Gunkan sushi, also known as battleship sushi or gunkan maki, is a typical and popular type of sushi. The nori seaweed is wrapped around the rice with the ingredients featured front and centre on top to create delicious and appetising one-bite sushi. Discover how to make gunkan sushi here and the many topping variations you can try!
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What is Gunkan Sushi
Gunkan sushi is a type of sushi that consists of a small, oval-shaped mound of sushi rice wrapped in a strip of nori seaweed and topped with various ingredients. The name ‘gunkan’ means ‘battleship’ or ‘warship’ in Japanese, which refers to the shape of the sushi resembling a battleship with its rice mound and seaweed wrap.
Gunkan sushi is often used to hold ingredients that are difficult to wrap in a traditional sushi roll, such as fish roe (ikura), sea urchin (uni), or chopped sashimi. The seaweed wrap helps to contain the ingredients and prevent them from falling apart. The ingredients placed on top also creates makes this sushi very visually appealing.
Gunkan sushi has similarities with traditional nigiri as both are a type of hand-formed sushi and have the fish and other ingredients on top rather than inside the sushi. However gunkan sushi uses nori (seaweed) whereas nigiri generally does not. Gunkan sushi also uses fish and other ingredients that are chopped or mixed with something else while nigiri features just one solid piece of fish.
Gunkan sushi is a popular choice for those who love the combination of different textures and flavors in a single bite. The small size of the sushi makes it easy to eat in one bite and makes it ideal for serving as an appetizer or part of a sushi platter.
History of Gunkan Sushi
Gunkan sushi originated in Japan in the early 20th century and was created by a sushi chef at a sushi restaurant called “Kyubei” in Ginza, Tokyo. It was introduced as a way to serve and showcase ingredients that were difficult to incorporate into traditional sushi rolls like ikura (salmon roe) and uni (sea urchin).
The concept of wrapping sushi rice in seaweed and topping it with various ingredients was a creative innovation that quickly gained popularity. The unique shape of the sushi, resembling a warship, is what gave it the name ‘gunkanmaki’.
Over time, gunkan sushi has evolved to include a wide variety of toppings, ranging from traditional ingredients like fish roe and sea urchin to more modern variations like spicy tuna, shrimp mayo, and corn.
Ingredients You Will Need
To make delicious gunkan sushi at home, you will need the following ingredients:
- Sushi rice: Sushi rice is a short-grain rice that has been seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Learn how to make perfect sushi rice with my recipe here.
- Nori (seaweed): Nori seaweed sheets are made from edible seaweed that has been dried and pressed into thin sheets. For gunkan maki, the nori is cut into strips and the strip of nori is wrapped around the base of the sushi.
- Toppings: When it comes to toppings for gunkan sushi, the possibilities are endless. Popular options include raw fish such as salmon or tuna, roe like tobiko (flying fish roe) or ikura (salmon roe) or masago (capelin roe), cooked seafood like shrimp or eel, and even vegetarian options like natto and corn mayo. See below for more gunkan sushi toppings.
- Condiments: Soy sauce for dipping the sushi. Japanese Mayonnaise for making toppings.
- Wasabi and Gari (pickled slices of ginger): Optional, but commonly served with sushi for added flavor.
Step by Step Cooking Instruction
Follow these step-by-step instructions to make gunkan sushi at home:
- Cooking sushi rice: make the rice following my perfect sushi rice instructions. Make small cylinder shape sushi rice balls, each about 0.7 oz (20g) of sushi rice, and set them aside.
- Prepare your prefered toppings: for this recipe, I prepared natto and corn mayo. There are more toppings suggestions below.
- Cut nori seaweed sheets: seaweed sheets have lines about 1.25 inch (3cm) intervals. Cut nori sheets along those lines. You should be able to cut 6 strips of nori sheets.
- As shown in the image below, start wrapping the seaweed at about one-third of the long side of the rice ball, go around the fourth corner, and make the straight line where the seaweed and rice meet as long as possible. That’s it. This will make it easier for the seaweed to adhere to the shari balls. Wet or place one cooked rice grain on the start and end of the nori where they overlap to glue them together to seal.
- Press down the middle of the sushi rice to make a shallow well. Place your desired toppings in the well, filling it to the top of the nori sheet.
- Repeat the process with the remaining nori sheets and toppings.
- Serve the gunkan sushi with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
Tips for Perfecting Your Gunkan Sushi
- Use fresh, high-quality ingredients for the best flavor and texture.
- If you use raw fish for your toppings like fresh salmon or tuna make sure it is sashimi grade.
- Wet your hands with water before handling the sushi rice to prevent it from sticking to your fingers.
- Be gentle when pressing the rice to make indentation (step (5) in instructions). This step makes clean and beautiful gunkan sushi.
- Be cautious of the side of nori sheets that you wrap around the rice balls. Make sure the shiny side is on the outside.
- Practice makes perfect! Don’t worry if your first few attempts don’t turn out perfectly. With time and practice, you’ll become a gunkan sushi master.
Gunkan Sushi Toppings
Traditional gunkan sushi is typically topped with fish roe, sea urchin, or chopped sashimi but there are endless creative variations you can try to suit your taste. Here are a few ideas to inspire you:
- Spicy tuna: Mix diced tuna (or canned tuna if you don’t like raw fish) with spicy mayo and top it with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
- Tuna Mayo: combine a can of tuna with Japanese mayonnaise.
- Shrimp mayo: mix cooked and chopped up shrimp with Japanese mayonnaise.
- Sea scallops: chop up the scallops into little pieces to put on top of the sushi.
- Vegetarian toppings: Natto and corn mayo are two typical types of vegetarian gunkan sushi.
- Garnishes: slice avocado and cucumber into thin strips and use them alongside the other toppings for added colour and flavor. Shiso leaves can also be used.
Feel free to get creative and customize to make delicious sushi with your favorite ingredients and flavors!
What to Serve Gunkan Sushi With
Gunkan sushi pairs well with a variety of side dishes and beverages. Here are some ideas to serve with your gunkan sushi:
- Miso soup: A classic Japanese soup made with soybean paste, tofu, and seaweed.
- Edamame: Steamed or boiled soybeans sprinkled with sea salt.
- Gyoza: Japanese dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables, pan-fried until crispy.
- Seaweed salad: A refreshing salad made with various types of seaweed and a tangy dressing.
- Green tea and Hojicha: These teas complement the flavors of sushi.
Related Recipes
Gunkan Sushi (Battleship Sushi)
Ingredients
- 2 cups Sushi rice *or 8.5oz/240g
- 1 baby cucumber
- 1 pack Natto
- ½ cup Corn kernels *or 2.5oz/70g
- 2 sheets Nori seaweed sheets
Instructions
Cooking sushi rice
- Cook sushi rice. *1
- Once the sushi rice is made, make 12 small cylinder shape sushi rice balls, each about 0.7 oz (20g) of sushi rice, and set them aside. *2
Prepare toppings and Nori sheets
- For this recipe, I prepared natto and corn mayo.
- Slice the baby cucumber thinly.
- Unpack the natto. Mix the sauce sachet and mustard that comes with the natto into the natto and stir vigorously. Set it aside.
- Mix corn kernels and the Japanese mayonnaise. Set it aside.
- Cut nori seaweed sheets: seaweed sheets have lines about 1.25 inch (3cm) intervals. Cut nori sheets along those lines. You should be able to cut 6 strips of nori sheets.
Assembling
- Start wrapping the seaweed at about one-third of the long side of the rice ball, go around the fourth corner, and make the straight line where the seaweed and rice meet as long as possible.
- Seal the end of the nori sheet together by wetting one end with water or vinegar or place one cooked rice grain on the start and end of the nori sheet where they overlap to glue them together.
- Press down the middle of the sushi rice to make a shallow well. Place two sliced cucumber on one side, and desired toppings in the well, filling it to the top of the nori sheet.
- Repeat the process with the remaining nori sheets and toppings.
- Serve the gunkan sushi with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger.
These turned out delicious and were so easy to make!
Thank you Lindsay <3