Where Did The California Sushi Roll Come From?

It’s got roots in Japanese cuisine but with a unique American twist.

If you stick around any conversation for more than a few minutes, you are going to hear people talking about food. It dominates our world in so many different ways and it’s a subject that we love on many levels.

The funny thing about food conversations is that they can take on many different flavors (pun intended). After all, not everybody has the same taste buds and some people are going to want it savory while others want it sweet.

Photo: flickr/slgckgc

One of the types of foods that are sometimes debated is sushi. If you happen to be a lover of this type of food, then you probably know more about it than you are willing to admit. After all, it’s more than just a meal, it’s an experience.

Perhaps one of the interesting parts of this type of Japanese cuisine is the California roll. This is something that is loved by many, yet it is understood by a few. After all, it’s got roots in Japanese cuisine but with a unique American twist.

Photo: flickr/Melissa Doroquez

According to Justin Dodd of Mental Floss, most people equate sushi with being raw fish but in reality, there are many types of sushi that don’t contain fish at all. However, sushi seems to have originated in Japan as a way to keep fish from rotting.

They would put rice with fish in pots and as the rice rotted, the fish would ferment. This provided a rather unique taste and one that became familiar and palatable to those who lived in those areas.

Photo: flickr/Damian Gadal

Eventually, sushi was introduced to the United States but it wasn’t introduced all at once. There were recipes that actually contained cooked fish, but that was a way to get it into the hands of Americans and it really took off from there.

As for the California Roll, it sways from the traditional sushi path in that it doesn’t contain raw fish and has the seaweed inside the roll instead of outside. It’s interesting, but there may be some reasons for the unique roll.

So, if you would like to know more about the California roll and sushi in general, we have the perfect video here for you. It will answer every question you ever had about sushi and a lot more:

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