The California Roll Origin Story
While there are conflicting reports about who created the California roll, a favorite sushi dish today, some people believe that the inventor is Japan’s Hidekazu Tojo, who moved to Vancouver in the 1970s. Keep reading to learn more about this chef and his claims to fame.
What is a California roll?
A California roll is a traditional sushi roll made inside out. So instead of seaweed wrapped around the roll, it is wrapped in rice. California roll ingredients usually include cucumber, avocado, and crab meat or imitation crab.
Chef Hidekazu Tojo insists he is the inventor of “inside-out sushi.” The 67-year-old is a member of the British Columbia Restaurant Hall of Fame and the owner of Tojo’s Restaurant in Vancouver. He moved to the city in 1971, following his chef studies in Osaka, Japan.
When he first moved to Canada, Tojo began working at Maneki, one of four Japanese restaurants in Vancouver at the time. He told The Globe and Mail in 2012 that he soon realized no one was eating raw fish or seaweed. The unusual ingredients scared consumers, so Tojo decided to hide the seaweed and fresh, uncooked fish by making the roll inside out in 1974. He said it was against Japanese tradition, but his customers loved the dish.
Many of his customers were from out of town, including Los Angeles, which is why it became known as the California roll. Tojo also believes that the avocado, which was used a lot in Californian kitchens, may have inspired the name. At his restaurant, it’s simply known as the Tojo roll. He told Metro Vancouver that he can make a California roll in 45 seconds, and he regularly tests himself.
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https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/canada/articles/the-california-roll-origin-story/
Who invented Sushi?
Hanaya Yohei
Today the sushi dish internationally known as "sushi" (nigiri zushi; Kantō variety) is a fast food invented by Hanaya Yohei (華屋与兵衛; 1799–1858) in today's Tokyo (Edo). People in Tokyo were living in haste even a hundred years ago.
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