California Roll

Step 1

Gather all the ingredients. Sushi rice should be at room temperature. Each California Roll requires ¾ cup (135 g) of sushi rice, so you'll need 6 cups (1080 g) of sushi rice to make 8 rolls.

Step 2

Cover the bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap and prepare vinegar water (Tezu) to dip your fingers to prevent them from sticking.

Step 3

Crab meat: Combine the crab meat with Japanese mayonnaise and mix together.

Step 4

Cucumber: Peel and remove seeds with a spoon. Cut into thin long strips, the same length as the nori sheet.

Step 5

Avocado: Peel, pit, and cut into ¼" (0.5 cm) thick slices (See How To Cut Avocado). Squeeze the lemon juice over the avocado to prevent browning.

Step 6

Nori: Cut off ⅓ of a nori sheet (save it) and use the ⅔ sheet of nori.

Step 7

Lay a nori sheet, shiny side down, on the bamboo sushi mat. Wet your fingers in Tezu and spread ¾ cup (135 g) of the rice evenly onto the nori sheet.

Step 8

Sprinkle the rice with sesame seeds or tobiko.

Step 9

Turn the nori sheet over so that the rice is facing down. LIne the edge of nori sheet at the bottom of the bamboo mat. Place the cucumber, crab meat, and avocado at the bottom of the nori sheet.

Step 10

Grab the bottom edge of the mat while keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, roll it into a tight cylinder, tucking the fillings in firmly.

Step 11

Lift the edge of the bamboo mat slightly and roll it forward while keeping gentle pressure on the mat. Cover the completed rolls with a damp cloth at all times to prevent them from drying. Continue making the rolls until the ingredients are finished.

Step 12

You can use the left over ⅓ of nori sheet to make Ikura Sushi. Cut the nori sheet into half lengthwise. Make small balls with sushi rice and wrap it with nori sheet. Place ikura on top.

Step 13

With a very sharp knife, cut each roll in half and then cut each half into 3 pieces. Remember to clean the knife with a damp cloth after every few cuts.

Step 14

It's best to enjoy sushi rolls on the same day. Rice gets hard and dry in the refrigerator. Therefore, if you really want to keep sushi rolls in the refrigerator, my recommendation is to cover them with plastic and then with a thick kitchen towel, so the rice will stay cool and safe, but not become cold.