Roll vs Hand Roll
Sushi, one of the most popular food items from Japan, can be served in various ways, including as rolls and hand rolls. While the ingredients and toppings may differ, the common ingredient in all sushi remains the rice. This article examines the differences between the two methods of serving sushi: roll and hand roll.
Roll
Roll, also called Maki in Japan, is one of the several types of sushi rolls. When boiled rice containing seafood is wrapped inside seaweed, it is cut into several pieces, with each piece referred to as a roll. The key aspect of a roll is that it is cut into several pieces after making the cylinder with the wrapping.
Hand Roll
Hand roll is a method of wrapping sushi that is meant to be a single-person serving. In this system, instead of making a long tube or cylinder, the rice and the fish are wrapped inside seaweed to form a cone. If you are hungry and do not want to share your sushi, it is better to opt for the hand roll. In Japan, this type of hand roll is called Tamaki sushi. The seaweed used to make Tamaki is called nori.
Key Takeaways
- The difference between roll and hand roll lies mainly in the shape: a roll is cylindrical or tubular, while a hand roll is specifically made into a cone.
- Roll is called Maki in Japan, while hand roll is called Tamaki.
- Roll is smaller in size than a hand roll.
