How To: California Roll

Posted by The Editorial Desk / Wednesday, August 10th, 2011

A lot of people love sushi, and almost everyone is familiar with the “California Roll.” Most places charge $5 for this simple roll, so why not save some money by making it at home?

You will need:
- Sushi rice
- Powered sushi flavoring
- Roasted seaweed, specifically for sushi
- Imitation crab meat
- Sliced avocado
- Sushi mat
(You can find all of these at your local international grocery store such as H Mart or Lotte, but I just added links to Amazon just in case you had trouble finding any of the items.)

Left - Roasted seaweed
Right - Imitation crab meat (about $4 for a whole pack)

Step one Cook two cups of sushi rice with a rice cooker (if you don’t have one, here are directions on how to boil rice). Afterward, allow the rice to cool before mixing in the sushi powder. I normally add the powder to taste, but I believe there are instructions on the back of the package.

Step two (I normally cut the seaweed in half to make rolls thinner, but it’s based on preference.) Spread a thin layer of sushi rice evenly across the seaweed. Lay out avocado and imitation crab meat on one end and roll.

It should be sort of a simultaneous rolling-and-tucking motion since you want to tuck the tightly sushi into itself.

Step three This is what the finished roll should look like (left). Just cut it into bite-sized pieces and you’re finished!

You can definitely add tobiko (the tiny orange fish eggs) if you would like (they sold a bunch at the H Mart I went to). You can also make the sushi roll inside out so that the rice is on the outside. Just line the sushi mat with plastic wrap so the rice doesn’t stick, then flip the seaweed upside down after you have spread the rice across it, add the ingredients on top of the seaweed, and roll.

- Mai Nguyen

Tags: California Roll, Gut Check, how to, Mai Nguyen, Northern Virginia, Northern Virginia Magazine, NoVA, sushi