Filled with creamy avocado, sweet crab meat, and crunchy cucumber, California roll is by far the most popular sushi roll in the US. Learn how to make this delicious sushi roll at home! I also included a step-by-step guide with pictures and a video on how to perfect your sushi rolling technique.
What was the first sushi roll that you tried at a Japanese restaurant? For many of you, it might be California Roll (カリフォルニアロール) as it is probably by far the most popular style of sushi in the U.S. Today I’ll show you how easy you can make California roll at home.
Table of contents
What is a California Roll?
California roll is a type of sushi roll (makizushi 巻き寿司 or rolled sushi in Japanese) made with seasoned sushi rice, crab meat (real or imitation), avocado, and cucumber.
It is an “inside-out” roll, known as uramaki, where the fillings and nori (dried roasted seaweed sheet) are rolled inside the sushi rice.
Background of California Roll
Who invented the California Roll?
Did you know that many creatively named sushi rolls, such as the California Roll and Dragon Roll, do not originate from Japan?
Apparently, there are a few chefs who have been cited as the creators of the California Roll, but the facts remain unclear. Every account of the original California Roll is slightly different, and the description of the sushi is also very different from the one we see today.
The more recent and well-known story comes from Japanese-born sushi chef Hidekazu Tojo, a resident of Vancouver, who claims he created the California Roll at his restaurant in the late 1970s. He learned that most Western people didn’t eat raw fish and were not fans of nori seaweed as well. So, he substituted avocado for toro (fatty tuna) because it has a similar creamy texture and hid the nori seaweed by using the uramaki technique, ensuring that the nori is not visible from the outside.
Why do they call it a California Roll?
The sushi is called the “California Roll” because it consists of crab and avocado. The acronyms for both ingredients stand for C.A., which happens to be the same acronym for California. Thanks to this utterly random and uncanny coincidence, chef Tojo decided to go with the name California Roll.
That’s how the California roll turned into a popular menu item!
In recent years, even fast-food-style sushi restaurants have started serving the California Roll on their menus. This tells the story of a successful adaptation and re-imagination of food.
What’s the difference between a Japanese sushi roll and a California roll?
You’ll find two main differences between a traditional Japanese sushi roll and a California roll:
- Presentation: The fillings for traditional Japanese-style sushi rolls are wrapped in the center, surrounded by seasoned sushi rice and the nori sheet as the outer layer of the roll. On the contrary, the California roll wraps the fillings and the nori on the inside, with the rice presented as the outer layer.
- Ingredient: While avocado is a popular filling for western-style sushi like California rolls, it is not typically used in traditional Japanese sushi rolls.
The most common styles of sushi rolls (makizushi) in Japan are Futomaki and Hosomaki (sushi rolls), which feature locally available seafood and ingredients. As you can see, it’s quite different from the sushi roll menus in the United States!
What’s in a California Roll
Unlike nigiri sushi or other kinds of sushi rolls, California rolls do not include any raw fish. That means you can easily make this sushi roll at home! Here are the key ingredients you need:
- Seasoned sushi rice: Quality Japanese short-grain sushi rice is what you need to make the best sushi rice. I recommend Tamaki Gold and Tamanishiki Super Premium Short Grain Rice, but you can go with the more affordable options such as Kokuho Rose and Nishiki.
- Nori (toasted seaweed)
- Avocado: Use only ripe, ready-to-eat avocados so your sushi roll tastes fresh, smooth, and creamy.
- Crab meat: You can use fresh, canned, or imitation. I’m unfortunately allergic to fresh crab meat, so I use imitation crab.
- Japanese cucumbers: For sushi making, use thin and long Japanese cucumbers, which have fewer seeds compared to regular cucumbers. If you can’t find Japanese cucumbers, Persian cucumbers or English cucumbers (with the seeds removed) are acceptable alternatives.
- Japanese mayonnaise: Japanese mayonnaise (commonly known as Kewpie mayo) is creamier and tangier than regular American mayo. It is a key flavor, so do your best to find it (you can purchase it on Amazon). Alternatively, you can also make your own by following my homemade Japanese mayo recipe.
- Sesame seeds (optional): If you have a few extra minutes, toast the sesame seeds in a non-greased frying pan until one or two seeds pop. This adds a wonderful nutty flavor and aroma. Since I use fish eggs (tobiko/masago) for decorating the sushi rice, I like to add toasted white sesame seeds to the crab meat mixture.
Serve your California roll with Japanese soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled sushi ginger on the side.
Tools for Making California Roll
- Bamboo sushi mat (makisu 巻き簾)
- Plastic food wraps
- Vinegar water (tezu) – for dipping your fingers to prevent the rice from stickers
- Mixing bowl
- Damp towel
- Optional: Hangiri sushi rice bowl and paddle
Enjoy making sushi at home? You can buy a set of sushi oke/hangiri, bamboo mat, and rice paddles.
Watch How To Assemble A Sushi Roll
How To Roll Sushi Roll
Many people feel intimidated by the sushi rolling process, but you can relax and take it one step at a time by following my recipe and tips. The key is not to overstuff the sushi and to roll it compactly enough for easy assembly. It’s not a difficult task, and with some practice, you should be able to make decent sushi rolls.
Check out my recipe card below for a step-by-step guide, or watch the video that demonstrates the technique on how to assemble a sushi roll.
I hope you enjoy making California rolls; they make a great appetizer or finger food for parties and potlucks!
More Popular Sushi Recipes on Just One Cookbook
- Ultimate Sushi Guide: Sushi Types, Recipes, & Etiquette
- Inari Sushi
- Dragon Roll
- Mosaic Sushi
- Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll)
- Sushi Rolls
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
California Roll
Ingredients
- 6 cups sushi rice (cooked and seasoned) (Since each California Roll requires ¾ cup (110 g) of sushi rice, you need to cook 3½ rice cooker cups, which will yield 1155 g (6 cups is 1080 g). Make sure to cover the prepared sushi rice with a damp cloth at all times to prevent it from drying.)
- 8 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed)
- 4 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds
For the Filling
- 9 oz cooked crab meat (I used 2 cans)
- 6 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise
- ½ English cucumber (or Persian/Japanese cucumber)
- 2 avocados
- ½ lemon (for avocado)
For the Vinegar Water for Dipping Fingers (Tezu)
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)
For the Toppings (optional)
- ikura (salmon roe)
- yuzu-flavored tobiko (flying fish roe)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients. The 6 cups sushi rice (cooked and seasoned) should be at room temperature. Please follow my Sushi Rice recipe for step-by-step instructions on how to cook the rice and add the sushi seasonings. Each California Roll requires ¾ cup (110 g) of sushi rice, so you‘ll need 6 cups (1080 g) of sushi rice to make 8 rolls.
- Cover the bamboo sushi mat with plastic wrap. Mix ¼ cup water with 2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned) to prepare the vinegar water (tezu) to dip your fingers to prevent them from sticking. Set aside.
To Prepare the Fillings
- Crab meat: Combine 9 oz cooked crab meat with 6 Tbsp Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise and mix together.
- Cucumber: Peel and remove the seeds of ½ English cucumber with a spoon. Cut into thin long strips, the same length as the nori sheet.
- Avocado: Peel, pit, and cut 2 avocados into slices ¼ inch (0.5 cm) thick (see How To Cut Avocado). Squeeze the juice of ½ lemon over the avocado to prevent browning.
- Nori: With the 8 sheets nori (dried laver seaweed), cut off one-third of each nori sheet (set aside) and use the remaining two-thirds sheets of nori. Tip: Save the strips of nori you cut off to make Ikura Sushi (optional; see below).
To Roll the Sushi
- Lay a nori sheet, shiny side down, on the bamboo sushi mat. Wet your fingers in tezu and spread ¾ cup (110 g) of the rice evenly onto the nori sheet.
- Sprinkle the rice with about ½ Tbsp of the 4 Tbsp toasted white sesame seeds or yuzu-flavored tobiko (flying fish roe).
- Turn the nori sheet over so that the rice is facing down. Line the edge of the nori sheet at the bottom of the bamboo mat. Place the cucumber, crab meat, and avocado at the bottom of the nori sheet.
- Grab the bottom edge of the mat while keeping the fillings in place with your fingers, roll it into a tight cylinder, tucking the fillings in firmly.
- Lift the edge of the bamboo mat slightly and roll it forward while keeping gentle pressure on the mat. Cover the completed rolls with a damp cloth at all times to prevent them from drying. Continue making the rolls until the ingredients are finished.
- You can use the leftover one-third strips of nori sheet to make Ikura Sushi. Cut the nori sheet into half lengthwise. Make small balls with sushi rice and wrap it with nori sheet. Place ikura (salmon roe) on top.
To Serve
- With a very sharp knife, cut each roll in half and then cut each half into 3 pieces. Remember to clean the knife with a damp cloth after every few cuts.
To Store
- It‘s best to enjoy sushi rolls on the same day. Rice gets hard and dry in the refrigerator. Therefore, if you really want to keep sushi rolls in the refrigerator, my recommendation is to cover them with plastic and then with a thick kitchen towel, so the rice will stay cool and safe, but not become cold.
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on Aug 19, 2011. The content has been updated in May 2017.
It’s not a quick and easy meal but the result is beyond amazing. My husband said that the rolls tasted better than 90% of restaurant rolls he tried, and my daughter said, “Mom, just stay in the kitchen” lol. My biggest discovery was that sushi is all about sushi rice. I’ll have to convince my family to buy the fancy rice maker:)
Hi, Maryna! We are overjoyed to hear the rolls were so delicious.
Yes! The sushi rice is quite crucial. Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Hello again, I’m still a little confused by the rice. You say 110g of sushi rice per roll so I assume that is cooked rice but then say .88 rice cooker cup for the sushi rice I’m to assume that is a dry weight? and if so, how many gms. is that please. You lost me in the math. I’m using a 3 cup Zujirushi rice cooker.
Hello, Robert! Yes. To make one roll, you’ll need 110 grams of cooked sushi rice.
If you’re only making two rolls and need a 0.88 rice cooker cup, that’s the volume of uncooked (dry) rice.
(A rice cooker cup is usually 180 mL, which is about 3/4 (0.75) of an American measuring cup.)
In terms of weight, one rice cooker cup is approximately 150 grams.
So, a 0.88 rice cooker cup equals approximately 132 grams of uncooked rice.
We hope this was helpful!🙂
This california roll recipe is for a lot of rolls, can I scale it down somehow for maybe one or two california rolls?
Hello, Robert! This recipe yields approximately 8 rolls. If you change the serving size to 2 or 4, the amount of ingredients will be automatically adjusted.
We hope this helps!
Thank you. I enjoy your recipes and presentations. Thanks again
What a beautiful recorded video – the music and the natural sound of the kitchen! I so appreciate you. Thank you for all you do showing your craft and love for cooking!
Hi there! Thank you so much for your kind words!
Nami and all of us at JOC are so happy to hear you enjoyed the video.
Happy Cooking! 😊
Thank you very much for this website! I love Japanese food. Now thanks to you I learn how to cook it myself. 😊
I always struggled with sushi rice before. Until I found your page.
This time I have followed each step precisely and got the perfect rice! I’m so happy! It was very easy to roll it.
Thank you!
Hi Dina, Aww.🥰 We are so happy to hear Nami’s instructions help you make the perfect roll!
Thank you for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback. ❤️
[…] and unmistakable crunchy texture. These tiny raw fish eggs are often used as a garnish, such as California rolls. They are also delicious on their […]
Is it possible to show us some Vegan recipe’s please?
Hi Camie! Thank you very much for your request!
We’ll make sure to add the recipe to Nami’s list. In the meantime, please enjoy other Vegan recipes on JOC:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/tags/vegan/
https://www.justonecookbook.com/sushi-rolls/ (You can use/add your favorite vegetable in the roll. 😉)
I made the mistake of placing too much rice onto the nori sheet. Consequently, it made it a challenge to roll into manageable bite-size pieces. After adjusting the rice portions according to the recipe it came out nicely. Nami wasn’t kidding that practice makes perfect, especially when it comes to making sushi. This recipe is a keeper since everybody loved it! I can’t wait to see what other variety of sushi the JOC team comes out with in addition to what they have now. Dragon rolls…you’re next 🙂
Hi Russell, Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipes and sharing your cooking experience with us!
We are so happy to hear everyone loved California Roll. Please keep practice and enjoy many other sushi recipes include Dragon rolls! 😉
Happy Cooking!
Hello Namiko Chen …
I was an international executive marketing manager at Sumitomo Electric for some 20 years, traveled extensively to Japan and ate Japanese food even more extensively (my belly still bulges). Coming back from Hokkaido during a trip, I must admit to having had 12 shrimp tempura one time for appetizer. I could never get enough!
Over time, that fact turned into rumor, and my reputation became (at last count) when I retired that I ate 48 tempura. We had so much fun with that, that I said nothing to dispel or decline the rumor.
Anyway, I am now 72 and am again intrigued with Japanese food, but this time I want to learn to make it myself. I am so grateful to have found your website. It is very professional, very beautiful with photography (doing Japanese presentation great justice) and I hope to acquire some of the skills to again enjoy Japanese cuisine.
Thank you for all your exquisite and hard work, excellent instructions and historical information. I will be a loyal fan.
Christoph
Hi Christoph, 48 tempura! WOW! Thank you very much for sharing your story with us.
Namiko and JOC team enjoyed reading your story and appreciate your kind feedback.
We hope you continue to enjoy Japanese cuisine from our site. Happy Cooking!