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Is a California Roll Sushi?

post #1 of 49
9/6/07 at 11:54pm
Thread Starter 
Thoughts?
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post #2 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:01am
Of course not.
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post #3 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:11am
Technically its Uramaki, (inside out roll) which is an American invention. That doesn't mean that its "not sushi". It just means that its "not japanese".


From Sushi Masters:

Quote:
Uramaki was created because Americans had trouble eating nori. While Americans dining in the early sushi bars enjoyed the food, they preferred to not see the seaweed. To remedy this, the pioneering Chef Mashita at Tokyo Kaikan in Little Tokyo created the inside-out roll. This development is widely believed to have fueled sushi's early success in the United States, and has led to hundreds of variations on the first uramaki.
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post #4 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:17am
Technically yes. Sushi refers to the rice (it means 'seasoned rice'), not necessary fish (unlike sashimi)... However, CR is certainly not a traditional way of serving sushi in Japan, if that's what you mean, but these days there are even some japanese sushi chefs that are looking west for their inspiration... : )
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post #5 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:18am
Is the reason for the inside-out roll really because people didn't like seeing seaweed? That's so bizarre. I had no idea.

Out of curiosity, what is the most common kind of sushi in Japan? Maki? Nigiri? Or is it Sashimi rather than sushi?
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post #6 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:18am
You beat me to it... : )
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post #7 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:24am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Augusto86 View Post
Is the reason for the inside-out roll really because people didn't like seeing seaweed? That's so bizarre. I had no idea.

Out of curiosity, what is the most common kind of sushi in Japan? Maki? Nigiri? Or is it Sashimi rather than sushi?

I don't know if thats the real reason or not. I wasn't there

I've seen more sashimi in person than anything else while I've been here, but it really depends on the restaraunt I think. Sashimi might be a more blue-collar type item, where sushi is probably a fancier or more formal thing. Just a guess though.
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post #8 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:33am
California rolls are not necessarily inside out. I see them rolled with the nori outside most of the time here. California is just a roll with (fake) crab stick, avocado and cucumber. I shouldn't say it's not sushi but I don't like it and I love sushi.
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post #9 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:37am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Augusto86 View Post
Is the reason for the inside-out roll really because people didn't like seeing seaweed? That's so bizarre. I had no idea.

Out of curiosity, what is the most common kind of sushi in Japan? Maki? Nigiri? Or is it Sashimi rather than sushi?
Most common sushi would be nigiri, although most of the older generations eat a more traditional maki without any fish.

For raw fish, the cheapest is conveyor belt sushi but most common would be grocery store sashimi. Although I have no idea what people do with it after they buy it and take it home, it could easily turn into chirashi or sushi at that point.
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post #10 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:56am
I picked, "What's sushi". Do I win anything??
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post #11 of 49
9/7/07 at 12:59am
I love all sushi/sashimi. From Anago to Uni. As for the rolls, I prefer the more local ones which the local chefs come up with, sometimes from customer suggestions. One common one I love is the Shiitake roll. There are some fantastic rolls at the world's best sushi bar in San Marcos, Katsu. And, many of them are extremely filling. I usually start out with albacore sashimi and end with uni. In between, I like to have various types of sushi. Sometimes Maguro; some salmon; Hotategai.
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post #12 of 49
9/7/07 at 1:26am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tengu View Post
Technically yes. Sushi refers to the rice (it means 'seasoned rice'), not necessary fish (unlike sashimi)...

However, CR is certainly not a traditional way of serving sushi in Japan, if that's what you mean, but these days there are even some japanese sushi chefs that are looking west for their inspiration... : )

If I gave someone a bowl of vinegared rice, no one would call it sushi even if that's the literal origin. I think sushi as we understand it is something else. But you're right.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Tokyo Slim View Post
I don't know if thats the real reason or not. I wasn't there

I've seen more sashimi in person than anything else while I've been here, but it really depends on the restaraunt I think. Sashimi might be a more blue-collar type item, where sushi is probably a fancier or more formal thing. Just a guess though.

Interesting. I would've expected it's the other way around. Sashimi being a lot more expensive as there's no rice 'filler.' But I mostly ate at the conveyor belt type places the times I was there so
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post #13 of 49
9/7/07 at 11:41am
God, most California rolls are disgusting. The "crab" they put in them tastes like and has the texture of the strings on a Koosh ball.
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post #14 of 49
9/7/07 at 11:42am
Coming at it from an American point of view, I would say that a California roll is not sushi.
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post #15 of 49
9/7/07 at 1:12pm
It is sushi. It is not really authentic old-country sushi, but it is sushi. I can recall seeing it in Tokyo as far back as 1990, though not at the top-of-the-market type osushiya.

It does not have to be made with imitation crab. If made with real crab and fresh, ripe avocado it can actually be quite good.
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