Celebrate the Japanese holiday of Setsubun with this easy recipe for ehoumaki. Ehoumaki is a thick, uncut sushi roll. It is essentially the same as futomaki that you don’t slice. The fillings for this makizushi can be whatever you like! Have fun and happy Setsubun!
What is Setsubun?
Setsubun is a Japanese holiday that celebrates the changing of the seasons. It is celebrated the day before the first day of spring in the Japanese lunar calendar. This is usually on or around February 3 in the Roman calendar.
The big tradition on Setsubun is to cast out any bad luck in your life, represented by Japanese demons, or oni. The way you do this is by throwing roasted soybeans at someone dressed up in an oni mask! I’m sure there’s a deep history to the tradition of throwing soybeans, called mamemaki, but to be honest, I don’t know it. I’m American-born, okay? Give me a break.
In any case, this makes Setsubun a really fun holiday for kids. And you know you can’t have an Asian holiday without some sort of special holiday food! Which brings us to… Ehoumaki!
Ehoumaki vs. Makizushi vs. Futomaki
Are you confused by all the different sushi roll names? I don’t blame you. So let’s figure this out:
Makizushi refers to any kind of rolled sushi. You know those spider rolls and dragon rolls that you see at sushi bar happy hours? Yeah, those aren’t really Japanese. But they ARE derived from makizushi (or maki sushi, however you want to spell it).
Futomaki is a type of makizushi that is very thick (by Japanese standards). This is in comparison to hosomaki, which would be small rolled sushi, similar to spicy tuna rolls or cucumber rolls that you see in America. Futomaki fillings can be pretty much anything you want. It’s one of the most common types of makizushi.
Ehoumaki is a type of futomaki that is uncut. You eat it in one long tube, like a burrito. Ehoumaki is specifically made for Setsubun.
Apparently the tradition for ehoumaki is to eat the whole roll without talking, otherwise you lose your bad luck. My two kids are complete chatterboxes, so good thing we don’t really believe in luck. 😛
Types of Filling for Ehoumaki
Here’s the good news: you can really use any fillings you like for ehoumaki! I think traditionally, you should have 7 fillings for good luck. But, as with all things that happen in your kitchen, who is really going to judge if you do less? Here are some ideas for fillings:
- shiso leaves
- mushrooms
- kamaboko
- tuna
- salmon
- avocado
- carrot
- cucumber
- egg omelette strips
- cooked spinach
- takuan
- burdock root
- tofu
- shrimp
- ham
- Spam
I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. Some things to note: Kamaboko can be sold in various sizes. If you can, find kani kamaboko, which is precut into logs, like the kind you see in California rolls. If you buy a large log of kamaboko, you can always slice it down to size. Same goes for takuan – they are sold in various shapes, but it’s most convenient to buy the log shape that you can slice down to size to fit in the sushi. No clue what any of these ingredients are? Don’t forget to check out my Asian food glossary!
Tips for Rolling Sushi
The only special equipment you really need will be those bamboo sushi rolling mats. They’re really inexpensive. You can get one for only $4 on Amazon*affiliate link, if you don’t have an Asian market nearby.
If it’s your first time rolling sushi, here are some tips:
- Keep your sushi rice covered so it doesn’t dry out.
- Spread your rice in a very thin layer.
- Don’t overstuff with fillings.
- Seaweed goes with the shiny side on the outside.
- Just go for it! It’s not as hard as it looks.
I’ll try to make a video for you guys soon. But other than that, have fun!
Easy Ehoumaki (Makizushi for Setsubun)
Equipment
- 1 bamboo sushi rolling mat
Ingredients
Sushi Rice
- 2 cups Japanese short grain rice
- water to cook rice
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 pinch salt
Ehoumaki
- 5 large sheets seaweed
- 1 batch sushi rice (see above)
- 2 eggs
- 5 sticks kani kamaboko or large kamaboko cut into slices
- 1/4 log takuan cut into 1 cm thick slices
- 3 oz baby spinach about half a bag
- 1/2 carrot cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 cucumber cut into matchsticks
- 1/2 avocado cut into slices
- sesame oil
Instructions
Sushi Rice
- Cook 2 cups Japanese rice in your rice cooker
- While rice is cooking, heat up rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a saucepan on the stove until the sugar is dissolved.
- When the rice is done, pour the rice vinegar solution over your rice and gently mix. Allow sushi rice to cool slightly.
Prep your fillings
- Bring a pot of water to boil. Blanch the baby spinach for 1 minute.
- Drain and rinse baby spinach in cold water. When cool enough to handle, squeeze excess water out of spinach and drizzle with a little sesame oil.
- Lightly beat two eggs in a bowl. Cook in a skillet on the stovetop as one thin layer, like a thin omelette.
- Let omelette cool and slice into strips.
- Slice vegetables (such as carrots and cucumbers) to matchstick size.
- Slice avocado, kamaboko, and takuan (if using) to logs about 1 cm thick, depending on your preference.
To Assemble Ehoumaki
- Place one sheet of seaweed, shiny side down, on your bamboo sushi rolling mat.
- Gently spread a thin layer of sushi rice on top, leaving about the top inch of seaweed empty.
- Place a thin layer of avocado (or other filling) on top of the rice along the bottom edge of the sushi mat.
- Continue layering your filling in very small amounts, placing them on top of each other. Your fillings should not take up more than 1-1.5 inches of space on your sushi mat.
- Roll your sushi, starting from the edge with the fillings. I find it helps to put my thumbs under the bamboo mat with the rest of my fingers holding my fillings in place for that initial roll.
- Gently squeeze the bamboo mat into a cylinder shape as you roll along.
- Repeat with the remaining seaweed sheets and sushi fillings, and serve the ehoumaki uncut. Leftover sushi filling can be kept in the refrigerator, but sushi rice does not save well.
Notes
More Sushi Recipes on Mochi Mommy
If you liked this recipe, be sure to check out my broiled sushi bake and Portuguese sausage musubi.