Serves 6
Maki is rolled sushi, basically rice wrapped in seaweed, usually with some sort of filling in the center. Here we’ve stripped the maki down to its essence: seaweed, soy sauce, and rice. We print pictures of sushi on edible rice paper. Then we steam the back and coat it with our “sushi powder,” made with kombu and soy sauce, so you have all the flavors of the maki in one crisp bite.
When you put that thing on your tongue, the taste is so refined and intense. Would I eat a whole bowlful of paper? Probably not—but this is fun.
1 sheet edible rice paper for printing (see Sources, here)
Printer and ink for edible printing (see Sources, here)
Handheld steamer (optional)
Print 6 pictures of individual pieces of maki on the sheet of edible rice paper. Reserve.
Break up the kombu into small pieces and put it in a clean spice grinder. Grind to make a fine powder. Put 15 grams of kombu powder in a small bowl and add the soy sauce powder. Whisk to blend well to make the sushi powder.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Lay the edible maki pictures, image side down, on the parchment. Steam the paper with a handheld steamer or brush the back of the paper lightly with boiling water to soften the top layer and make it sticky. Use a small strainer to dust the sushi powder onto the back of the paper. Put another sheet of parchment paper on top of the seasoned paper and place a cutting board on top of the parchment to press the paper. Once the paper is dry (after 20 to 30 minutes) use a paper cutter or sharp knife to cut out the photos into individual bites.
Use a magnet or place card holder to display each piece of 2-D Maki and serve.