

• 1/8 Cucumber

• 1/3 Avocado

• Sesame Seeds

The Steps to make california roll sushi style

1. Preparing the rice

Wash your rice. Rinse it, swirl it, drain it. Repeat this until the water runs clear (usually about 4 times). Cook it according to the package or our general sushi making instructions. The Important Part: While the rice is cooling down, fold in the vinegar.

2. Preparing the rest

Wrap your bamboo mat entirely in plastic wrap (or use a plastic sushi mat). This is the single best piece of advice in this article. If you skip this, you will be picking rice out of bamboo crevices until the end of time. Cut the surimi sticks that they will be the width of the nori sheet (for me 2,5 surimi sticks are required) and do the same with the cucumber.

3. The "Inside-Out" trick

Take a sheet of Nori and place the it on the mat, rough side up.

Wet your hands. Grab a handful of rice (about a tennis ball size). Spread it gently over 2/3rd of the Nori. Spread a layer of roasted sesame seeds over the rice and press gently. If you want the more classic "orange egg" look, then you have to order some tobiko or masago fish eggs instead of sesame seeds. Now, the moment of truth: gently flip it over. The rice should now be face-down on the (plastic-wrapped) mat, and the naked Nori should be staring up at you.

4. Filling your california sushi roll

Place your surimi, cucumber, and avocado slices in a horizontal line across the base of the Nori, where there is no rice underneeth. Pro Tip: Don’t overstuff it. You are making a sushi roll, not a Japanese burrito. If you put too much in, it will explode, and you will have a "California Salad" for dinner today!

5. Rolling

Lift the edge of the mat closest to you. Fold it over the filling, tucking the ingredients in tight with your fingers. Continue rolling forward, applying gentle pressure.

Images: making of california sushi roll with surimi, cucumber and avocado.

6. Cutting

Transfer the roll to a cutting board. Wet your knife blade. Slice the roll in half. Wipe the knife. Wet the knife again. Put the two halves parallel to each other and cut them into 6 or 8 pieces. If the ends look ragged and ugly, eat them immediately so no one sees it!

Serving California roll at home

Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi. Congratulations! You have successfully made a california roll! To give it a more tasty appearance, sprinkle with sesami seeds or if you are very fancy, sprinkle it with tobiko (reddish-orange fish eggs)!

Nutritional Information: California Roll

Nutrient	Per Full Roll	Per Serving (1/8)
Calories	385 kcal	48 kcal
Total Fat	12g	1.5g
Saturated Fat	2g	0.25g
Cholesterol	15mg	2mg
Sodium	680mg	85mg
Salt	1.7g	0.2g
Total Carbohydrates	56g	7g
Dietary Fiber	5g	0.6g
Sugars	7g	0.9g
Protein	11g	1.4g