Sushi are actually a variety of dishes that use sushi rice, which is seasoned with a sweet vinegar mixture. Well-known sushi are the oval shaped sushi called nigiri-zushi and sushi rolls called maki-zushi. Futomaki are thick sushi rolls which includes various fillings. They are also known as fat rolls. Maki (a cut roll) is actually the hardest of the sushi styles to perfect. There is a lot to have to keep in mind; the proper proportion of rice to filling, where to place the filling, how far to put the rice, how thick the layer of rice should be and how to roll and cut the finished roll. This “fat roll” can be complex with a ton of ingredients in the center, or only feature three or four filling ingredients at most. The goal is to choose contrasting colors and complementary tastes. Futomaki is frequently eaten in sliced form, but there are a few Japanese celebrations where the roll is eaten whole.
When the Japanese celebrate Setsuban, the day that precedes the beginning of a new season, festivals are common. It is common to eat whole futomaki instead of sliced rolls as part of the celebration, especially in the Kansai or Kinki region of Japan, which is in the central south of the country. Of course you can eat whole futomaki at any time of the year, but not slicing it tends to mean you miss out on the gorgeous contrast of color
Ingredients:
- 3 full cups sushi rice, prepared
- 1 Japanese cucumber, sliced lengthwise into quarters
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp sugar
- 1 ounce kampyo
- 2/3 cup dashi soup stock
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 4 sheets of nori (dried seaweed)
Direction:
- Wash and soak kampyo in water for an hour before cooking.
- Cut softened kampyo into about 8-inch-long pieces.
- Put dashi soup stock, sugar, mirin, and soy sauce in a medium pot. Put it on medium heat and bring to a boil. Add kampyo in the pot and simmer on low heat until the liquid is almost gone. Cool it.
- Meanwhile, prepare sushi rice. Beat eggs and sugar in a small bowl. Make a rolled omelet and cool. Cut it into long sticks. Put a sheet of nori on a bamboo mat. Spread 1 cup of sushi rice on top of the nori sheet.
- Place the ingredients lengthwise on the rice. Roll up the bamboo mat, pressing forward to shape the sushi into a cylinder. Press the bamboo mat firmly and remove it from the sushi.
- Cut the rolled sushi into bite-size pieces.
