American Food : California roll

 "California roll"

The California roll is so much more than sushi training wheels. Sure, it was invented to win over folks hesitant about raw fish—but that’s exactly how it made its splash in Los Angeles back in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

Most sushi historians tip their hats to chef Manashita Ichiro and his assistant Mashita Ichiro of Tokyo Kaikan, one of America’s very first sushi bars. Their clever twist? Flip the traditional roll “inside out” so the nori (seaweed) hid inside the rice, then swap avocado for toro (rich, raw fatty tuna). The creamy avocado, sweet crab, and crisp cucumber combo was an instant hit.

From that sunny SoCal launchpad, sushi spread across the nation. The California roll became the poster child of the 1980s sushi boom—and today, you can find it everywhere from high-end restaurants to your local grocery store.

A little wasabi with that victory?

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