America has a history of taking foreign cuisines and making them wonderfully outlandish. With sushi, we thought the madness might stop at the "Sexy Lobster Roll."
We had yet to meet the sushi burrito.
Sushi burrito shops have been popping up across the nation, blending Japan's most treasured cuisine with a Chipotle-esque ordering format. San Francisco's popular "Sushirrito," for instance, offers massive rolls with an intense fusion of flavors, many wildly divergent from the classic concept of sushi. The "Caballero" sushirrito contains "Sake-Asada Beef," blue corn chips, avocado, cilantro, and more.
But therein lies the true beauty of the sushi burrito: It is entirely customizable, your wildest sushi dreams realized in one perfectly Instagrammable roll.
Needless to say, we wanted to build our own. We enlisted the help of Up Roll Cafe in Honolulu, Hawaii, where the fish is as fresh as it gets and the ingredient combinations are nothing short of inspirational. Here's a step-by-step:
Step 1: Prepare your rice.After you've laid your bamboo rolling mat on a flat surface, place a sheet of nori (dried seaweed) on top. Then spread prepared sushi rice thinly and evenly over the nori. Leave some space above the rice, so you can properly close the roll later on.
Well-prepared rice is widely considered to be the most important component of sushi. Here's a handy how-to guide for making perfect sushi rice.
Step 2: Select, slice, and place your vegetables.The beauty of the sushi burrito is that it is entirely customizable. You could put peanut butter and jelly inside if your heart so desired. We chose a conservative combo of cucumber, avocado, tomato, and takuan. Uniformly slice the contents of your burrito and place them evenly over the surface of the rice.
Step 3: Prepare your fish (or whatever protein you choose).If you're going the classic sushi route, tuna or yellowtail is an apt choice. But again, this is your sushi burrito, you call the shots. Cut your fish into chunks and season it however you like.
Purchasing and consuming raw fish can be a dubious process, so make sure to purchase fresh fish of a high grade. It should not smell fishy and you should eat it as soon as possible after purchasing.
Step 4: More toppings!Feel free to add more toppings and sauces -- just keep in mind that you're going to have to roll this baby up at some point.
Step 5: Roll 'er up.This part can be tricky. Use both hands to keep your roll tight and use your bamboo mat to distribute pressure evenly.
Step 6: Enjoy!
Need some more inspiration? Check out a few of Up Roll Cafe's other mouth-watering concoctions:
Quinoa and salmon:
Tuna, onions and tofu:
Ground pork and corn:
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