To be honest, the origins of the caterpillar sushi roll are anyone’s guess. My hunch is that it was created by an enterprising sushi chef at an American strip-mall sushi joint who was trying to sell more unagi. Whatever the origins of this sushi, Caterpillar Roll is probably single-handedly responsible for turning something that was “ewww!"-inducing (unagi is a slimy fresh water eel after all) a generation ago, to something that’s sold at supermarket sushi counters across the country. If you’ve been to a sushi restaurant in the US over the past decade, chances are you’ve either had caterpillar roll sushi or noticed it on the menu. You may have even wondered, “What is in a Caterpillar Roll?!?” For those who haven’t, let me reassure you that this isn’t an episode of Bizarre Foods, where Andrew Zimmern eats butterfly larva. Indeed, there were no insects harmed in the making of this recipe!🐛😆 It’s called a Caterpillar roll because the rice is enshrouded with thin slices of overlapping avocado. With stripes of dark kabayaki sauce drizzled on top, and sesame seeds dotting the roll, it doesn’t take a stretch of the imagination to see the resemblance. It’s a delicious combination of flavors, so don’t let the name bug you! It’s definitely worth trying. If you’ve ever wondered what the difference is between Kabayaki and Teriyaki sauce, you’re not the only one. After a little research, it turns out that they’re one in the same. The difference comes in the preparation of the dishes that the sauce is used in. Kabayaki is usually prepared by skewering things such as unagi, and then grilling them. The sauce is applied by dipping the skewer directly in a tub of sauce during cooking. Teriyaki on the other hand is made by grilling and using a brush to apply the marinade. Since this roll is neither grilled nor skewered, I deliberated on what to call the sauce, but since the unagi is made kabayaki-style, it made sense to carry the same name over for the glaze. Together with the rice vinegar in the tangy sushi rice, crunchy cucumber, creamy avocado, and rich unagi, the kabayaki sauce provides a sweet and savory glaze that makes this Caterpillar Roll recipe a hit for all ages. I’ve also come up with this recipe for a California Bowl, which has all the flavor of a California Roll without all the tricky rolling. It could easily be adapted to become a Caterpillar Bowl; just use unagi instead of the crab.
📖 Recipe
