What do you usually order when you are at a sushi bar? There are seven types of sushi, including Nigirizushi, Makizushi, Oshizushi, Inarizushi, Sukeroku, Chirashizushi, and Narezushi. The dragon roll does not belong to any of the sushi types mentioned above.
It belongs to the eighth type of sushi, which is Western-style sushi. Western-style sushis are made outside of Japan, especially in North America. There are many types of Western-style sushis, which includes dragon roll and Alaskan roll.
What is a Dragon Roll?
A Dragon roll is also known as caterpillar roll. It is because of its appearance resembling a caterpillar. It is called dragon roll as it is wrapped in green layers of avocado and cucumber, which resemble a dragon’s scales.
The dragon roll is a type of maki that generally consists of crunchy tempura shrimp, avocado, unagi fillet, unagi sauce with mayonnaise and Sriracha sauce. A classic dragon roll contains 249 calories. As it is made of fresh and nutritious ingredients, it contains vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium, dietary fibre and potassium. You can make a healthier version of dragon roll by using brown rice instead.
What is the difference between temaki and maki?
Temaki is in a cone shape wrapped with 1/2 nori seaweed while maki or makimono is rolled into a cylinder shape using fa full sheet of nori and a makisu bamboo rolling mat. Unlike temaki that has simple preparation techniques, maki requires sushi rice spreading, arranging the ingredients, rolling with a mat and cutting into 6 or 8 pieces depending on whether it is a thin or thick roll.
History of Dragon Roll
The history of sushi can be dated back to centuries ago in Japan, starting from the method of preserving fish. Narezsushi is the original sushi made out of freshwater carp, some of them still served in the restaurants till now.
A chef with the name Yohei gave a transformation to this fermentation method in the 1900s by serving it with Japanese rice. This lead to 2 vibrant styles of sushi, which is the Kansai-style from Osaka and Edo-style from Tokyo.
Edo style is the basis of the nigrizushi, which is the more dominant version of sushi now across the globe. This transformation led to many other variants of sushi, including temaki, which was first recorded between 1980 and 1985.
The dragon roll did not actually originate from Japan but from the Western world. These variations of sushi is a modification done by westerners due to the increasing popularity of sushi. Norwegian salmon was then introduced into the Western world sushi market.
This trend started off with the California roll, which contains crab, cucumber and avocado. A wide variety of rolls were then evolved from the California roll, which includes Alaska roll, Norway roll and dragon roll.
Types of Dragon Roll
Other than the classic dragon roll, there are also other modified dragon rolls. A golden dragon roll consists of topped salmon, deep-fried shrimp, crabmeat, avocado, cucumber, and tobiko. Another roll similar to a dragon roll is the rainbow roll, which consists of assorted fish and avocado.
Where to find Dragon Roll in Malaysia
Dragon roll can be found franchised sushi restaurants in Malaysia. It can also be found at Japanese food stalls or neighbourhood cafes. Besides, it can be found at Fuji Sushi (Kuala Lumpur), Sushi + Rotary Sushi Bar (Kuala Lumpur) and Rising Ramen (Kuching).
Find more Japanese Cuisine on foodpanda!
