National Hand Roll Day

Anyone who has ever eaten a delicious Japanese hand roll realizes that this is certainly something worth celebrating! This type of sushi, also called temaki, has some unique features that offer delicious flavors that are distinguished by their nori seaweed cone. 

With its vibrant color, texture and taste sushi, and hand rolls specifically, is a lovely departure from typical Western foods. Show some love and appreciation for this delightful food by getting involved with National Hand Roll Day!

History of National Hand Roll Day

Made with fresh fish (sashimi), seaweed wrappers, sauces, vegetables and warm vinegared rice, these hand rolls were introduced in Japan in the middle of the 20th century, but they took a bit longer to make their way to the US.

More than 40 years ago, Chef Nozawa of the Sushi Nozawa Group, was responsible for bringing this unique hand roll to the United States and it has been gaining popularity ever since.

By 2014, Kazunori: The Original Hand Roll Bar was opened by the Sushi Nozawa group in downtown Los Angeles, California. The founding of the restaurant was inspired by the belief that eating hand rolls is an experience that is special, worthy of having its own place. Since that time, several other expressions of this restaurant have been opened in the Los Angeles area as well as in New York.

Five years later, in 2019, the group decided to include a larger audience in their celebration of this special food by founding National Hand Roll Day. The event is scheduled to be celebrated on this day as a nod to Chef Nozawa, because it’s his birthday!

How to Celebrate National Hand Roll Day

Enjoy a delicious and nutritious culinary delight and celebrate National Hand Roll Day with some of these fun ideas:

Enjoy Some Sushi Hand Rolls

Eating sushi is a delicious and healthy way to celebrate National Hand Roll Day! Those who are in the Los Angeles or New York areas can get involved with the day by heading over to one of the restaurants run by the Sushi Nozawa group. Others can find a sushi restaurant in their local area that features well-made, deliciously sourced hand rolls.

Try Making Hand Rolls

A fun culinary adventure that can be made in honor of National Hand Roll Day might be to get into the kitchen and experience making sushi, including hand rolls. Grab a recipe from a cookbook or from a trusted source online and go shopping for ingredients. Then, consider some of these tips for the kitchen that might make the hand roll experience better:

• Cut the nori seaweed sheets in half prior to using
• Begin by placing the nori sheet in the hand, rough side up
• Spread the sushi rice and other toppings, place fish at an angle
• Pull corners across, opposite each other to create the cone shape

The ideal hand roll is eaten immediately after being made, so be sure to serve up those hand-crafted hand rolls right away!