Today we praise the American champions, sushi rolls which maybe wander a bit too far off course from a traditional sushi but still capture some of the finest tastes you will love and come back to.
Philadelphia Roll got invented in the 1980s, following the success of the California Roll, a true North American sushi trailblazer from the 1960s. They say California Roll first got made by Ichiro Mashita, a sushi chef at Tokyo Kaikan in Los Angeles, it is commonly believed he invented the roll by substituting tuna with avocado and using crab mix. Now, California consists of:
• Imitation crab (or real crab) – often called kani
• Avocado – adding creaminess, similar to fatty tuna it replaced
• Cucumber – gives a fresh crunchy feeling
• Sushi rice – seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar, and salt
• Nori (seaweed) – either inside or wrapped inside the roll
• Toasted sesame seeds or masago (fish roe) on the outside
This was a gateway sushi for those still inexperienced and new in the sushi culture. There is one more fascinating data about the California Roll you need to know and it’s about that “inside – out style” which worked miracles amongst the western diners and made them fall deeply in love with the rest of the traditional sushi dishes. Inside out style means that the rice is on the outside while nori seaweed stays on the inside, wrapping the filling. After all, both, California and Philadelphia rolls are Uramaki rolls, meaning this delicious nori seaweed stays sort of hidden inside.
Today, California roll remains one of the most popular sushi rolls in Canada and the Unites States, and for a good reason.
Philadelphia roll is a type of sushi roll (makizushi) that typically contains smoked salmon, cream cheese and avocado. It is named after Philadelphia Cream Cheese, the brand most commonly used in the roll and a type of cheese you probably bump into every day.
They say that Philly Roll was also designed to target the American market and boy has it completed the mission and also stayed strongly present in the sushi restaurants and bars around the globe. Philadelphia Roll also uses “inside – out” style because, just like its predecessor (California Roll), it was created to appeal to Americans and other westerners. Philadelphia Roll is so distinctive from traditional Japanese sushi mainly because it contains that beautiful, tasty cream cheese. It’s a product of fusion; it blends East and West and tastes the best! Some say Philadelphia roll is basically just a bagel and lox wrapped up in rice and nori, only without the bagel. Some say the typical Philadelphia roll is more cream cheese than anything else.
Well, everybody deserves some delicious cream cheese sometimes. Find your tasty California and Philadelphia Roll in Fukuro Sushi&Sashimi Bar!
See you soon!
