【Reading】てまき

【English Name】Temaki (Hand Roll)

Without using a rolling mat at all, assembling nori, vinegared rice, and ingredients with both hands alone—that is the sushi style called temaki. In contrast to ordinary rolled sushi, which is finished in a cylindrical shape, temaki is typically shaped into a cone of nori, and the crisp texture released by the nori the moment it is rolled is the greatest delight of this dish.

As for its origin, the leading theory holds that the sushi restaurant "Tamazushi" in Tsukiji created it in 1971 (Showa 46), and the restaurant still serves it today under the name "Ganso Suehiro Temaki."

In the home setting, the style of arranging nori, vinegared rice, and various ingredients on the table so that diners freely choose and roll their own is widely established. The appeal that supports its popularity is surely the fun of having a diverse array of ingredients on hand—tuna, salmon, tamagoyaki (rolled omelet), cucumber, natto, shrimp, ikura (salmon roe)—and freely assembling them according to one's mood that day.

At sushi venues as well, a style is seen in which the chef prepares each temaki one by one to serve. The charm unique to this format is praised as being the ability to deliver the fragrant aroma and flavor wafting from the freshly rolled nori without loss until the very moment it is eaten.