California Rolls

For my food blog I chose California Rolls. I chose this because I currently love sushi, but that wasn’t always the case. When I was 9 years old, like many young children, I was a picky eater and was unwilling to eat sushi. A friend suggested trying California rolls and I did, reluctantly. I was pleasantly surprised and was proud of myself for trying raw fish. However, the fish in California rolls is not actually crab- it is a mix of pulverized and cooked whitefish (Food Republic, 2013).

The recipe typically starts out with Sushi rice. A special kind of rice made with short grain rice, water, rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The rice is then spread over nori, which is dried seaweed and sesame seeds are sprinkled on top. Then crab sticks (imitation crab), avocado and cucumber. Then it’s rolled up and cut. California rolls are typically served with ginger, wasabi and soy sauce (Brown, 2005). Sometimes masago or capelin fish eggs are placed on top. California rolls contain 255 calories per roll, 7 grams of fat, 38 grams of carbohydrates, 5.8 grams of fiber and 9 grams of protein (Sushifaq).

While California rolls are typically considered Japanese food, however, it was actually created in the United States. There are a number of accounts as to who created the dish but it is accepted by many food historians that it was first served in Little Tokyo in Los Angeles at Tokyo Kaikan in the late 1960’s. The restaurant was created by EIWA- a Japanese restaurant corporation. A chef named Ichiro Mashita was looking for a substitute to bluefin tuna, used to make a simple sushi roll made out of bluefin tuna and scallions. Avacado was not a typical sushi ingredient at this time but the chef chose it because it was fatty and was available during the summer when bluefin tuna was not available due to migration patterns. Crab legs were then added to give the roll a fishy taste (Gourmet, 2012).

Today you can find California rolls in nearly any sushi or Japanese restaurant in the United States and can even be found in menus outside of the United States. While it can be prepared at home, it is usually consumed at a restaurant. It is a very popular dish now due to the fact that sushi is a fairly trendy dish, but some people are not willing to try other types of sushi because of the fear of or disgust with raw fish.

While California rolls don’t really symbolize anything or have a special meaning in either the Japanese or American culture, it is representative of how fluid culture can be and how American cuisine is so heavily influenced by outside nations and vice versa.


Sources

Alton, Brown. "California Roll Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network." California Roll Recipe : Alton Brown : Food Network. Food Network, 2005.

"What Is Imitation Crab?" Food Republic. 28 Feb. 2013.

"Deconstructing the California Roll." : Food + Cooking : Gourmet.com. Gourmet Live, 7 Mar. 2012.

"Calories in Sushi." The Sushi FAQ. http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-health/calories-in-sushi/