Sesame Seeds

Used optionally around the outside of California Rolls, these seeds have excellent nutritional value, and add a wonderful flavour and appearance to California Rolls. They are high in calories, but they are good calories.

Avoid using them if you know one of your guests has a nut allergy. Instead you could use "Tobiko" - (flying fish roe), available from Japanese food stores this give a beautiful bright orange colour to the California roll and an enhanced flavour of the sea!

However, my advice is to do a couple of rolls with, and a couple of rolls without, and let people choose.

 

Preparation For California Rolls

The full flavour really comes out of sesame seeds when they are toasted. You can buy pre-toasted sesame seeds, or alternatively, buy the salad type and toast them yourself under the grill or in a dry frying pan, until they are just beginning to brown. Spread them in an even layer as in the picture.

Advice: remove them from the grill just a little before they are at optimum 'browness' ... because of the oil content they continue to roast after you take them out of the heat.

When the sesame seeds are cool, you roll the California rolls over the layer of seeds, and they stick to the rice.