Lunch - Uwajimaya's Maki & Inari Sushi

Uwajimaya* Maki and Inari Sushi $6.29

I have to admit, had I not grown up eating these delectables, I would be a little afraid of their appearance. The dayglo pink fish cake? sounds and looks inedible.  Yellow stinky pickles? eww.  And brown unidentifiable pickled veggies - uh, I don't think so!  And to top it off, weird green powder stuff?!  Then there's the other sushi - what the hell are those wrinkly wet brown sacs???!!

The first sushi is the Maki Sushi, one of my absolute favorite foods!  Uwajimaya's version of Maki Sushi is seasoned rice rolled in Nori (seaweed), and filled with Kamaboko (pink steamed fish cake), Takuan (yellow pickled daikon), pickled vegetables and I am still not really sure what the green sprinkle stuff is, I assume some kind of fish powder.  Despite all of the fishy ingredients, these don't really taste fishy at all.  They are definitely on the sweet side, due to the sweet pickled vegetables and Takuan.  The pickles are crunchy, and add an great textural experience.  I haven't attempted to make these, I'm sure Uwaji's has all of the ingredients I would need, but it's so much easier just to pick up a tray at the deli and devour.  Sometimes we don't even make it home before we break it open in the car.  (Only during ravenous times!)

In this particular pack Uwajimaya also adds Inari Sushi.  Their version is ok, but I really prefer my Grandma's.  Uwajimaya's version is a sweet bean curd casing, stuffed with seasoned rice.  It's sweet,  with the rice vinegar flavors from the rice.   Why is my Grandma's better?  Well, not only because Grandma made it,  but because her rice is not only seasoned, but it has strips of carrots and mushrooms and other goodies as well.  SOOO GOOD!

It's packaged with red pickled ginger - if you like pickled ginger it's add a great crunch and sour kick to the sushi.  Yum! 

* Uwajimaya, (pronounced wah-gee-mai-yah) commonly known as Uwaji's, is a Japanese grocery store located in the Pacific Northwest, 3 locations in WA and 1 in OR.