The Vancouver Chef Who Invented the Worst Sushi Roll Has Been Honoured By Japan’s Government

Look, I don’t want to argue about this but the California roll is definitively the worst of all available sushi rolls. There’s a reason it’s found in every bento box and discount supermarket—it’s made for people who don’t like sushi.

ANYWAYS, I just learned it has a lot in common with other things I don’t enjoy (basketball, instant mashed potatoes, steam-powered foghorns)—it was a Canadian invention.

Yes, the confusingly-named California roll, that seaweed and rice wrap of cucumber (a terrible vegetable when it is not a pickle), avocado (a decent fruit) and crab (nearly always the imitation kind), was not first made in the 19th-century Osaka, but instead in late 20th-century Vancouver by Chef Hidekazu Tojo.

Now Tojo, who was raised and trained in Japan before moving to Canada in the 70s, is being honoured by his home country, which has tapped him to be a goodwill ambassador for Japanese cuisine. There are only 13 of these folks overseas, so it’s a pretty prestigious honour. You go, Tojo.

Tojo also invented the BC roll (that’s barbecued salmon and cucumber) which has been hailed by many for its geographical correctness.

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