【Reading】てまりずし

【English Name】TEMARI SUSHI is one of the nigirizushi, a small spherical shape.

Placing toppings of sashimi or pickles atop small balls of vinegared rice and shaping them into adorable spheres—that is temari-zushi. The name derives from the round shape of the "temari" (handball), a toy long handed down in Japan.

It is completed simply by wrapping vinegared rice and toppings in plastic wrap and shaping them round, requiring none of the craftsmanship of nigiri-zushi. It is something one can easily tackle even at home, and because it is easy to create a festive look with colorful toppings, it is valued at celebratory meals and event occasions.

On Hinamatsuri (Doll's Festival, March 3), it frequently appears on the table as a standard alongside chirashi-zushi. Arranging it colorfully with a variety of toppings and enjoying its appearance is also part of the pleasure.

Toraya Honpo, a long-established Japanese confectionery shop based in Fukuyama City, Hiroshima Prefecture, created a Japanese-Western confection shaped like temari-zushi called "Nihon-fu Saika Temari-zushi," which won the grand prize at the 2016 Omiyage Grand Prix. Its appearance gained wide recognition to the extent that its formative beauty was adopted as a motif for sweets.

Because of its small, bite-sized portions, it has a wide range of uses at parties, in bento boxes, and in hospitality dishes.