Futomaki is a kind of sushi roll or maki sushi with a variety of fillings such as vegetables and seafood. It is much thicker than typical sushi rolls such as Tuna and Cucumber Rolls, and the fillings are often cooked and flavored. Seasoned sushi rice and filling of choice are rolled into a thick cylinder with a sheet of nori roasted seaweed.
What is in Futomaki Sushi?
Common ingredients of Futomaki rolls are sushi rice and roasted seaweed, but fillings could be anything you like. Think of the color, texture, and flavor combinations when choosing the fillings. Here are some typical ingredients for Futomaki.
- Sushi Rice
- Nori roasted seaweed
- Egg dishes such as Tamagoyaki (pan fried rolled egg or rolled omelette) or Datemaki
- Vegetables such as cooked spinach, simmered dried shiitake mushroom or Kanpyo (ribbons of dried gourd)
- Seafood such as cooked shrimp, grilled eel, sashimi, or imitation crab
What is Ehomaki?
Ehomak (恵方巻き) is a type of Futomaki eaten on Setubun (節分), a celebration held on the day before the beginning of spring in the Japanese lunar calendar, which typically falls on February 2, 3, or 4, depending on the year. It is the day of prayer for a good year without any illnesses and disasters.
It is said that the custom of eating Futomaki on Setsubun started in the end of the Edo era (mid-19th century) among merchants in Osaka hoping for prosperous business. Today eating Futomaki / Ehomaki is a more commercial than traditional function like a lot of other festive events in Japan.
Eating Ehoumaki facing the lucky direction of the year is considered to bring good luck for the year. Some people believe cutting the roll is cutting the luck it represents and they eat the whole roll without cutting it into pieces in silence.
You can certainly enjoy Futomaki anytime of the year by making it at home using whatever ingredients you have or buying it at supermarkets or convenience store delis anywhere in Japan. If you do not include any row fish, sliced futomaki can be a perfect lunch packed in a bento box.
Video
A full recipe video is also available in the recipe box below and on our YouTube channel.
Fillings used in this short video are Tamagoyaki, cucumber, shiitake mushroom (replace Kanpyo with rehydrated dried shiitake mushroom in the recipe), boiled spinach, and 3 kinds of sashimi (salmon, tuna, yellowtail.)
More Sushi Roll Recipes
Futomaki Sushi Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 oz Kanpyo (ribbons of dried gourd)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 Tbsp sugar
- 2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1-2 cucumber
- Tamagoyaki (1 recipe)
- 6 boiled shrimp
- 3 sheets Nori roasted seaweed (8" x 8" (20cm x 20cm))
- 2 cups Sushi Rice (1 recipe)
- Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Wash Kanpyo lightly, rub with salt, and wash again. Cook in boiling water for 5 minutes and drain water. Put Kanpyo back in the pot and add just enough water to cover. Cook with sugar and soy sauce until the liquid is almost gone. Set aside.
- Cut cucumber and Tamagoyaki into thin and long strips, about 8" long and 1/2" thick (20cm x 1cm). It's OK not to have 8" long pieces, just add pieces together to make the total length.
- Put a sushi mat flat on your work surface with the bamboo slats left to right, so you can roll the mat away from you. Place a piece of seaweed on the sushi mat with one of the seaweed's sides close to the front edge of the sushi mat (the edge near you). Spread about 1/3 of sushi rice on the seaweed leaving a 1" (2.5cm) space at the front and far edges of the seaweed. Place Tamagoyaki, a cucumber strip, boiled shrimp, and Kanpyo next to each other in the middle of the rice. Holding the filling down, roll from the front end of the mat with the sushi mat toward the other end. Tighten the roll like a roll cake, pulling the mat to tighten. Remove the roll from the mat. Make 2 more rolls.
- Cut the roll into 1/2″ thick. Serve with soy sauce if you like.
Video
1 Comment
I love futomaki. I used to get it at a market and it had mushrooms in it that tasted a little sweet. How would you prepare the mushrooms to use inside futomaki?