Gunkanmaki

The way sushi was invented was behind the idea of preserving fish. Since there was no way of preserving fish three to four centuries ago, the Chinese and Japanese would wrap up fish in vinegared and salted rice to make it last a couple of days. Eventually, the concept of preservation evolved and turned into a type of cuisine: modern day sushi. One of these types of sushi that evolved from preservation of fish is gunkanmaki. The gunkanmaki is also commonly known as “battleship” maki.

The gunkanmaki is made by wrapping a strip of nori around a ball of rice as a base. The strip of nori should be taller than the ball of rice and ideally half the height of the nori. The rice should be pushed down prior to adding the toppings to ensure the gunkanmaki can stand on its own. The upper empty half is topped off with any fish that can be finely diced, fish roe, or even sea urchin. Any type of fish roe can be used such as ikura, masago, or tobiko. Spicy tuna, mayo-crab, and Hamachi have also found its way into the gunkanmaki. As an added garnish, tobiko is commonly used on top to bring out the color.

The History of Gunkanmaki

The gunkanmaki sushi was born in the Ginza Kyubey restaurant in the year 1941. This type of sushi became widely famous after its initial appearance. This is because cooks could easily mound the sushi rice into a rectangular shape and serve it as fast food sushi. With the gunkanmaki, chefs could easily make the sushi with their hands and they did not need to use any sort of cooking utensil or mat. Hence, this type of sushi is really easy to make.

How to Prepare the “Battleship” Sushi at Home

Making gunkanmaki at home is one of the simpler sushi types you can. By following all the steps properly, you can make yourself a perfect plate of gunkanmaki:

  • Grab a nori sheet and cut it into strips – the strips should be three finger widths in height
  • Prepare bowl of sushi rice to make the gunkanmaki. Take a bit of rice and mold it into the shape of a ping pong ball
  • Take a strip of nori you prepared earlier and roll it around the ball of rice. Make sure that the nori strip sticks to the rice. At the end, the nori strip should be folded on the bottom
  • Use your fingers to apply pressure and press down the rice onto the folded nori. About half of the space should be empty above the pressed rice
  • (Optional) Coat the rice with a tiny bit of wasabi to give it a zing
  • Fill in the empty half with fish roe or chopped fish and ensure it can stand on its own. When making multiple pieces, you set the second piece to lean on the first piece in case it can’t support itself. This is usually due to a heavy top filling or an unsecure rice base

One order of gunkanmaki contains two pieces. Dip the gunkanmaki in soy sauce and dig in!