Kampyomaki: The First Sushi Roll

When most foreigners think of sushi they mainly think of rolls (from my experience). Or they think rolls are the main type of sushi, and things like nigiri or oshizushi are ‘lesser’, which could not be further from the truth. However there is ONE sushi roll that is considered traditional in that its origins trace all the way back to the Edo period.

Modern sushi is said to have been developed around Tokyo bay in the 18th century. The historical name for Tokyo was Edo and Edomae translates into ‘in front of Edo’ (where the bay is located. Edomae style sushi is considered the most traditional and highly regarded sushi for afficionados, with its focus on nigiri with reddish colored rice and aged or cured or stewed neta. If one is looking for an amazing omakase experience in Japan I highly recommend finding a place that focuses on the Edomae style.

There is however one roll, or makizushi, that you will likely see at many of the most traditional sushi restaurants. It is called a kampyomaki and believe it or not it does not have any fish at all.

What Is Kanpyō

Kanpyō (干瓢 or かんぴょう) is the Japanese name for dried gourd strips of the Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida variety. The non-dried gourd is called fukube, or Japanese bottle gourd in English.

Kanpyo is often sold in sealed packets with a desiccant so one has to rehydrate it themselves according to what they are cooking.

How To Make Kampyomaki

Since kanpyo in sushi begins as a dry ingredient, the main step is to rehydrate it. This is done by rinsing in cold water to remove any dust and debris, and then simmering in a flavorful liquid of water, soy sauce, dashi, mirin, and some other chef’s particularities. There are actually a few schools of thought when it comes to rehydrating and preparing kanpyo for sushi so I will give how I do it down below.

Step 1

Begin by rinsing the dry kanpyo. Because this ingredient is traditionally dried in the open air it can accumulate quite a bit of dust so it is important to first rinse it in cold water to remove any particulate.

Then scrub the kanpyo strands with a bit of salt and rinse off once more before placing the strips into a pot of cold water to sit for at least 2 hours. Squeeze out excess water before going to Step 2.

Step 2

Next it is time to make the broth in which the kanpyo will be cooked. As you can see from the photo above, the kanpyo has already absorbed quite a bit of water from earlier, but this step will add a lot of umami flavor to the gourd. Here is my recipe for one consumer pack of kanpyo (30 grams).

  • 250 ml Water
  • 250 ml Dashi
  • 100 ml Sake
  • 60 grams Sugar
  • 50 ml Soy Sauce
  • Salt (optional)

Step 3

Add the ingredients and kanpyo to a pot and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce to a simmer and cook for about 20-30 minutes, or until the liquid is mostly gone. You should end up with dark, glossy strips of kanpyo. Personally I cook kanpyo longer than most places so mine gets a little darker than normal, however the photo above is making it look darker than it is in real life.

Step 4

Finally it is time to make the hosomaki. Place a half sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) on a workstation and press in a small handful of rice. Because kampyomaki is a traditional Edomae sushi I am using akazu rice, which gives it the slight reddish tinge. Leave a centimeter gap at the top to help with sealing the maki.

Step 5

Place a few strips of kanpyo onto the rice lengthways and roll up the hosomaki. Kampyomaki, unlike most makizushi, is traditionally cut into four pieces. Thus I trim the ends with my knife and then cut into four even pieces for serving.

Why Is Kampyomaki Cut Into Four Pieces?

Kampyomaki is cut into four pieces instead of the oft-seen six because that is how it was traditionally served back in the Edo period. As there were no other rolls at the time, chefs decided kampyomaki should be in four pieces and the tradition has remained since then.

Sushi Terms Used In This Article

kampyomaki: a type of makizushi with a filling of kanpyo, or simmered bottle gourd strips. Widely considered the first sushi roll.

nigiri: a type of sushi made of a small ball of rice with a topping(s)

oshizushi: a type of sushi mainly from Osaka region where rice and fish are pressed together in a rectangular shape

edomae: a Japanese word that means ‘in front of Edo’ and references sushi made in the traditional Edo period style.

neta: sushi toppings

kanpyo: (干瓢) dried strips of the Japanese bottle gourd, often used in hosomaki or futomaki, as well as other non-sushi dishes

fukube: Japanese bottle gourd (non-dried)

hosomaki: a thin sushi roll made from a half sheet of nori which customarily contains just one filling

akazu: red vinegar made from sake lees popular with Edomae style sushi

SEE MORE AT GLOSSARY

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