Shiny, Happy Sushi

Because I’m a sucker for anything cute, especially if it’s food, I had to try the new sushi I found at the Hy-Vee deli today. It was a basic California roll, except instead of nori, it was wrapped in bright, colorful sheets of . . . something. Half of the rolls were intensely green, roughly the color of wasabi, and the other half were pink, roughly the color of pickled ginger. Arranged in the box so the colors alternated, they were downright adorable. Resistance was futile.

The store did have a package of the wraps, for people who like to make sushi at home (as I sometimes do), so I read the ingredients list. The wraps are egg and flour based. And, as it turns out, they don’t really have much flavor. I peeled off a strip to try it without the rice, and it only has the faintest egg taste.

Despite being hideously bland by itself, in combination with the rice, crab, avocado, and cucumber, it actually makes for a pretty good snack. However, I probably won’t get it again, since I really do like the taste of nori. (I’ve been known to eat it plain.) But for those of you who like the basic ingredients of a California roll, but can’t stand the salty crackly seaweed around it, this might be a good thing for you.