Sushi for Kids

If you know me at all, you know I love sushi. That salty-fishy-yumminess is music to my tongue and I can’t get enough of it. So of course, I passed this adoration down to my eager son not long ago, taking him to sushi restos in Toronto and letting him pick whatever vegetarian options he wanted.

Turns out he’s a huge fan of the avocado/cucumber rolls, the miso soup and the veggie tempura. Dipping each piece of sushi in a small bowl of soy sauce and attempting to eat with those slippery, flingable chopsticks is a fun evening for him. I can’t say I blame him. Like I said, I love it.

So one Sunday recently we decided to make our own at home. For no other reason than we could and that we wanted to. It was messy and fun and an interesting way to spend a few hours. He tasted every ingredient raw and on it’s own (from cucumber and deep fried onion flakes to smoked salmon and cooked shrimp) and then decided what he wanted rolled up in with his rice and nori (which he insisted on pronouncing “nor-eat” for a while).

Even if you leave out the cooked fish and opt for wholly vegetarian sushi at home, I recommend trying this out with your kids. It shows them how a certain type of food is made, gives them an appreciation for the making of it and teaches them about the different ingredients and flavours. All in all, very educational…and truly a delicious afternoon.

Photos by John-Marc Hamilton