Kappamaki

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Kappa-maki

Kappamaki (Japanese: かっぱ巻き), cucumber sushi roll, is a norimaki (seaweed roll) with cucumber core.[1][2] It is a typical thin sushi roll along with dried gourd rolls and iron fire (thunnus sashimi) rolls.[3][4]

The name "Kappa" is thought to refer to the Japanese monster kappa, but there are various theories as to the origin of this name (see below).

History[edit]

Sushi rolls were born in the mid-Edo period.[5] It is thought to have originated in Kamigata (Osaka) between 1750 and 1776.[6] While thick sushi rolls were the norm in the Kamigata region, thin sushi rolls became the preferred sushi in Edo (present-day Tokyo).[7][8] In Edo, thin sushi rolls made of kanpyō, became the most common type of sushi rolls.[7][9] Later, from the end of the Edo period to the beginning of the Meiji period[10][11] or in the middle of the Meiji period,[12] tekkamaki was created with thunnus as the core.[10][11]

It is widely believed that the idea of using cucumbers in sushi rolls came about in the Shōwa era (1926–1989).

There is a theory that it originated at the sushi restaurant Jingoro in Sonezaki, Kita-ku, Osaka, which was founded in 1929.[12][13] According to this theory, the owner of the Jingoro invented the idea inspired by tekkamaki, and a stone pillar with the "original cucumber roll" was erected in front of the restaurant.[12]

Naokichi Abe, who was the living embodiment of Osaka sushi,[14] said, "There are so many originators of cucumber rolls, I don't know which one is the real one. It was conceived relatively recently, perhaps just before the Pacific War."[15]

Thin sushi rolls (The rightmost row is kappamaki. Second row from the left is kanpyomaki)

There is a known theory about the origin of norimaki with cucumber that it was made at a sushi restaurant "Yahatazushi" in Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku, Tokyo.[16] According to this hypothesis, it was invented by Hiroshi Yasui, the fourth generation of Yahatazushi, which was founded in 1868 as a dango shop and converted to a sushi restaurant in the mid Taishō era, along with his elderly sister.[16] Yasui was wondering if cucumbers could be used as a sushi ingredient when supplies were scarce immediately after the end of the Pacific War, and after much trial and error, he came up with the idea of rolling cucumbers raw.[17] Since cucumber is a summer vegetable, when the cucumber roll was invented, it was a summer-only norimaki,[18] and its light flavor with wasabi was good for summer.[19]According to Yasui, even the family predecessor called it "wicked sushi."[18]

The crunchy texture and refreshing coolness of cucumber[20] made it the perfect palate freshener[21][22] and its cheap price helped[19] it spread nationwide[18] in the 1960s.[23]

Nowadays, due to advances in cultivation technology, cucumbers are available all year round, so kappamaki is also available throughout the year.[24] The simple,[21] refreshing taste[22][25] of kappamaki along with dried gourd rolls,[20] have become a staple after a nigirizushi meal.[24][26] A seaweed roll with cucumber and other ingredients has also been invented and has become popular.[18]

Etymology and Alias[edit]

Kappamaki was not called so when it was created; it was called "cucumber roll."[18] It is not clear when it became known as kappamaki.[18] There are many theories, but they all agree that kappa means the Japanese monster kappa.

The following is a theory:

  • Cucumber is a favorite food of kappa.[2][27]
  • The cut end of a cucumber when cut into round slices resembles the plate of a kappa's head.[28][29]
  • Gozu Tennō is a water deity, it is sometimes commonly referred to as the king of kappa. The crest of the shrine dedicated to Gozu Tennō is based on the cucumber flower. Gion Shrines[30] and Ebara Shrine[31] are mentioned as such shrines.
  • Yasui of Yahatazushi, the self-proclaimed originator of the kappamaki, says that the name may have come from a picture of a kappa often drawn by the cartoonist Kon Shimizu at the time, which happened to have a cucumber in it, then seeing that, people called cucumber rolls kappamaki.[29]

Today, "kappa" is a sign for sushi restaurants meaning cucumber.[23][32] Kappa is sometimes used as an abbreviation for kappamaki.[32][33] In Japanese, raincoats are also called kappa(合羽), so kappamaki is sometimes called raincoat.[31][34] Around 1993, kappamaki was also called "Alcindomaki" after Alcindo Sartori of the Kashima Antlers, who was active in the early days of the J.League, which was launched that year, and was nicknamed "Kappa" because of his appearance.[35][* 1]

Variations[edit]

Anakyumaki
Himokyumaki
Mambomaki
Anakyumaki (穴きゅう巻き)
Norimaki with anago (whitespotted conger) and kyuri (cucumber).[36]
Himokyumaki (紐きゅう巻き)
In the sushi industry, the mantle of red clams is called a himo (twine). Himokyumaki is a norimaki with himo and kyuri.[37]
Unakyumaki (うなきゅう巻き)
Norimaki with unagi (Japanese eel Kabayaki) and kyuri.[38]
Harasumaki (ハラス巻き)
Norimaki with harasu (Salmon abdomen sashimi) and kyuri.[39]
Mambomaki (マンボ巻き)
Norimaki with sujiko (Salmon ovaries) and kyuri. The origin of the name is said to be that the red and green colors evoke the costumes of the Mambo, a Cuban musical dance popular in Japan at the time, but there are various theories.[* 2]

References[edit]

Book source[edit]

  • 嵐山光三郎 (2002-10-16). 寿司問答. プレジデント社. ISBN 4-8334-1753-7.
  • 池田書店編集部編 (2008-07-28). 英語訳付き寿司ガイドブック THE SUSHI MENU BOOK. 池田書店. ISBN 978-4-262-12935-8.
  • 今田洋輔監修 (2013-05-09). 英語で紹介する寿司ハンドブック. ナツメ社. ISBN 978-4-8163-5419-9.
  • イミダス編集部編 (1994-01-01). 情報・知識imidas 1994. 集英社.
  • 大川智彦 (2019-03-28). 現代すし学 Sushiology:すしの歴史とすしの今がわかる (新装改訂版 ed.). 旭屋出版. ISBN 978-4-7511-1376-9.
  • 岡田哲編 (2003-01-30). たべもの起源事典. 東京堂出版. ISBN 4-490-10616-5.
  • 小原佐喜男 (2008-04-25). 知識ゼロからの寿司入門. 幻冬舎. ISBN 978-4-344-90120-9.
  • 金内秀夫監修 (2005-10-20). すし職人が教える江戸前寿司. 成美堂出版. ISBN 978-4-415-10105-7.
  • 亀田尚己; 青柳由紀江ほか (2016-10-10). 和食の英語表現事典. 丸善出版. ISBN 978-4-621-30066-4.
  • 川澄健監修 (2015-10-25). すしから見る日本:日本全国さまざまなすし. 文研出版. ISBN 978-4-580-82282-5.
  • 元気寿司監修 (2008-09-24). 回転ずしまるわかり事典. PHP研究所. ISBN 978-4-569-68906-7.
  • 河野友美編 (1994-07-20). 新・食品事典1:穀物・豆. 真珠書院. ISBN 4-88009-101-4.
  • 小林祥次郎 (2011-07-30). くいもの:食の語源と博物誌. 勉誠出版. ISBN 978-4-585-28004-0.
  • 篠田統 (1993-03-01). すしの本 (新装復刻版 ed.). 柴田書店. ISBN 978-4-388-35189-3.
  • 主婦の友社編 (1996-07-27). 料理食材大事典. 主婦の友社. ISBN 4-07-214741-9.
  • 主婦の友社編 (2003-02-21). 最新 目で見るカロリーハンドブック. 主婦の友社. ISBN 978-4072364871.
  • 新庄綾子 (2019-08-09). すし語辞典. 誠文堂新光社. ISBN 978-4-416-51917-2.
  • 全国調理師養成施設協会編 (1986-11-27). 調理用語辞典. 全国調理師養成施設協会. ISBN 4-924737-04-6.
  • 谷あつこ (2011-09-20). すし The SUSHI recipe book. 成美堂出版. ISBN 978-4-415-30934-7.
  • 長山一夫 (2011-09-07). Sushi 鮨 バイリンガル版. パイインターナショナル. ISBN 978-4-7562-4134-4.
  • 野本やすゆき (2019-10-20). 簡単なのに、おしゃれで、可愛い おうちすし. 世界文化社. ISBN 978-4-418-19327-1.
  • 日比野光敏 (2018-02-03). 日本すし紀行:巻きずしと稲荷と助六と. 旭屋出版. ISBN 978-4-7511-1318-9.
  • 巻寿司のはなし編集委員会編 (2012-09-01). あじかん創業50周年記念誌:日本の伝統食 巻寿司のはなし. あじかん.
  • 宮尾しげを (2014-05-09). すし物語. 講談社学術文庫. 講談社. ISBN 978-4-06-292234-0.
  • ムック編集部編 (2016-02-29). FOOD DICTIONARY:寿司. 枻出版社. ISBN 978-4-7779-3926-8.
  • 栗原はるみ (2019-11-30). "細巻きを作ってみましょう". Haru_mi. 54. 扶桑社: 120–121. ASIN B07Z7437XH.

Website source[edit]

  1. ^ "アルシンド巻き". イミダス. 集英社. Retrieved 2022-05-01.
  2. ^ "解決!リョウ様「『まんぼまき』って何?」". 株式会社宮城テレビ放送. 2014-11-05. Retrieved 2022-04-30.

See also[edit]