Sushi and Avocado: American-Made
Many people don’t know that the avocado fruit is foreign to Japan and not commonly used in sushi rolls. Avocado only became available in Japanese supermarkets, mostly from Mexico, since the late 1970s. The Japanese refer to it as the ‘ butter of the forest’ for its buttery consistency, rich flavor and high calorie content.
Sushi already came to the US in 1970 and the Americans started to gravitate to this delicacy. And there were no avocados in sushi then. Some 45 years ago, a Japanese chef in Los Angeles was having difficulty
sourcing toro for his sushi. The tasty, fatty portion of the tuna, with its melt-in-your-mouth consistency, was integral to his sushi menu. Not finding it readily in California, he shifted to using avocado instead. The fruit has the same toro consistency, plus it was abundant in the state and popular with Americans, especially those who also fancy Mexican cuisine. The sushi with avocado caught on and became widely accepted.
Later on, other specialty rolls were developed also using the same fruit. Another Japanese invention in the US, the California Roll ses avocado. The California roll has avocado, crabmeat or imitation crab and cucumbers and it became the most influential of all rolls, bringing this Japanese food craze under worldwide attention. Then there’s the simple but equally delicious Avocado Roll, with just the fruit and rice.
Then there’s the Caterpillar Roll, the more expensive roll but the most well-known sushi roll in the 9 to 14 dollar range.
Avocados are well known for their healthy fats, the monounsaturated type, in fact is the only fruit well-loaded with it, about 2o times the average for other fruits. Contained in avocados also are close to 20 different vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
These including 6% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for vitamin E, 4% vitamin C, 10% folate, 11% fiber, 2% iron, 6% potassium and 136 micrograms of lutein per 50g serving. The well-known benefits that the fruit provides are maintaining cholesterol levels, protection against osteoporosis from the high amounts of Vitamin K, reducing the risk of cancer and improving vision just to name a few.
Cozy and Trendy Sushi Spot in Bothell
Come to your affordable yet very Japanese Sushi Hana5 in Bothell. Try out our delicious selections of sushi, among them the California Roll and the Caterpillar Roll, and love our avocados. In fact, the Japanese have already developed the taste for the American-made sushi and avocado.