Arguably the most notorious sushi roll of them all: The California Roll. This roll has been the “bread and butter” to most sushi bars. This roll is what most people start off with, if they have never tried sushi before (because it doesn’t contain raw fish). This roll is great for introducing your friends and family to the wonderful world of sushi. And what better way to do it than to make a few at home? Most sushi bars you visit in the United States will have one of these on their menu and the recipes are usually pretty similar. Here is the list of ingredients you will need: Crab Salad or crab sticks Sesame seeds (black and/or white) Masago (Smelt eggs)- optional Before we get started, I would like to point out that some places prefer to use imitation crab sticks, whereas others will use an imitation crab salad. To make sure that everyone can make their own favorite version of the Cali. Roll, I will show you how to do both. Making the crab salad is easy!

You simply take the imitation crab stick (or meat, if it’s not in stick form) and shred it with your hands.sushi mainz online bestellen Place the shredded crab into a mixing bowl and add heavy mayonnaise to taste.yo sushi menu uk Mix the mayo and crab until you get a uniform consistency.sushi making kit targetRoll is always made as an Uramaki:cooking sushi rice overnight If you are using imitation crab sticks, you would simply place two sticks in the center, running the length of your nori. However, if you are using the imitation crab mix (crab salad), you would place about a quarter-wide line (approximately 2cm) across the length of the nori.

Place 2-3 pieces of avocado on the side of the crab salad closest to you. Place 2-3 pieces of cucumber on the side furthest away from you. Using your fingers to hold onto the ingredients, slide your thumbs underneath the makisu and roll the edge of the nori forward. You can click on this link for more information on How to Roll Sushi. Quick Tip: Vegetable placement within the sushi isn’t detrimental. However, if you place your softer vegetables (like avocado) on the side closest to you, it will make the rolling process a lot easier for you! The Essential Equipment to Make Sushi at HomeThe California roll is like the gateway drug of sushi. It may have been your first stint, easing your way into the world of a cuisine that first feels exotic to many Western eyes and palates. And while you were comfortable eating that roll, so simple with its perfect balance of crab meat, creamy avocado and seaweed, there's something you might not have known. Here's the truth: The California roll contains no crab meat at all.

The red and white "crab stick" -- often referred to as imitation crab -- does indeed come from the sea. In Japanese, crab stick is called "surimi," which actually means "ground meat." It's kind of the ocean's version of the hot dog, if you need an analogy. Surimi is made of different kinds of fish, which are ground together into a paste. According to SF Gate, manufacturers add starch, artificial flavors, sodium and sometimes MSG. Because starch is often made from wheat, imitation crab meat is not gluten free. True crab meat, on the other hand, is safe for the gluten-averse. In fact, on most nutritional counts, this processed seafood pales in comparison to the real thing. The meat from real crab boasts more than double the protein and potassium of its imitator with none of the artificial enhancers. Why, then, is the poor man's crab featured on nearly every menu? Western sushi joints stick with the fishy fraud because it's much less costly than genuine crab -- an obvious benefit for businesses -- and it is also incredibly malleable.

It can be shaped into anything to make dishes appear more appetizing. There's nothing wrong with enjoying crab's wannabe in a rice-packed seaweed roll, just like there's nothing wrong with eating a hotdog at a baseball game. But if it's authenticity or nutritional value you're after, you'd be better off ordering something that comes straight from the sea. Want to read more from HuffPost Taste? Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Tumblr. Sushi California Roll California Rolls Sushi Rolls Imitation Crab• Most commonly used in California Rolls • Lean white meat with slight sweet flavor • Low in fat, high in protein Imitation Crab Meat, known as Kani Kama, is a staple in authentic Japanese sushi, mainly due to its wide availability and low cost. This is the meat used in the popular American California roll. Simple to make and impressive on a sushi platter, this is a roll worth perfecting. Order some Kani Kama today and hone your sushi making skills!

Crab is not always abundant and available, so the resourceful Japanese use Alaskan Pollock and other white fish to craft these tasty sticks of perfectly shaped meat. It is a lean, white fish with a slightly sweet flavor. The Japanese love Kani Kamaboko or Kani Surimi; in Japan both are synonymous with imitation crab. You will often see Kani Kama in sushi restaurants, and the chef will definitely tell you what you are getting. It is rare to see real crab leg sushi, but it has been known to happen. The product SushiNut sells is attractive and delicious, and may even be mistaken for real crab by the untrained eye. Here’s how to tell if you are eating real or imitation crab: if you cannot see striation in the muscle of your crab, then it is not king crab, and instead Kani. The color is also a good indicator. If you are consuming sushi, and you notice a bright red stripe atop the crab, you have Kani Kama, however if you have a light pink tone on top, you are most likely eating Kani, real crab.