【Reading】だてまきずし

【English Name】Date-maki zushi

Datemaki-zushi is sushi in which the role of nori is taken on by datemaki, wrapping vinegared rice and fillings into a roll.
Datemaki is an egg dish made by combining minced white-fleshed fish or shrimp paste with egg and dashi, adding sweetness with sugar and mirin, grilling it, and shaping it into a cylinder with a rolling mat (makisu) while hot. The style of wrapping vinegared rice in this sweet datemaki is known as the basic form of datemaki-zushi.

Choshi City in Chiba Prefecture is known as a producing area of datemaki-zushi, and long-established shops claiming to be its birthplace still exist. The pairing of sweet, soft datemaki with vinegared rice is said to be its characteristic.

In Edomae sushi it is also called "tamago maki" or "gyoku maki," and the form of wrapping vinegared rice in tamagoyaki is a long-standing item. The late-Edo customs record Morisada Manko notes that tamago maki was served at about twice the price of other nigiri sushi. However, the tamago maki and datemaki-zushi that were widely served until before the war have now become noticeably fewer in the shops that handle them.