What is Shinko Maki?
Shinko Maki (新香巻き) is a vegetable sushi roll with a pickled daikon radish (takuan) or other Japanese pickles at its core. In case you’re wondering, the word “shinko” is another word for pickles (the other being “tsukemono”).
This classic dish has been part of Japanese cuisine for a long time. It first became popular in Tokyo in the 1930s. The book Sushi Tsu (すし通) noted that shinko maki, which often combined chopped pickled daikon and shiitake mushrooms, had recently gained favor after spreading from the Kansai (West) area.
Although pickled daikon remains the most well-known filling, other variations using regional pickles are also popular.
Key Ingredients
- Vinegared Sushi Rice: The essential foundation of any sushi. This specially seasoned blend combines short-grain Japanese rice with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. For the ultimate sushi rice texture and authentic flavor, I highly recommend following my detailed sushi rice recipe.
- Takuan Pickles (Yellow Pickled Daikon): Store-bought takuan is convenient, but you can also give my takuan recipe a try. Alternatively, try with your favorite pickles! Things like shibazuke or narazuke (regional pickles from Nara) are also popular.
- Sushi Nori Seaweed: We’ll be using high-quality nori sheets and cutting the squares in half to create perfect rectangles for our hosomaki (thin sushi rolls). When you’re shopping, look for nori with a dark green color and a crisp texture.
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Jump to Full Recipe Measurements
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Shinko Maki at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
Visual Walkthrough & Tips
Here are my step-by-step instructions for how to make Shinko Maki at home. For ingredient quantities and simplified instructions, scroll down for the Printable Recipe Card below.
This section aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the cooking steps and techniques with visuals. It also includes more in-depth tips and tricks and explains why I do what I do.
To get started, prepare the vinegared sushi rice. In a small bowl, mix together the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Next, just pour the mixture over your cooked rice and fold it in gently with a rice paddle or wooden spoon. Use a cutting and folding motion to make sure the grains are distributed evenly without crushing them.
Once the rice is nice and glossy, let it cool to room temperature with a fan.
Then cover it with a damp cloth to keep it from drying out.
For more detailed instructions, check out my full sushi rice recipe.
Cut a square of nori seaweed in half to create the base for your hosomaki (thin sushi roll). For clean cuts, use sharp kitchen shears or fold the nori and tear along the crease.
Set up your sushi rolling station with a bowl of cold water and a bamboo rolling mat. Place the mat with the bamboo knots facing up.
Lightly wet your hands with cold water to prevent sticking, then take an 80g portion of sushi rice.
Shape it into a rough cylinder and place it on one side of the nori sheet.
Gently spread the rice across the nori, leaving a finger-width border at the top edge. Create a small ridge along this border by pinching the rice – this will help seal the roll.
Cut takuan into sticks. Alternatively, you can finely dice them to make them easier to fill and eat.
Arrange the strips of pickled daikon down the middle of the rice, pressing it gently into the rice to keep it in place. This stops the filling from moving around when you’re rolling it.
Make sure the bottom edge of the nori is lined up with the edge of your bamboo mat so it rolls evenly.
Now, just lift the bottom edge of the mat and fold it over the filling until it meets the opposite edge of the rice (where you made the ridge).
Give it a little bit of gentle pressure to secure the initial fold.
Continue rolling by lifting the edge of the bamboo mat and guiding the nori forward, allowing the empty border to wrap around and seal the roll.
Use the mat to gently shape and compress the roll, ensuring it’s firm but not overly tight.
Damp a sharp knife with a clean, wet cloth. Use a quick, decisive motion to cut the sushi roll in half.
When cutting, just push the knife forward first, then pull it back towards you. Wipe the blade clean between each cut to make sure the rice doesn’t stick and to get nice, clean slices.
Cut each half of the roll into thirds, and you’ll have six even pieces.
Serve immediately for the best texture.
I hope you enjoy this Shinko Maki recipe! If you try it out, I’d really appreciate it if you could spare a moment to let me know what you thought by giving a review and star rating in the comments below. It’s also helpful to share any adjustments you made to the recipe with our other readers. Thank you!
More Hosomaki Recipes
- Tekka Maki (Tuna)
- Kappa Maki (Cucumber)
- Kanpyo Maki (Simmered Gourd)
Shinko Maki (Pickled Daikon Sushi Rolls)
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- ¼ tsp sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 320 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice
- 80 g yellow pickled daikon (takuan) approx 20g per roll
- 2 sheets sushi nori seaweed
- soy sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Pour 1 tbsp rice vinegar, ¼ tsp sugar and ½ tsp salt into a bowl and mix until dissolved.
- Sprinkle the mixture over 320 g cooked Japanese short-grain rice while it's still warm, then mix gently using the edge of rice paddle while fanning to cool. Once evenly distributed, cover the rice with a clean damp tea towel to stop it from drying out.
- Cut 80 g yellow pickled daikon either into sticks or finely diced depending on preference.
- Take 2 sheets sushi nori seaweed and fold them in half. Pinch along the crease and then neatly tear down the fold. (You can use scissors if you want a clean cut.)
- Lay the bamboo rolling mat on a flat surface with the bamboo sticks lying horizontally. Align the long side of the nori with the bottom of the mat. Make sure the rough side of the nori is facing up.
- Wet your hands and shape an 80g (approx ½ US cup) handful of rice into a rough cylinder.
- Spread the rice out on the nori making sure to leave a finger-width border along the top. Pinch along the top edge of the rice to make a ridge, then place the daikon through the middle. If the daikon is cut into sticks, arrange them in a line, and gently press them into the rice to stop them from moving.
- Lift the bottom of the mat and bring the edges of the rice together.
- Press firmly to shape, then lift the edge of the mat and roll once more to seal.
- Wipe a sharp knife with a damp cloth and cut the sushi roll in half. Use a short, sharp sawing motion to cut the roll without applying too much pressure (pressing down will squash it).
- Cut each half into thirds, wiping the knife between each cut.
- Enjoy with a small bowl of soy sauce for dipping!
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