Glossary · 軍艦巻き · gunkan-maki

Gunkanmaki

Gunkanmaki ('battleship roll') is the oval of rice wrapped in a tall band of nori, built to hold loose, soft toppings like uni and ikura that won't stay on plain nigiri.

Gunkanmaki was invented at Ginza’s Kyūbey in the 1940s to bring soft, loose neta into the nigiri format. A band of nori wraps the rice like a ship’s hull, creating a little wall that cradles toppings such as uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe).

Eat it promptly: the whole point is the contrast of crisp nori against the soft topping, and the seaweed goes chewy as it sits.

See also: Shari