Experience Mr. Roll Makiko's easy and cute summer creative sushi roll class in a casual private lesson!

Did you know that Mie Prefecture has a unique ``rolled sushi teacher''?
This is Roll Makiko.
He has a service mentality that can accommodate any request for any design, and has a repertoire of over 200 types of creative sushi rolls! As a PR ambassador for the Mie Rice Power Promotion Project, I am working to spread the appeal of Mie Prefecture's rice.

This time, I visited Roll Makiko's sushi roll studio♪

*This article was conducted in 2018.

☆Click here for details and reservations for the trial class!

[Decorated sushi experience] Decorated sushi making plan★You can make sushi with cute patterns★

There are two classrooms for private lessons in Tsu and Suzuka.
This is Suzuka classroom. Today's students came as a family of five. The application for the course is for 2 people.
At the last minute, the two boys said, "Yeah," and started unpacking their belongings on the table over there... So, my mother and her daughter, who is in the third grade of elementary school, will take on the challenge.
This is a small lesson for up to 6 people at a time.

The basics of cooking are careful hand washing. First, wash your hands thoroughly with hand soap. This is also important.

This is a sample made by Mr. Roll Makiko.
Various versions of summer sushi rolls.

Today we will make penguin sushi rolls from among these. It's hot outside, so I want to at least stay cool and feel like I'm in the South Pole inside the classroom!

Each person had a set of rolled sushi on the table.
The cooking utensils are pink, Makiko-sensei's favorite color!
There is already measured vinegared rice on standby in the bowl. Of course, the rice is from Mie Prefecture, and the vinegar is sushi vinegar from the long-established Yamani Vinegar in TsuCity. We are particular about using local Mie ingredients.

Mr. Roll Makiko's classroom does not use scales. This time, we will use 180 grams of rice divided into 6 portions. So even Chibikko can easily make patterned sushi rolls.
By the way, when I asked about the youngest student record,
``He was a 3-year-old child who took on the challenge without any help from his mother. I was the most surprised (lol),'' Makiko said.
The third grade elementary school student in the photo was also working hard on his own.

Divide the rice into 6 portions and transfer 2 portions to a bowl.
What we're going to make now is the penguin's head. Make black vinegar rice. Add black sesame seeds for coloring.
Furikake is also mixed in to make it not only look good but also delicious when eaten.

The next thing we will use is seaweed from Mie Prefecture. Break a large piece of seaweed into small pieces and use it to frame the penguin's beak and eyes.
Make creases in the seaweed and break it up by hand. I wonder if I can cut it straight...?

I failed, so eat it. There was no failure with this♪
Mr. Roll Makiko's lessons proceed in a straightforward manner.
"If you can't split it straight, there's no problem at all. You can use it as is. But if it bothers you, just eat it. Let's try again using new seaweed."

Next, use the sausage to make the penguin's eyes and beak.
White cheese sausage is the penguin's eyes. A pink fish sausage is in its beak. If you cut a pink sausage in half lengthwise, the cross section will be half-moon-shaped, giving it the shape of a grinning mouth.

Mr. Makiko says that you can cut the ends of the sausage or not.
"Hmm, I'm curious," said the daughter, carefully cutting off the end of the sausage. Of course, you can put the pieces into your mouth as soon as possible♪ The lesson progresses while you are munching.

Now, let's move on to the highlight of sushi rolls: rolling! Spread a ball of vinegared rice on the seaweed, stretch it out, and place the parts that will become the penguin's eyes and beak.

Normally, sushi rolls are rolled from the front to the back, but Makiko Sensei's style is different. It's rolled vertically.
By doing this, you can check the finished shape as you roll it.

Makisu is used like this.
You can clearly see the cross-sectional view of a sushi roll. The position of the penguin's eyes and beak both look good.

Did your mother's sushi roll turn out well? Parents and children show each other.
“Both feel good,” Makiko-sensei said.
There are easy-to-understand tips that can be used by anyone to wrap the hair well.

Cut out the seaweed and place it on the penguin's eyes to complete the penguin sushi roll!
The teacher placed a container containing ``Sakura Denbu'' on the table. "If you want your penguin to be a girl, dye its cheeks pink." I see. The cherry blossoms become blush.

It took only 30 minutes to get to this point. Easy!

Now, next is the application section. Earlier I used Makisu only once, but this time I will use it twice.
Apply the methods you have learned and try creating slightly more complex patterns. The photo shows the mouth.
The sausage on top is the part that makes the mouth smile. So, what kind of finish will it have?

did it! I did it well.

Sushi rolls seem difficult to cut neatly. Even if I manage to wrap it well, it seems like it will fall apart when I cut it...
I asked Mr. Makiko for tips on cutting. ``The trick is to create a film of water on the knife blade to prevent rice from sticking to it. After each cut, wipe the rice grains off the knife with a wet cloth. Then, cut the rice in batches." hand.
This method may also be useful when cutting sushi rolls at home.

I'll get one right away! Because the sushi rolls are made by yourself, the taste is exceptional.
Of course, this is also thanks to Mie Prefecture rice and Mie sushi vinegar. I decided to wrap the rest in plastic wrap and take it home.
In the summer, it's a good idea to bring a cooler bag and ice packs.

These are a number of summer-themed sushi roll samples made by Mr. Roll Makiko. A crab's belly is a hollow shell. The red color of watermelon is "Tobiko", and the yellow color of sunflower is Kinshi-tamago.
You can make colorful patterned sushi rolls using readily available ingredients.

The lesson involved making two types of sushi in about two hours. The tuition fee is 3,500 yen per person, and classes are held from time to time in classrooms in TsuCity and SuzukaCity. Please feel free to ask us for details.
In addition to this, Mr. Roll Makiko also travels to events throughout the prefecture and lectures at events such as ``Maki Sushi Experience''. I'm sure we'll meet up somewhere in Mie Prefecture someday.

If you see one, be sure to take part in a trial class.

☆Click here for details and reservations for the trial class!

[Decorated sushi experience] Decorated sushi making plan★You can make sushi with cute patterns★

【basic information】
Sushi University Roll Makiko
Address: 629 Isshincho, TsuCity Mie Prefecture *Classes also available in SuzukaCity
Phone 059-271-6336
Time: 10:00~・13:00~ Trial fee: 3,500 yen for one session (reception for 1 person or more)
Homepage https://rollmakiko.com
Instagram　https://www.instagram.com/rollmakiko/