What is the appeal of vegetable sushi?

Vegetable sushi, as the name suggests, is unusual sushi made using colorful vegetables. There are various recipes, starting with bell peppers and carrots, mushrooms such as king oyster mushrooms, and root vegetables such as Japanese yam. Although vegetables are used as the main ingredient, depending on the topping, you might momentarily mistake it for seafood sushi.

The biggest selling point of vegetable sushi is, above all, its \"healthiness.\" Reflecting the recent health-consciousness, it is sushi that is especially popular among women. Also, because it is easy to eat even for people from Western countries, where there is little culture of eating raw seafood and there are many vegetarians and vegans, it has global popularity as well.

In addition, some families make vegetable sushi for small children who find it still difficult to eat seafood. Even when you want to eat sushi to celebrate a birthday or the like, but it is still a bit much for the children, with vegetable sushi the whole family can have a sushi party.

Where did vegetable sushi originate?

In the first place, why was something called \"vegetable sushi\" created?

In fact, the birth of this unusual sushi was sparked by the struggle of a certain prefecture. That prefecture is, in a word, Saitama Prefecture. Because it is located inland, there is not much distribution of the seafood needed for ordinary sushi. As sushi restaurants declined nationwide, Saitama Prefecture was no exception.

The one who broke through this situation was Mr. Sekine, the owner of the Saitama sushi restaurant \"Sansui.\" He focused not on Saitama Prefecture's weaknesses but on its strengths. That is, with its status as one of the top vegetable-producing regions in the country as the central axis, he repeated study sessions and research, and elevated \"vegetable sushi\" into one of the popular kinds of sushi.

What kinds of vegetable sushi are there?

With a little ingenuity, any vegetable can be used for vegetable sushi.

For example, you can flavor boiled red bell pepper with soy sauce and the like to resemble tuna, or you can make use of the whiteness of Japanese yam to create something like squid sushi.

Basically, brightly colored vegetables such as bell peppers, tomatoes, and carrots are often used, but it is also fine to use vegetables with paler colors, such as Chinese cabbage and green onions! There are many ways to enjoy it, such as devising the seasoning or braiding the vegetables after boiling them.

3 selected vegetable sushi recipes you can make at home

So, when actually making it at home, which recipes are easy to make? Among the many kinds of vegetable sushi, this time we have carefully selected especially recommended recipes, so please use them as a reference.

1. Salmon-style nigiri sushi using carrot

Because they are the same orange color, carrot and salmon are easy to recreate. For salmon sushi in vegetable sushi, you flavor thinly sliced carrot by simmering it with sugar and consomme. The carrot soaked in the broth reflects light just right, and at a glance it looks just like real salmon!

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2. Tuna-style nigiri sushi using myoga

You could use the redness of tomato or bell pepper to recreate tuna, but here let us add a twist and use myoga (Japanese ginger). Myoga marinated in salt or dashi broth undergoes a wonderful transformation into a curious, slightly spicy and delicious tuna-style nigiri sushi.

 

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3. Sea-urchin-style gunkan using kabocha squash

Try mashing kabocha squash that has been slowly simmered until soft into a paste. If you make a gunkan using vinegared rice and nori seaweed, you get sushi that looks just like it but resembles sea urchin. Even people who dislike sea urchin and children can eat it easily.

 

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Summary

Vegetable sushi is, of course, highly popular among women for its healthiness, but it is also unusual sushi that even foreigners and small children can eat. It is fun to look at, and the taste is impeccable. Because it is also a conversation starter, it may even help liven up a celebration party such as a birthday.

If you get the chance, please do try making vegetable sushi at home.