California roll facts for kids
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| Alternative names | カリフォルニアロール (kariforunia rōru) |
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| Course | Main course |
| Place of origin | Canada, United States |
| Region or state | North America |
| Main ingredients | Rice, cucumber, crab meat or imitation crab, and avocado |
| 1 serving (2 pieces), 129 kcal | |
The California roll is a very popular type of sushi roll. It's often rolled "inside-out," meaning the rice is on the outside. Inside, you'll usually find cucumber, crab meat (or imitation crab), and avocado. Sometimes, a crab salad is used instead of crab sticks. The outside of the rice roll might be covered with toasted sesame seeds or tiny fish eggs called roe, like tobiko from flying fish.
This sushi roll is super popular in Canada and the United States. The California roll helped make sushi famous all over the world. It also inspired sushi chefs to create new and exciting types of sushi that mix different food styles.
Contents
What's Inside a California Roll?
The main ingredients wrapped inside a California roll are avocado and crab meat, or imitation crab (which is also called surimi crab). Sometimes, a little mayonnaise is added too. These ingredients are usually wrapped with seaweed, but some rolls use soy paper instead.
Cucumber has been a part of the roll for a long time. The outside of the "inside-out" roll might be sprinkled with sesame seeds. It can also have tobiko (flying fish roe) or masago (capelin roe) on the outside.
Who Invented the California Roll?
The exact story of who created the California roll is a bit of a mystery. Several chefs from Los Angeles and one from Vancouver have been given credit for inventing it.
Early Mentions and Claims
The first time a 'California roll' was mentioned in print was in 1979. This was in the Los Angeles Times and a newspaper in Ocala, Florida. Less than a month later, an Associated Press story said a chef named Ken Seusa invented it. He worked at the Kin Jo sushi restaurant near Hollywood. This claim was not questioned for over 20 years.
The Los Angeles Story
Other people say the dish was created by Ichiro Mashita. He was another Los Angeles sushi chef at a restaurant called "Tokyo Kaikan" in Little Tokyo. The story goes that in the 1960s or early 1970s, Mashita started using avocado. He used it instead of toro (fatty tuna) when tuna was not in season. After trying different things, he came up with the first version of the roll.
Early California rolls were different from today's. They used frozen king crab legs because imitation crab was not easy to get. One story from Mashita's assistant, Teruo Imaizumi, says they made a roll in 1964. It had cubed avocado, king crab, cucumber, and ginger. It was a hand-roll, not a makizushi roll made with a makisu. Some food writers say that cucumber, mayonnaise, and sesame seeds were added later.
The first California rolls were wrapped with the nori seaweed on the outside. But American customers often peeled off the seaweed. So, the "inside-out" roll, called uramaki, was created. This way, the rice was on the outside. Many people also credit Mashita with this change.
The Vancouver Claim
A Japanese-born chef named Hidekazu Tojo moved to Vancouver in 1971. He claims he created the California roll at his restaurant in the late 1970s. Tojo says he invented the "inside-out" sushi. He named it "California roll" because it used avocado and crab. He noticed that the first letters, C.A., were the same as the state of California. Tojo says he created the roll with all the modern ingredients. However, this is different from what many food historians say. They believe the dish changed and grew in the Los Angeles area. In 2016, the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries made Tojo a goodwill ambassador for Japanese cuisine.
Becoming Famous
No matter who invented it, the California roll became very popular in southern California. By the 1980s, it was famous all over the United States. Gourmet magazine featured it in 1980. A food critic for The New York Times wrote about it the next year.
The California roll helped more people try sushi in the United States. It was an easy way for diners to try new and different sushi options. Since then, sushi chefs have created many other kinds of rolls. The California roll even made its way to Japan. There, it is sometimes called California maki or Kashū Maki (加州巻き).
See also
In Spanish: California roll para niños
