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    Home » Recipes » Rice

    Kappa Maki (Cucumber Sushi Rolls)

    Published: Jul 5, 2021 · Modified: Feb 2, 2022 by Yuto Omura

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    Kappa maki is one of the most popular sushi rolls! It's also one of the easiest kinds to make. This simple dish only requires a handful of ingredients and is a great recipe for beginners who want to practice rolling their own sushi! Let's get started!

    Four kappa maki sushi rolls on a plate

    Disclaimer: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. Sudachi Recipes earn a small percentage from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you. See disclaimer for more info.

    What is "Makizushi"?

    Makizushi (巻きずし) is the Japanese name for sushi rolls. Maki means to roll, and zushi comes from the word "sushi".

    Makizushi consists of 1 or more fillings, wrapped in vinegared rice and rolled up in an edible dried seaweed sheet called nori. Makizushi is usually rolled using a bamboo sushi mat.

    Four kappa maki sushi rolls on a plate

    Types of Makizushi

    There are a few different kinds of makizushi:

    • Hosomaki (細巻き) Small thin sushi rolls, usually with 1 filling
    • Chumaki (中巻き) Medium sized sushi rolls with 2-3 fillings
    • Futomaki (太巻き) Thick sushi rolls, usually with around 4 fillings
    • Uramaki (裏巻き) Reversed makizushi with the rice on the outside and the fillings wrapped in nori in the middle
    • Temaki (手巻き) A cone shaped sushi rolled by hand (rather than with a bamboo mat)

    Since kappa maki is small with only one filling, it falls under the category of hosomaki.

    Four kappa maki sushi rolls on a plate top down view

    What is Kappa Maki?

    Kappa maki is a type of hosomaki (thin sushi roll) and is made with 3 main ingredients:

    • Sushi rice
    • Nori
    • Cucumber

    It's a simple recipe that can be enjoyed by everyone, including vegetarians and vegans! And because it only uses one filling, it's a perfect starter sushi for practicing rolling makizushi at home.

    Once you master kappa maki (or any hosomaki) then you can move on to more challenging sushi rolls with multiple fillings!

    Four kappa maki sushi rolls on a plate side view

    What is "Kappa"?

    Probably one of the most commonly asked questions about this sushi roll, is "what is kappa"?

    It might sound random, but Kappa is a type of "yōkai" or demon from traditional Japanese folklore. It looks like a little bit like a human cross turtle with a beak and it's known to live in rivers and lakes.

    The Kappa is known for luring people into the water and drowning them... but on a lighter note, it's also known for it's love of cucumbers!

    kappa monster holding a cucumber

    There are some festivals in Japan where cucumber offerings are made to Kappa and there even used to be a tradition where people would write the names of their family members on cucumbers and send them into the river in belief that it would protect them from Kappa.

    I'm sure the Kappa monster would love kappa maki! Especially since the dish is named after him.

    Cutting Cucumber for Kappa Maki

    So the main ingredient for this dish is cucumber, but how do you cut it nicely for kappa maki?

    Well firstly, I recommend buying small Japanese or Persian cucumbers for kappa maki. If you use small cucumbers, you can cut it in half lengthways, and then half again into lengthways quarters, that's it. We also remove the fleshy seed part.

    Seeds removed from cucumber

    In Japan, cucumbers are very small and the skin is kinda bumpy and a bit rough. To smooth out the skin, we rub it with salt and then wash it before cutting.

    If you can only buy large English cucumbers then I recommend cutting it into halves first. After that, you can cut each half into 3-4 pieces lengthways to make 6-8 strips in total.

    Make sure every piece of cucumber has skin attached for better texture and presentation in your kappa maki.

    What You'll Need

    Here is a list of the few pieces of equipment and ingredients you'll need to make kappa maki.

    Equipment

    The most useful tool for making kappa maki is a bamboo rolling mat. You can purchase them on Amazon here.

    While a sushi mat isn't essential, it will make it a lot easier to roll your kappa maki neatly and nicely. They're also cheap to buy so if you want to hone your sushi rolling skills, it's a must have item!

    If you don't have one, you can also use cling film (saran wrap) on top of a clean tea towel.

    Ingredients

    Here is what you'll need to make the best Kappa Maki.

    • Sushi Rice (The recipe is below. You can also see my post, how to make perfect sushi rice)
    • Cucumber
    • Salt (to scrub the skin on the cucumber)
    • Wasabi (optional - I use S&B wasabi paste)
    • Nori
    • Soy sauce for dipping

    And that's it! Simple right?

    One kappa maki roll dipped in soy sauce
    I recommend using a Japanese Soy Sauce such as Kikkoman.

    I hope you enjoy making and eating this simple but tasty Kappa Maki Cucumber Sushi Roll!

    Print
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    Four kappa maki sushi rolls on a plate side view

    Kappa Maki (Cucumber Sushi Rolls)


    • Author: Yuto Omura
    • Total Time: 30 minutes
    • Yield: 24 pieces 1x
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    Description

    How to make simple and tasty "Kappa Maki" (かっぱ巻き) the perfect sushi roll for beginners! (Makes 6 rolls cut into 24-36 pieces)


    Ingredients

    Scale

    Sushi Rice

    • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
    • ¼ tsp sugar
    • ½ tsp salt
    • 300g Cooked Japanese short grain rice (1 rice cup or 150g when uncooked) See how to make sticky Japanese style rice here.

    Kappa Maki

    • ½ tbsp salt
    • 2 small Japanese cucumbers (or 1 medium cucumber)
    • 2 tbsp wasabi (optional)
    • 3 sheets of nori
    • A bowl of cold water
    • Soy sauce for dipping

    Instructions

    1. In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp rice vinegar, ¼ tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt until dissolved.
    2. Mix the vinegar mixture with 300g of cooked rice. (It's okay if it's still warm.)
    3. Next, sprinkle ½ tbsp of salt onto a chopping board and roll the cucumber over it.
           cucumber covered in salt
    4. Rub the salt over the skin and then rinse the cucumber under cold water.
      rolling cucumber in salt
    5. Cut off both ends, and peel the skin off of the top and bottom. (The skin at the ends is often thicker and can have a slightly bitter taste.)
      cucumber with ends peeled
    6. Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways, then again into quarters. If your cucumber is large, you'll need to cut it into sixths or eighths. 
      Small cucumber cut into quarters lengthways
    7. Run a knife along the area just below the seeds to remove them. 
      Seeds removed from cucumber
    8. Fold your nori sheets in half and pinch along the crease so that you tear them in half. (You can use scissors if you prefer.) This will give you 6 smaller nori sheets.
    9. Place the nori onto the bamboo rolling mat with the rough side facing up. Make sure the bamboo is laying horizontally in front of you.
      laying out the nori onto the bamboo mat
    10. Wet your hands with cold water. Keep a bowl of cold water nearby to use when necessary. (This helps stop rice sticking to your hands.)
      wetting hands with cold water
    11. Take a handful of sushi rice (approx 50g) and shape it into a cylindrical shape.
      making a rice cylinder to put onto the nori
    12. Place the rice cylinder onto one end of the nori, and gently spread it to the other end. (You can use a rice paddle to spread it if you prefer.)
      spreading sushi rice on nori
    13. Use your hand to make a wall at the end of the nori, and push the sushi rice right up to the edge.
      spreading sushi rice on nori
    14. Now pull the rice down so the bottom edge is covered with rice, but leave a gap at the top. The top part will wrap around and help the maki hold it's shape.
    15. Add a small blob of wasabi and spread it down the middle.
      wasabi on kappa maki
    16. Place the slice of cucumber over the wasabi and push it into the rice to prevent it from moving.
      placing cucumber on sushi rice, making kappa maki
    17. Lift the edge of the bamboo mat closest to you (the bottom edge) and carefully roll it over so that the two edges of the rice meet. (Make sure it's tight!)
      rolling kappa maki using a bamboo rolling mat
    18. Open the bamboo mat slightly and roll over the flap of nori to close the sushi. You don't need to wet it down, the moisture from the rice will help the nori stick together.
      folding over the flap of nori using a bamboo rolling mat
    19.  Once you have your completed sushi roll, use the bamboo mat to press the edges and make it into a cube shape. (Kappa maki is typically a cube rather than round.)
      rolling kappa maki into a cube shape
    20. Repeat until you have 6 rolls and wet a sharp knife with a damp cloth. Cut each sushi roll into 4, 5 or 6 pieces depending on size preference. 
      cutting kappa maki on a wooden chopping board
    21. Enjoy your homemade kappamaki with soy sauce for dipping! 
    • Prep Time: 30 minutes
    • Category: Rice
    • Method: Rolling
    • Cuisine: Japanese

    Keywords: How to make kappa maki, Kappa maki recipe, kappa maki, kappa maki sushi, how to cut cucumber for kappa maki, how to roll makizushi, how to make sushi rolls, easy sushi roll, cucumber sushi roll, what is kappa?, kappa maki meaning,cutting cucumber for sushi, cucumber roll sushi

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    Thanks for visiting Sudachi Recipes. My name is Yuto and I'm a Japanese guy with a passion for food. Here I share tasty and accessible recipes so that you can bring a taste of Japan to your own kitchen.

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