Temaki

Crispy seaweed sheets are filled with warm seasoned sushi rice and seafood salad in these fun, taco-shaped temaki from Sean “Sonny” Nguyen at Edoboy in Orlando, Florida. For a tasty, interactive dinner party, set out all of the components and let guests build their own. It’s best to assemble temaki one at a time and serve immediately so that the seaweed stays crisp. Pick your favorite seafood salad, or make all three and serve leftovers on poke bowls or as an appetizer with wonton chips.

Can temaki be formed into other shapes?

The three most common temaki shapes are taco (like in this recipe), cone, and barrel. Taco-shaped temaki are the easiest to fold and are on the smaller side, making them great for parties. Cone-shaped temaki are visually stunning, with all of the fillings fanned out of the top, but often there is very little filling toward the bottom of the cone. Barrel-shaped temaki, popular at Japanese convenience stores, have an even distribution of filling end to end, but are more difficult and time consuming to shape. 

What is kombu?

Kombu is an edible kelp. It’s commonly used to make dashi and often is sold dried in large sheets. As the kombu simmers, it lends dashi — or, in this case, rice seasoning — with a savory vegetal flavor. Find kombu at most Asian grocery stores or online at store.edenfoods.com. 

Notes from the Food & Wine Test Kitchen

Use a rice paddle or a flat wooden spoon to incorporate the vinegar mixture into the rice. A cutting motion, as opposed to stirring, incorporates the seasoning without breaking the individual rice grains. 

Make ahead

The seafood fillings (without their associated toppings) can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to one day. Arrange the toppings on the seafood fillings when assembling the temaki.