4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
International Sushi Day: The many twists on Japan's most iconic dish
A dish from the land of the rising sun, Japan—sushi, made with vinegared rice and paired with raw fish, vegetables, or seaweed—is loved globally in different shapes, flavours, and cultural twists. On International Sushi Day, today, we look at how sushi is given a unique twist while making.
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Sushi got a trendy makeover when it was turned into sushi doughnuts. This creation was first spotted in Australia and Canada in the 2010s.
In 2016, a Melbourne-based creator shared a raw vegan version of the sushi doughnut on Instagram. Made by shaping sushi rice into doughnut rings, they were topped with raw fish or other classic ingredients like gari (pickled ginger).
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Sushi cakes offer a playful and fresh twist, turning the dish into a party-ready showstopper.
Made with short-grain sushi rice, seaweed, and layered like a cake, this American invention is topped with eye-catching additions like delicate rosettes of yellowfin tuna or salmon, crab meat, tobiko pearls (fish roe), avocado, and cucumber for maximum visual and flavour appeal. Lashings of mayonnaise — spiced or regular — serve as a frosting stand-in.
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The best of Japanese and Mexican cuisines come together in the sushi burrito, or 'sushirrito.'
Born in California, this creation resembles a giant sushi roll, with ingredients like rice, fish, shrimp, imitation crab, and vegetables tightly wrapped in nori (Japanese for seaweed).
In India, too, sushi has seen various unique twists along with some controversial choices reinvented for the Indian palate with flavours including achari, tandoori, and even pakoras. One creation that took the internet by storm last year was the Jain sushi shared on X. This vegetarian version replaced traditional fillings with bell peppers and other plant-based ingredients.
Another creation was the Arabic paneer sushi prepared by a Lucknow chef who used paneer as the filling and wrapped it in flavourful 'Arabic masala'.
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor once added a sweet twist to the Japanese sushi, making it with motichoor ladoos in 2023. It was prepared by smashing the laddoos, then sliced pears with a dash of lemon, pineapples, and watermelons were added to it. Finally, he wrapped it up and garnished it with silver vark and pistachios.
