Is Kewpie or mayo better?

Kewpie is a Japanese mayo made with egg yolks, unlike American style mayo which is made with whole eggs. The egg yolks add a richer color and texture. Kewpie is also made with a mix of red wine and rice wine vinegar, instead of white vinegar like American style mayo. I like to use Kewpie but regular mayo works fine.

What is I can't find shredded nori?

No worries! I usually use shredded nori since it's easier, but I couldn't find it for these photos. Nori is a dried seaweed used in Japanese cooking.It often comes in sheets to use in sushi, but if you can find it shredded it's easier. It's marked as optional in this recipe, but does add nice crunch and color.

Furikake is a mixture of sesame seeds, seaweeds, herbs, fish flakes, and salt. It's commonly used in Japanese cooking to add flavor and nutrients to rice dishes. Furikake is versatile and can also be sprinkled on eggs, pizza, dips, and avocado toast. It's essential in this recipe as it adds umami flavor and texture to the dish so don't skip it!

Do you have to use fake crab?

California rolls typically have imitation crab which is a faux crab made from surimi, a paste made from fish, usually pollock. While there is no actual crab in surimi, the imitation crab is molded into the desired shape to give a crab like look and texture. If you are feeling bougie, you could use real crab in this recipe.

"California Roll" Macaroni Salad

Ingredients

Scale

2 cups of dried elbow macaroni
2 cups imitation crab/surimi
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 tbs sugar
1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup kewpie or mayo
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup shredded nori (optional)

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Instructions

Boil macaroni according to package directions. Drain and add to a large bowl. Add rice vinegar and sugar to macaroni and gently stir to combine. Let cool, about 15 minutes.
Once macaroni has cooled, stir in imitation crab, cucumber, mayo, salt, pepper, and lime juice. Cover and let sit in the fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
To serve, give another stir and top with furikake and nori if using. Enjoy!

Category: Appetizer