Are you sitting down, because we’ve got some fairly shocking news. Did you know that the California roll, the type of sushi most beloved by picky eaters, isn’t actually from California? Because it isn’t. And it’s not from any of the neighboring states either (although, I guess it’d be kind of weird if landlocked Nevada was out here trying to revolutionize the sushi game). Is your next guess Japan? You’d be wrong there, too, because the California roll comes to us by way of Canada. And it only exists because during a very dark time in history, people didn’t like sushi at all.
These and other fascinating tidbits are explored in the following video from Great Big Story, which chronicles the California roll from its humble beginnings through its meteoric rise to the sushi juggernaut that it is today. Along the way you’ll learn about the roll’s creator, Chef Tojo, why he had to create it, and the backlash he received from putting the rice on the outside of the seaweed (even though it came from his passionate desire to get all of us living in North America to get over our fear of that “yucky green stuff” and taste all the goodness sushi has to offer).
I don’t know what HBO is doing, but if they’re looking for a new show, let us tell you this: There is nothing that we would like to see more than a scene of a harried Chef Tojo getting angry calls from Japan about his unorthodox preparation methods. We’re talking high drama: screaming, tears, a haunting soundtrack, everything. Give the people what they need!
Until HBO wises up, though, this fascinating video will have to do.
