What is TEMAKI?
There are multiple kinds of SUSHI other than Nigiri type.
・ Nigiri sushi
・ Warship
・Sushi rolls
・ Oshizushi
・chirashi sushi
・ Rose sushi
・ Inari sushi
・ Nare sushi
・ Temaki sushi
The interesting part is that depending the shapes and ingredients, how they called are varied.
This TEMAKI first started back in Edo era.
When there were SAMURAI still with huge Japanese knife on the side and with this kind of unique hair style below in the picture.
Some people say that MAKI SUSHI was created by the voice of the people at gamble that they want to take meal as quick as possible.
There were difference for its looks by areas. In Edo,
thinner and 1 ingredient type of MAKI SUSHI such as tuna SUSHI and cucumber SUSHI were more popular.
On the other hand, Thicker and multiple type of ingredients MAKI SUSHI were more popular in Osaka.
It was only Meiji era to Taishou era when these kind of MAKI SUSHI that are used to sold at sushi bars or little restaurants,
started becoming like everyday meal at home, So many kinds of SUSHI such as INARI SUSHI, BARA SUSHI,
and GOMOKU SUSHI are started eating at home.
When the beginning of Shouwa era, SUSHI started making when it’s special occasion such as autumn plays and celebration days.
When it’s almost end to the Shouwa era, amount of family member get smaller into 3-4 people.
So style of SUSHI became more casual and more to the needs than keeping traditonal styles.
When to make TEMAKI?
The latter half of Shouwa that TEMAKi started spreading out.
TEMAKI started becoming like a symbol meal for cerebration day, which is usually birthday party for kids,
In Heisei era, SUSHI became more of like everyday meal from a special meal because of the appearance of cheap conveyor belt sushi.
Nowadays, people eat SUSHI at home whenever they want to eat because of the appearance of delivery service and take out system.
Even NIGIRI SUSHI are not exactly for the special occasions, TEMAKI has been always the special occasion meal since the latter of Shouwa era.
Make the rice first then put them into the bowl(SUSHI OKE) then after mixing some vinegar, kids help with drying the vinegared rice with fans.
This has been seen since about 50 years ago and still so on. On the other hand, what changed is that those ingredients in TEMAKI.
It used to be only raw fish but now, you can see some interesting and fun ingredients such as sausages and deep fried chickens.
Reiwa era, on usual days, you can casually make TEMAKI:“Let’s do TEMAKI today.
What are the ingredients for TEMAKI SUSHI? Recommendations?
In the past, the ingredients for hand-rolled sushi were mainly raw fish.
Now you can enjoy a multiple varieties of ingredients. Depending on your ideas, you can make anything into dalicius sushi.
Let’s introduce popular ingredients for each generation.
For Adults
【Classic】
Raw fish, cucumber, Macrophyll
【New kinds】Avocado, char siu, boiled beef, pickled in sashimi soy sauce
For Kids
【Classic】
Natto, chikuwa, sausage, omelet, tuna mayonnaise, mayocorn
【New kinds】Fried chicken, fried shrimp, shrimp chili
In this way, you can see that anything can be used as an ingredient and rolled up. Try new ingredients with creative ideas.
If you would like to expand the world of hand-rolled sushi, why not use the world’s “rolled dishes” as a hint for sushi ingredients?
In South Korea, “Samgyeopsal”. Wrap roasted pork belly, kimchi, namul, around a leafy vegetable called “lettuce”.
Burritos and tacos are famous in Mexico.
You can eat crepe-like skin and tortillas made by dissolving corn flour in water and wrapping meat shavings, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and salsa sauce.
In France, Galette. Eggs, ham and cheese are wrapped around it. It’s not a TEMAKI dish, but it’s can be a hint for your up coming creative SUSHI.
Le’s talk about Vietnamese spring rolls.
Wrap steamed shrimp, avocado, lettuce, somen, etc. around rice paper that has been softened with water.
So nice refreshment to attach to chili sauce.
“California Roll” is a sushi roll that originated in the United States. It is becoming a standard in Japan as well.
Taking the world’s rolled dishes as hints, you can combine rice and seaweed to create your own favorite.
Let’s create your own world of TEMAKI SUSHI!
Tools to use
When preparing hand-rolled sushi, Japanese use tools such as sushi tubs, rice scoops, and uchiwa(fan).
Japanese people don’t always use these, you can easily use the ones in the kitchen as alternative.
Rice cooker
When cooking rice, we generally use a rice cooker.
Rice cookers have various functions because most people eat rice as main meal.
You can control the hardness with the touch of a button. Very easy to use as well.
If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can cook rice in about 30 minutes (except the time of flooding) using a rice cooker or a pot.
How to cook like with pot
【recommended amount】
・rice:300g
・water:450ml(don’t need to be the exsact amount)
1. Sharpen the rice with water.
It is easy to do it with a bowl and a colander.
The first time the water becomes cloudy white, please discard the water quickly. Change the water sometimes until you can see the grains of rice.
2. Put the rice into a pan, pour the amount of water you think it needs so that the rice is completely immersed, and let it soak for about 30 minutes.
3. Set the pot in the middle of the stove, cover it, then heat it over medium heat.
4. When it’s boiling, keep it on medium heat for 2 minutes.
5. After that, reduce the heat to very low and cook slowly for 5 – 7 minutes.
6. Open the lid and make sure the rice is absorbing all the water. If there is still water left, cook over low heat for a few minutes.
7. Cover and steam for 10 minutes to make fluffy rice.
When it(s your first time to do this, you might worry a bit cause there might be a little bit of hard part left.
It is very important to know that you have to sit and wait untill all rice get enough heat. It takes like 2 min after it starts boiling.
You will get it by the time you do this multiple times. You will use vinegar after steaming rice,
so make sure to steam just a little less so it is still a little bit hard, perfect for SUSHI rice!
SUSHI Bowl
SUSHI bowl is usually made out of wood.
It is a traditional living tool made by joining wood such as Spanish mackerel cut into thin plates and fixing it with a metal tag.
Wood has the role of adjusting the amount of water in the rice.
In the Showa era, there was one sushi tub in the family.
Because there are many nuclear families now, it has progressed that many families no longer surround platter dishes, many households in Japan now use bowls and bats instead.
Shamoji (Rice scoop)
Shamoji (rice scoop) is a tool for scooping and mixing rice. The traditional rice scoop material is made of wood and bamboo.
Recently, most of them are made of plastic or silicon, so the rice does not stick to the rice scoop. The handle becomes self-supporting, etc.
Those with various ingenuity are on sale.
Rice scoops are used not only to pour rice into a bowl, but also to mix vinegar with freshly cooked rice.
When making TEMAKI SUSHI, shamoji is very useful when you put rice on seaweed and spread it.
If not, a wooden spatula, rubber spatula, or a large spoon can be its alternative.
Fan
Uchiwa is a tool that creates wind by fanning it by hand. It is one of the indispensable items in the hot and humid summer of Japan.
When making TEMAKI SUSHI, it is used to cool the vinegared rice after mixing the vinegar with the freshly cooked rice that has been transferred to the sushi tub.
Children often likes to to the role of cooling rice with the fan.
When the vinegared rice cools down, you can eat TEAMAKI SUSHI quicker, so
You can do a little game here. Holding a fan in both hands and blowing the wind with a fan at high speed. See who can do it faster.
If you don’t have a fan, you can use A4 sized hard paper instead.
You can easily send the wind with a circulator, but the gentle breeze created by hand is the key to making delicious vinegared rice. One of the charms of hand-rolled sushi is that you can enjoy it, including its taste.
CHOP STICKS
Chopsticks are tools to eat that are used not only in Japan but also all over East Asia such as China and South Korea.
it comes 2 as 1 set, you can use to eat/deliver food.
In Japan, there are some people who use only chopsticks to eat anything. This is how much chopsticks are significant tools for Japanese people and its culture.
There are more than 1 way to use this tool. There are different kinds of material, shapes, and designs depending on multiple purposes.
You use chopsticks when you make TEMAKI to spread some vinegared rice on the seaweed.
Chopsticks can be alternated by spoons and forks.
If you are not living in Japan, maybe chopsticks are not everyday use tools for you just not yet, but it is very useful when you get used to it. Even for Japanese people, how to use and hold chopsticks are not excactly easy as well. If you keep practicing, you will eventually be able to use and move them so well.
Lastly
NIHIRI is not only kind of SUSHI,
TEMAKI is a very unique and customizeable SUSHI that you can make and choose your own favorite SUSHI.
Any ingredients turns into TEMAKI if you have some seaweed and rice at home!
It’s very pretty to look at it, and also so fun to create as well. Prefect for party meal in any countries.
It’s part of the fun to know more about rice and vinegar, these are part of Japanese food culture as well.
Maybe there will be a huge TEMAKI boom all around the world!? That would be our pleasure.
Maybe someday, you will want to make more of traditional type of TEMAKI and trying to collect all those Japanese tools that you need to make TEMAKI.
You’ll be surpriced how good quality it is after using Japanese tools too. If you’ve got opportunity, please try out! TEMAKI .