The California Roll

The California roll is regarded as one of most popular and well known varieties of maki-zushi in the United States and maybe even globally.  Every time my wife and I go out of sushi (not as often as I like), we get one of these.  It is the minimum level in a sushi order.

This is a good roll to start with if you are a beginner to making sushi because its ingredients are fairly common and cheap.  This version of the California roll will use fake crab meat because it is readily available in most supermarkets around the US and it is less expensive stuff.  However, if you want the true taste of California, you will get the real stuff.

The California Roll

Total Pieces: 6 pieces + 2 ends

Rice Time: 30 min.  Prep Time: 5 min.  Total: 35 min.

Ingredients

• 1 Cup Sushi Rice
• 1 Nori seaweed sheet
• 1/2 Avocado, sliced into 1/4in thick pieces
• 5-6 Pieces of fake crab meat
• 1 Cucumber (read below on how to cut)
• 1 Handful of sesame seeds

Step 1: Cover your bamboo rolling mat with plastic wrap.  Lay a nori sheet shiny side down on the plastic.

Step 2: Spread a 1 cup of rice evenly on the nori and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

Step 3: Flip the rice covered nori sheet over and place a strip of cucumber, avocado and crab pieces in the center of the sheet.

Step 4: Grab the edge closest to you and use the mat to roll sushi into a cylinder.  With a sharp knife trim the ends square.  Cut into six pieces.