Colorful flavorful wraps enhance sushi

[Gifted Gourmet]

source from last summer:

Sushi appetizers at neighborhood sushi restaurants might soon be served in brightly colored wrappers made from familiar vegetables and fruits, offering a fresh alternative to the traditional seaweed...  Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are experimenting with dozens of delicious, attractively colored wraps. For example, they've tested a bright-orange carrot-based wrap to encircle a cucumber, garlic and rice filling, and a deep-red tomato and basil wrap to hold a spicy tuna and rice filling.

Currently: from Frieda's website

These little, square wraps are brimming with color and are the perfect canvas for any chef’s creativity…whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a curious novice.  Frieda’s Colored Sushi Wraps are paper thin and extremely flexible but don’t think for a second that they won’t stand up to the rolling and wrapping. The wraps offer an amazing combination of strength and durability and are ready to create ...

Question for you: is this something desirable? I always think that the natural colors of foods, especially sushi, are appetizing in their own simple and pristine way .. or am I alone in not finding color wraps an interesting phenomenon?

[mizducky]

I have such mixed feelings about this. I am actually intrigued by the idea of these wraps. I do happen to be looking for more interesting ways to do vegetable-on-vegetable dishes, and these would help.

However: I confess I'm kind of suspicious about how I had to read, like, 3/4 of the way down the USDA press release to find any mention whatosever about how the danged things taste, and then it was just the vague adjective "tasty." I can't help thinking that if the things did taste good they'd have dedicated as much verbiage to that as they did to the new products' flexibility and colorfulness.

[Radio7]

There's a sushi place in Brentwood, CA that has some rolls wrapped in a thin strip of cucumber. Tastes good to me; I'd try these new ones.

[BarbaraY]

Spare me!

There is plenty of variety in sushi without using these weird looking things. Not at all interested in this but would try it if someone offered me one.

[mark922]

source from last summer:

Sushi appetizers at neighborhood sushi restaurants might soon be served in brightly colored wrappers made from familiar vegetables and fruits, offering a fresh alternative to the traditional seaweed...  Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are experimenting with dozens of delicious, attractively colored wraps. For example, they've tested a bright-orange carrot-based wrap to encircle a cucumber, garlic and rice filling, and a deep-red tomato and basil wrap to hold a spicy tuna and rice filling.

Currently: from Frieda's website

These little, square wraps are brimming with color and are the perfect canvas for any chef’s creativity…whether you’re a seasoned veteran or a curious novice.  Frieda’s Colored Sushi Wraps are paper thin and extremely flexible but don’t think for a second that they won’t stand up to the rolling and wrapping. The wraps offer an amazing combination of strength and durability and are ready to create ...

Question for you: is this something desirable? I always think that the natural colors of foods, especially sushi, are appetizing in their own simple and pristine way .. or am I alone in not finding color wraps an interesting phenomenon?

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My wife and daughter love nigiri sushi, and are both intrigued by the contents of many of the maki sushi I enjoy, but they cannot stand the taste and texture of nori. These new wraps sound like they're made to order for them and others who feel the same about nori.

If it weren't for adaptation and innovation in cuisine, we'd still be eating unseasoned small creatures charred on an open fire and little else.

[torakris]

I tasted something very similar to this at Tokyo's Foodex last month, they were awful.

It was a Japanese company making them and they weren't using them as sushi wrappers (I don't think that would go well over here) rather they were wrapping up vegetables. Sort of like fresh spring rolls. I remember they had an orange one made with orange colored vegetables and a green one made with green colored vegetables, they also had one made from brown rice. I tried all three and couldn't detect any flavor, they were quite dry and sort of tasted like cardboard.

[racheld]

I've nothing to add re: wraps except that you have to take a look over on the "Regrettable Foods" thread---post #426.

Some enterprising chef has spelled out "Buon Compleanos" INSIDE the rice---not on top. The nori is twisted into the letters and goes all the way through---I asked.

[Sam Salmon]

One wrap that does work and is somewhat Sushi-centric already is a very very thin omelet as done by Tojo's

Also mashed yam tempura is used on occasion-quite flavourful.

[UnConundrum]

We've encountered pink and yellow soybean based "nori" used on what the itamae considered high end maki. Not sure it's what you've described, but this stuff is called mamenori. It can be purchased at several online sources, like THIS ONE, but it's much more expensive than the normal nori. This stuff is sold in foil packets of 20 sheets for about $16. I've never noticed a different taste to it, but it is much more tender and almost melts in your mouth.

[SheenaGreena]

sounds fun to me....on a similar note, I remember in the mid 90's in Seoul everyone was really into gold leafing and chefs would wrap kimbop in gold leaf. Personally I enjoy the taste of seaweed.

However I think natural vegetables/ingredients would only enhance the flavor of the sushi. Sounds yummy

[PatyGirl]

I've also seen thin cucumber slices being used as wraps, and also very thin slices of carrot.They both look beautiful, but I imagine the carrot ones must be a nightmare to work with. How flexible can they be?

I'd love to try the omelet ones!

[SuzySushi]

I've also seen thin cucumber slices being used as wraps, and also very thin slices of carrot.They both look beautiful, but I imagine the carrot ones must be a nightmare to work with. How flexible can they be? 

I'd love to try the omelet ones!

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The carrots are actually pretty flexible. They're generally soaked in saltwater and/or a vinegar dressing to soften them first.