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Kanpyo


Kanpyo making (from Fifty-Three Stages of the Tokaido by Ando Hiroshige, 1833)

Kanpyo is a traditional ingredient used in sushi rolls. It is made from dried gourd (yugao: Lagenaria siceraria var. hispida) shavings. Tochigi prefecture is known to produce most kanpyo in Japan.


Yugao fruits and flower

To prepare, first you soak it in hot water until the water is cold, then wash it with salt and rinse in warm water, and drain. It can be cooked in many different ways, but for sushi rolls, it's usually cooked it in a mixture of fish broth, soy sauce, sake and sugar.


Kanpyo

It is said that you can tell how good the sushi restaurant is by having tamago (egg custard) and kanpyo maki.