How to Roll Raw Vegan Sushi

Raw Food Chef James Russel takes us through the process of rolling sushi in three videos. Of course what you put in it will be different for every nori roll recipe, but the basic concepts are the same. I personally rarely even bother with a sushi rolling mat.

As someone who lives in Japan and is well-adjusted to “fishy” flavours, I had to laugh at his comments about the average Jill or Jack not being partial to the “fishy” taste that nori apparently imparts. I can barely remember first thinking that this was the case the first time I tried nori, but now I can eat nori as is and not find it the least bit “fishy” tasting. Funny how taste buds change! I’ve mentioned this in my posts, but interestingly I’ve found it impossible to buy raw nori (laver sheets) in Japan – it’s all toasted!

Oh, and check out Chef Russel’s recipes here.

Ingredient Tags

agave almond butter almond mylk/almond milk almonds apple cider vinegar apples avocados/avocadoes balsamic vinegar bananas basil beets bell peppers black pepper blueberries Brazil nuts butternut squash cabbage cacao butter cacao nibs cacao powder cardamon carob powder carrots cashews cayenne celery Celtic sea salt chia seeds/MILA chili/chile/chilli cinnamon coconut coconut butter coconut flakes coconut mylk/ coconut milk coconut nectar coconut oil coriander leaves/cilantro cranberries cucumbers cumin curry powder dates dill figs flax seeds garlic ginger grapes green onions hazelnuts hemp seeds Himalayan pink sea salt honey kale lemon juice lemons lemon zest limes lucuma maca macadamia nuts mangos/mangoes maple syrup mesquite mint mint extract miso nama shoyu/raw soy sauce nutmeg nutritional yeast olive oil onion powder onions oranges papayas/papaws/pawpaws paprika parsley pears pecans pineapples pine nuts pumpkin seeds raisins raspberries rosemary sea salt sesame oil sesame seeds spinach stevia strawberries sun-dried tomatoes sunflower seeds tahini tamari thyme tomatoes vanilla walnuts zucchini
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The Art of Flavour
Taste is the ability to respond to dissolved molecules and ions called tastants. Humans detect taste with taste receptor cells. These are clustered in taste buds. Each taste bud has a pore that opens out to the surface of the tongue enabling molecules and ions taken into the mouth to reach the receptor cells inside. There are five primary taste sensations:

1) SALTINESS Add a salty flavour to your food by using natural Celtic, Himalayan, and sea salts, but go easy on the portions. Even natural salts are not actually that good for us. You can also use nama shoyu (raw soy sauce), garlic “salt,” sun-dried tomatoes, and celery. Saltiness brings out all the other flavours to balance, especially anything sweet, so adding a dash to your chocolate recipes is a good thing.

2) SWEETNESS Sweetness balances the salty taste in your uncooking. Raw honey may be the first sweet flavour that comes to mind, but you can also use agave syrup, plain old fruit, maple syrup, dates and other dried fruits such as figs and apricots. Keep in mind that honey is not vegan, and maple syrup is not really raw. Both are better than refined sugar, however, and are packed with minerals and vitamins.

3) SOURNESS Balance salty and sweet flavours with a sour taste. A recipe containing these three flavours will provide great balance. For a sour taste use citrus juices, tamarind, raspberries, cranberries, pickles, tomatoes, rejuvelacs, and vinegars.

In general if your recipe has a good balance of the 3 flavors above, it is going to taste yummy!

4) BITTERNESS Generally speaking, bitterness is not desirable in large quantities, but it so happens that bitter foods and herbs can be quite healthy. They can also be tasty in the right quantity. Green tea and Okinawan goya (bitter gourd) are a case in point.

5) UMAMI Umami is a taste found naturally in seaweeds and is the response to salts of glutamic acid, like monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer used in many processed foods and in many Asian dishes. This stuff is definitely to be avoided, as is アミノ酸 (aminosan) found in far too many processed foods in Japan.

OTHER ASEPTS INFLUENCING FLAVOUR

A) AROMA Aromatics refer to the sense of smell, not taste, but they are closely related and influence each other. Aroma adds depth to flavours. Here are some aromatic ingredients to use in your uncooking: onions, garlic, shallots, leeks, celery, sweet peppers, ginger or galangal, citrus zest, kaffir lime leaves, and lemongrass. Aromatic herbs include parsley, rosemary, thyme, oregano, mint, etc. (fresh herbs are definitely better in the raw food context!) Aromas tend to come out far more when heating food, but do indeed apply to raw food preparation. Hot peppers and such like those listed below are also aromatic.

B) SPICINESS (HEAT) Spices add a combination of the above flavours, but also add different levels of heat, if not at least a “bite." Add dry spicy ingredients before marinating to balance the flavours better. Use oil to bring out the taste of dried herbs and spices. Items that add heat include black pepper, curries, chilis, cayenne, hot paprika, cumin, raw garlic, wasabi, cloves, tumeric, coriandar, mustards, etc.

C) CREAMINESS This is more of a texture than taste, but if all the spice is getting to be too much, a little nut mylk or kream can do wonders. No wonder so many hot Asian curries have coconut milk in them!
- Too spicy? Add some sweetness or creaminess
- Too sweet? Add some sour or spiciness
- Too sour? Add sweet
- Too bland? Add salt or some spiciness
- Too salty? Add sour
- Just needs a spark? Add acid or one of the aromatics added at the end of cooking, or just a touch of heat (spiciness)
- Too harsh? Try just a touch of sweetness
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