Created in 2008 by Peter Yen of Sushirrito, the sushi burrito has become a sensation in recent years. Yen came up with the idea after being bored with other food options such as the typical sandwiches, soups, and salads. Additionally, if a person wanted sushi, there were really only two options: the pre-made grocery store variety (convenient but not always the best quality) and sit-down restaurant sushi (better quality but more on the expensive side). Yen decided to combine the two options and the sushi burrito was born.

A sushi burrito is assembled just like a regular sushi roll. The main filling of raw fish, rice, and vegetables are in the middle. Next comes a layer of rice. Finally, it’s all wrapped up in a tight roll of rice paper, soy paper, or nori (also known as seaweed) sheets, much like a Mexican burrito or even a Stromboli. This serving style makes it easy to eat on the go.

Sushi burritos, like most sushi, are made with short-grain Japanese rice. The consistency and taste are different than types like jasmine and long-grain, which don’t have enough starch to hold the ingredients together like sushi rice. It also just wouldn’t taste the same.

While not an authentic Japanese dish, the sushi burrito is a form of Japanese-American fusion cuisine and is served in sushi and burrito restaurants.

Types of Sushi

There are several types of sushi. It’s helpful to know the difference in varieties when deciding what to order.

  • Maki – Rice and filling are wrapped in nori (seaweed). This is what most people picture when discussing sushi, and it’s the type most similar to the sushi burrito concept.
  • Uramaki – Rice is on outside. The seaweed wraps around the filling.
  • Nigiri – Fish (usually) is served on top of rice.
  • Temaki – Rice and filling rolled into a cone shape (similar to maki, but cone-shaped).
  • Sashimi – Sashimi is just the fish or shellfish by itself (no rice).

Interested in making a sushi burrito of your own? Check out Food.com’s recipe for a sushi burrito that uses sushi rice, sashimi-grade tuna, rice vinegar, avocado, cucumber, carrots, and nori sheets. If you’re in the Boulder, Lakewood, or Denver, Colorado areas, give Motomaki a try.

Have you had a sushi burrito yet? What are your favorite fillings? Let us know in the comments.