This canned tuna sushi recipe, often called tuna salad maki or lettuce maki in Japan, has an unusual history. In 1966, the Ippei Sushi restaurant in Miyazaki, Japan, wanted to develop a unique take on sushi. Up until this time, only fresh, raw fish with vinegared rice qualified as sushi. It was never made from cooked seafood.
But after many hit-or-miss combinations, the restaurant’s owner, Shoji Muraoka, and his friend Masaaki Hirao finally created a sushi roll consisting of lettuce, cooked prawn and mayonnaise. It was Shoji’s effort to create “healthy sushi” for picky eaters who disliked vegetables, including his friend, Masaaki.
Today, Ippei Sushi still serves this lettuce maki to honor the friendship. You’ll find many variations of salad maki across Japan, in grocery stores, sushi restaurants and even convenience stores, all at an affordable price. This sushi is often made with crab sticks (imitation crab), cooked shrimp, tamagoyaki and, of course, canned tuna.
How to Make Tuna Salad Maki, Step by Step
Canned tuna sushi is a great choice for people who may not otherwise be able to enjoy sushi (like pregnant women, young children and those with a compromised immune system). Because the fish is not raw,
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