All About Japan

3 Fun Christmas Deco-Zushi!

Food & Drink Sushi Christmas
3 Fun Christmas Deco-Zushi!

While they may not take the place of your turkey, these three adorable and delicious deco-zushi (decorative sushi) designs from the Nihon Deco-Zushi Kyokai (Japan Deco Sushi Association) will make cheerful additions to your seasonal feasts! Just follow the directions below!

3. Deco-Zushi Snowman

3. Deco-Zushi Snowman

Made with simple ingredients, these snowmen will make your holiday dining kawaii!

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients
* 155g (5.5 oz) prepared sushi rice
* 1½ sheets nori seaweed
* Dash of ground sesame
* 1×1×10cm (0.4x0.4x4 in) omelet bar

Directions

1. Place 60g (2.1 oz) of vinegared white rice onto a ¼-width strip of nori sheet and roll it to make a thin roll. In the same manner, roll 40g (1.4 oz) of vinegared rice to make a smaller roll.

2. Mix ground black sesame into 120g (4.2 oz) of vinegared rice to give it a darker color. Take 70g (2.5 oz) of rice from the mixture and spread it evenly on the nori sheet, while leaving about 4 centimeters (1.5 in) uncovered at either end.

3. Place the 60g (2.1 oz) rice roll (made in step 1) on the middle of the spread dark rice, and the smaller 40g (1.4 oz) roll one on top of it.

4. Fill the gaps in the rolls with 10g (0.4 oz) of the darker vinegared rice mixture to outline the snowman's head and body. Put a small 1-cm (0.4-in) square-cut egg above the right of the snowman's head, and wrap the whole thing from both sides while holding up the sushi wrap.

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5. Cut the completed roll into 4 parts.

6. Use a nori punch to make the eyes, mouth and arms out of the remaining nori sheet. You're done!

- allabout.co.jp (Japanese)

2. Deco-Zushi Christmas Tree

2. Deco-Zushi Christmas Tree

Kids love this one. Decorate your tree with creative arrangements of pink ginger, mayonnaise and stars cut from cheese slices or ham!

Prep Time: 30 min

Ingredients
* 155g (5.5 oz) prepared sushi rice
* ½ sheet nori
* Dash of aonori (green laver)
* Drop of mayonnaise
* Handful of cod roe (ikura)
* Dash of dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi)

Toppings
* Pickled pink ginger
* Sliced cheese
* Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Mix a little bit of aonori (green laver) and mayonnaise into 90g (3.2 oz) of vinegared rice to turn it green. In the same manner, mix dried bonito flakes (katsuobushi) into 50g (1.8 oz) of vinegared rice to turn it brown, and add a little bit of cod roe into 15g (0.5 oz) of vinegared rice to turn it pink.

2. Spread the green rice on the nori sheet, building the middle thicker and the sides thinner. Wrap it into a droplet shape.

3. Cut the wrap into three equal pieces, then align them together and slice them again to get nine equal pieces.

4. Make the tree with the nine green rice pieces as shown in the picture above. The pink vinegared rice can be balled and cut with a star-shaped cast to make the star. Make a trapezoid shape with the brown rice and place it below the tree shape.

5. Place red ginger and star-shaped cheese on the tree and finish the decoration by adding mayonnaise garnlands!

- allabout.co.jp (Japanese)

3. Deco-Zushi Santa Claus

3. Deco-Zushi Santa Claus

We can't forget Santa! This adorable design is sure to be a hit at any seasonal gathering!

Prep Time: 40 min

Ingredients
* 140g (4.9 oz) prepared sushi rice
* 10g (0.4 oz) cod roe (ikura)
* 2 sheets nori
* 1 stick of fish sausage
* 1 slice of sliced cheese
* 1 cheese stick
* 1 block kamaboko (pureed fish paste block)
* Dash of ground white sesame

Toppings
* Pickled pink ginger
* Sliced cheese
* Mayonnaise

Directions

1. Mix the ground white sesame into 90g (3.2 oz) of vinegared rice and divide it into two 20g (0.7 oz) clumps and one 50g (1.8 oz) clump. Mix the 10g (0.4 oz) of cod roe into the 50g (1.8 oz) of vinegared rice (for the hat). Prepare a 1/3-width strip of nori sheet and place a length of fish sausage on it and wrap it for the nose, Do the same with the cheese stick to make the bauble on top of the hat. Slice your cheese slice in half and place the halves end-to-end to get 10cm (4 in) in length and fold the long slice in nori to make the brim of the hat.

2. Place 2/3 of a nori sheet sideways on your sushi mat and place the fish sausage roll in the center. Spread out the two 20g (0.7 oz) clumps of rice from step 1 on either side, building them up to equal height, adding any leftover rice to finish covering the top of the fish sausage to make the face. Roll it up. Then put together 1½ nori sheets, place them sideways on your sushi mat, and place the kamaboko block in the center. Then put the face roll on top of the kamaboko block.

3. On top of the face, place the brim of the hat made in step 1. Place the 50g (1.8 oz) of pink vinegared rice made in step 1 on top, molding it into a triangular shape. Raise the sushi mat holding both sides with your hands. Just before closing the wrap, place the cheese stick bauble roll on top of the hat.

4. Close the wrap and take it out of the sushi mat. Tidy the sides. Cut it into 4 equal pieces and add eyes and noses using a nori punch.

Provided courtesy of the Nihon Deco-Zushi Kyokai (Japan Deco Sushi Association).

- deco-sushi.com (Japanese)