Cucumber roll (kappa-maki)
Cucumber is a summer vegetable, but these days hothouse-grow specimens are available all your round, and thus so is the kappa-maki roll. Once rolled using thick cucumbers cut into thin strips, in more recent years visual appeal has trumped taste, leading to the use of small, whole hothouse-grown cucumbers that provide an attractive cut surface. The cucumber is complemented perfectly by the likes of toasted sesame and shiso leaves, which add a further flavor dimension to the agreeable crispness and invigorating flavor of the cucumber, making kappa-maki a popular final palate-refresher for a sushi meal.