A fusion of American and Japanese cultures, Sushi Burrito is an American-Japanese cuisine created out of the need for an exciting dish.
It has gained many grounds, as you can find it in almost any restaurant that appreciates global cuisine. Before you include this food in your diet, here’s all you need to know about a sushi burrito.
How Did Sushi Bu rrito Come About?
The sushi burrito was born out of Peter Yen’s curiosity. Peter was bored of the limited food ideas for fast-casual restaurants. He wanted more. He wanted to explore. Since he loved sushi, he decided to do something great with it.
In 2008, he created the sushi burrito. He later went on to establish Sushirrito, a fast-food restaurant. The restaurant has grown a lot since it was established in 2008.
When asked how he came about the recipe, Peter said that in 2004, he got bored with the normal meal options and decided to try out new food combinations to make things more exciting and delicious.
Peter told his chef about this new course to be added to the menu. Even his chef was shocked, but they decided to try it. However, sushi burrito has become a food trend.
It was crafted from Sushi, a Japanese food, and burrito, a Mexican food. It is fast, healthy, and filling. So, why have sushi or burrito alone while you can have the two together in a sushi burrito?
Is A Sushi Burrito Difficult To Prepare?
Preparing a sushi burrito isn’t difficult as it is the larger version of sushi rolls. You can use any filling for your sushi burrito.
The main ingredients are; sushi rice, soy sauce, veggies, sliced avocados, seaweed sheets, and vinegar mixture. Here are the steps to try your hands at this dish.
- The first thing to do is prepare the sushi rice. The rice must be short-grain. You can get sushi rice at local stores around you. If you can’t find sushi rice, you can settle for arborio rice instead. To cook the sushi rice, the water to rice ratio should be 1: 2. Use half a cup of water for every cup of rice. If you’re cooking more than a cup of rice, follow this progression.
- Then, rinse the rice to remove excess starch.
- Put water in a saucepan and boil the rice.
- Prepare the vinegar mixture while the rice is cooking. You can find this at specialty or grocery stores in your area. It is also known as sushi rice seasoning, a mixture of sugar, salt, and rice vinegar. Wait till the rice cools to room temperature before adding the vinegar mixture.
- The rice must be cooked for 15 minutes before adding the mixture.
- Place the full-sized nori seaweed sheets on a cutting board and brush the edges together with water. This will allow them to stick together.
- Wet your hands, put the sushi rice on one-half seaweed sheets, and press firmly.
- Add whatever filling you desire to the rice.
- Finally, roll up the seaweed sheets like you would a burrito but don’t fold the edges. Brush some water on the seaweed sheets without rice to enable it to stick as you roll on.
Nutrition Facts About Sushi Burrito
Sushi burrito is a healthy food you shouldn’t miss out on, asides from its exotic taste. Here is a nutrition table for a serving of sushi burritos.
Nutrient | Value |
Calories | 486 |
Saturated fat (g) | 3 |
Polyunsaturated fat (g) | 7.5 |
Monounsaturated fat (g) | 4.6 |
Cholesterol (mg) | 63 |
Sodium (mg) | 199 |
Potassium (mg) | 728 |
Carbs (g) | 49 |
Dietary fiber (g) | 1.3 |
Sugars (g) | 1.7 |
Protein (g) | 34 |
Below is the nutrition value of rice, the main ingredient in sushi burritos from United States Department of Agriculture.
Nutrients | Value |
Water (g) | 70.4 |
Energy (kCal) | 123 |
Energy (kJ) | 513 |
Protein (g) | 2.91 |
Total lipid (fat) (g) | 0.37 |
Ash (g) | 0.3 |
Carbohydrate (g) | 26 |
Fiber (total dietary) (g) | 0.9 |
Sugars (g) | 0.11 |
Sucrose (g) | 0.08 |
Glucose (g) | 0.01 |
Fructose (g) | 0.02 |
Calcium (mg) | 19 |
Iron (mg) | 1.81 |
Magnesium (mg) | 9 |
Phosphorus (mg) | 55 |
Potassium (mg) | 56 |
Sodium (mg) | 2 |
Zinc (mg) | 0.37 |
Copper (mg) | 0.07 |
Manganese (mg) | 0.354 |
Selenium (µg) | 9.3 |
Thiamine (mg) | 0.212 |
Riboflavin (mg) | 0.019 |
Niacin (mg) | 2.31 |
Pantothenic acid (mg) | 0.323 |
Vitamin B6 (mg) | 0.156 |
Folic acid (µg) | 79 |
Folate (total) (µg) | 81 |
Folate (food) (µg) | 3 |
Choline (mg) | 2.1 |
Folate (DFE) (µg) | 136 |
Are There Any Calories In A Sushi Burrito?
Calories refer to the energy you get from what you eat and drink. The amount of calories the body requires per day is between 1,600 to 3,000. Having enough calories in your body will help you stay active throughout the day.
The human body needs energy to function. Without enough energy, you won’t be able to do much. Sushi burrito comes in different flavors and fillings. Below are the calories present in some of its fillings and flavors.
Fillings | Calories |
1 burrito | 486 |
Afc Sushi (9.5oz) | 500 |
Sushi (2 pieces) | 610 |
Lucky (1 container) | 520 |
Jasmine (1 cup) | 340 |
HEB Volcano burrito (1) | 730 |
Loblaws veggie sushi burrito (1pkg) | 420 |
Sushi burrito tuna and salmon (372g) | 420 |
Veggie sushi burrito (1 roll) | 720 |
What Does A Sushi Burrito Do To Your Health?
Below are the benefits of a sushi burrito:
- Brain food: Fish is the number one food for the brain. Almost all sushi burritos contain fish, which has Omega-3 fatty acids that repair and nourish the brain cells. Fish is also rich in protein which helps retain energy, improves alertness, and increases concentration. All these benefits make a sushi burrito a perfect lunch for you.
- Heart health: Essential fats like Omega-3 can’t be made by the body, so you have to eat foods that contain them, such as fish. Omega-3 reduces the risk of heart disease, high cholesterol levels, and inflammation. They lower triglycerides and maintain blood pressure and heart rhythm.
- Memory booster: Also, omega-3 helps to boost memory and cognitive functions. In light of this, eating a sushi burrito is recommended for everyone.
- Muscle repair: A sushi burrito is a great source of protein, which helps with muscle repair.
- Wrinkle prevention: Asides from Omega-3 and protein, sushi burrito has other nutrients like carotene, Vitamin A and C, Retinol, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, zinc, and calcium, which deal with wrinkles and fine lines. Vitamins A and C are most common in a vegan sushi burrito.
- Mood stability: Regular eating of sushi burritos will help maintain the moods of people with bipolar disorders and psychosis because of its richness in Omega-3 fish oils.
- Prevention of obesity: Kombu, wakame, nori, etc., are seaweed commonly found in sushi burritos. These sea vegetables are rich in iodine. Iodine is useful in preventing low thyroid function or hypothyroidism, which, if not controlled, can result in obesity.
What Drinks Go With A Sushi Burrito?
Some drink accompaniments for sushi burritos are;
Sake
also known as Japanese rice wine, Sake is produced by fermenting polished rice. In the brewing process, starch is converted to sugar which eventually turns to alcohol. Its alcohol level is 15% to 22%.
Beer
Beer is the oldest and most consumed alcohol. Beer is produced through brewing and fermentation. Brewing and fermenting starch sugars result in ethanol and carbon distilled into cans or bottles.
Prosecco
Prosecco is a sparkling white wine with citrus and floral aromas. It enhances food taste instead of overshadowing it and possesses less fizz than other white wines.
The citrus palate in Prosecco is needed to calm the sweet and spicy flavor of the sushi burrito. When you pair your sushi burrito with prosecco, you will enjoy an outburst of savory, fruity, and spicy flavors.
Sauvignon Blanc
This light-bodied wine fits a sushi burrito perfectly. It complements the aroma and enhances the enjoyment of every bite. Due to its bright acidity, it neutralizes the saltiness of soy sauce.
Riesling
You have to go with Riesling if you are settling for a spicy sushi burrito. It is a dry wine from Germany, made from fruits peculiar to that location.
According to enthusiasts of spicy foods, this wine makes a great complement to a spicy sushi burrito due to its freshness and sweetness.
Champagne
Champagne was first made in France, champagne is most used during celebrations. However, it isn’t limited to that. This exquisite wine pairs greatly with sushi.
The bubbles enhance the taste of the raw fish in the sushi burrito’s filling. It’s advised you go for nature and extra brut champagne as they have low sugar levels and allow you to savor the flavor of the fish.
Summary
In need of a healthy and filling food fusion, or do you want to turn your diet up a notch? Try a sushi burrito. You can get it in a fast-food restaurant or prepare it at home.
This mouthwatering American-Japanese delicacy will do awesome things to your tastebuds. What’s more? It pairs well with any filling of your choice.