How To Make A Sushi Hand Roll

Yesterday I covered the different types of sushi, and one of these was the temaki, or hand roll. This cone-shaped wrap of seaweed sheet (nori) is filled with vinegared rice and various ingredients. In this post I’ll explain how to make one.

Items You Will Need:
1 sheet of nori (seaweed sheets), cut in half
1/2 cup cooked sushi rice with 1 tbsp. rice vinegar mixed in
1/2 cup fillings of your choice: sliced sushi fish, spicy tuna, cucumber strips, avocado, daikon radish sprouts … be creative!

Preparation
Dry your hands so the nori won’t get soggy while you work with it. Place the nori shiny side down. Using the diagram that I drew above as a guide, put hanf of the rice on the nori positioned in one corner, lying diagonally. Add half of the filling.

Take a look at the diagram. The bottom right corner will be the top of your cone. The top part of the sheet where the fillings start will be the bottom of your cone.

Fold the top right corner down over the rice and fillings, and then grab the bottom left corner and bring it over the folded corner covering the fillings and pass it underneath until it wraps all the way around and forms a cone. With the end of the sheet tucked under the cone, lay it flat on a plate for a few minutes, and the moisture from the rice will cause it to self-seal. Repeat with the other half of the nori.

This recipe makes two temaki hand rolls.

I got the temaki stand at Ichiban Kan in San Francisco Japantown for $4.50. You can also find them online. They are not necessary, but add a nice touch.

Related:
Ingredient Spotlight: Salmon Roe (Ikura)
Ingredient Spotlight: Sea Urchin
Ingredient Spotlight: Octopus
Tsukiji Fish Market – Tokyo, Japan
How To: Clean Whole Fresh Squid

(Images: Kathryn Hill)