I’ve shared a collection of traditional sushi recipes that the Japanese make at home, such as Inari Sushi, Futomaki, Temaki (Hand Roll Sushi), and Chirashi Sushi. Today, I’m excited to share a modern take on sushi called Mosaic Sushi (モザイク寿司). Look at the colorful toppings and the aesthetic display! Isn’t it a beautiful piece of edible art?
What is Mosaic Sushi?
Mosaic Sushi, or what we call Mozaiku Sushi (モザイク寿司), earned its Instagram fame in Japan back in 2016. I don’t know who or what company started this craze, but it was a huge sensation! As the name suggests, Mosaic Sushi is made of sushi rice topped with a striking array of ingredients like sashimi, tamagoyaki (sweet rolled omelette), vegetables, and fish roe in a checkerboard pattern. The method of making this modern-style sushi is similar to Oshizushi (Pressed Sushi) and Chirashi Sushi. Judging by the delicate presentation, Mosaic Sushi might look like a lot of work, but it’s really not, especially the way I make it. After a few runs of recipe testing, I figured out a couple of easy tricks that work like a charm. So, you don’t need any special skill other than a keen eye for color and patterns. Ready to try your hand at making this decorated tray of sushi?
Ingredients for Mosaic Sushi
For the Sushi Rice
Japanese short-grain rice (cooked) — When you make sushi, you really have to get Japanese short-grain rice. No exceptions. You can use Korean short-grain rice as it is the closest to Japanese variety. Do not use jasmine rice, etc. Sushi vinegar — It’s a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. White sesame seeds
For the Toppings
- Choose your combination of toppings based on visual appeal, seasonality, and your dietary preferences. The ingredients that I used for this recipe are in bold.
Sashimi-grade fish — salmon, tuna (otoro), scallop, squid, shrimp (amaebi and cooked), kanpachi, tai, surf clam (hokkigai), ikura, tobiko Cooked fish — smoked salmon (top with capers), unagi (grilled eel), Salmon Flakes Cooked meat — seasoned thinly sliced meat or ground meat (check out Soboro) Eggs — Tamagoyaki (Japanese sweet rolled omelette), usuyaki tamago (thin omelette), Kinshi Tamago (shredded omelette) Cucumber slices Red radish slices Green peas Opened snap peas Blanched asparagus Sakura denbu (pink colored cod flakes) Garnish — parsley leaf, kinome leaf, sliced blanched okra, chives, yuzu zest, lemon slice, edible flower, gold leaf flakes
How to Make Mosaic Sushi
3 Tips to Make Vegan Mosaic Sushi
If you’re vegetarian or vegan, you can still enjoy Mosaic Sushi with colorful plant-based ingredients! The three most important things about vegan Mosaic Sushi are the color, texture, and flavor. Be careful with your seasoning or when marinating with any condiments as we want to preserve the fresh bright color of the vegetables. My recommendations are lightly seasoned vegetables and pickled vegetables.
Vegan-Friendly Toppings
- The ingredients that I used for this recipe are in bold.
Cucumber slices Opened snap peas Blanched asparagus Blanched green peas Opened okra Avocado (sliced) Julienned shiso leaves Red radish slices Watermelon radish slices Daikon (sliced) Kuromame (Sweetened Black Soybeans) Carrot namul (I used this recipe) Various Japanese pickles from Japanese grocery stores, including Umeboshi (Japanese pickled plums) Inariage (Seasoned Fried Tofu Pouch)
Garnish options
Kinome leaves Chives Lemon slices Yuzu Zest Blanched okra slices Watermelon radish cutouts Edible gold leaf flakes
Mosaic Sushi Tricks and Techniques
The first (and more advanced) method requires layering the toppings and rice in reverse order in an oshibako (wooden sushi compressor), then cutting the whole composed sushi in a checkerboard pattern with a sharp knife. The second (and more common) method requires compressing the sushi rice in a container lined with plastic and then cutting it. While this method is easier than the advanced method, you still need a very sharp knife to cut the sushi cubes cleanly. I have pretty sharp knives, but still, I struggled a little when cutting the sushi rice block into nice, sharp-cornered cubes. Luckily, persistence and keen observation pay off. I’m happy to say that I’ve figured out two cool tricks!
Trick 1: Parchment Paper
This was in fact the final trick that solved the puzzle: Line the bottom of the container with parchment paper. When the sushi rice is compressed in the container, the rice sticks to the bottom and it is extremely hard to pick up a cube of sushi with chopsticks. You could end up with the toppings but only a partial cube of sushi rice. With the parchment paper lining the bottom, you can pick up the entire cubed sushi with the topping on top! Problem solved!
Trick 2: A Dough Scraper
When you pack the sushi rice into the container, it should be tightly packed, but the grains should not be mashed. I used a dough scraper for this and it works perfectly. You just have to wet the scraper with water every time you use it. Then, use a dough scraper to cut the compressed sushi rice INSIDE the container. The width of the cube size should be somewhere between 1¼ inches (3 cm) to 1½ inches (4 cm). I used the 3.5 cm square for my container, yielding 25 cubes. This method makes so much more sense. Why would we take out the sushi rice from the container to cut with a knife and put it back inside the container so you can put the toppings on top? No need! Again, the parchment paper underneath this compressed sushi rice was the final key for this successful trick. Thanks to the parchment paper on the bottom, you can pick up the sushi cubes completely and easily with chopsticks! Now all you need to do is cut the topping ingredients (sashimi, vegetables, etc.) to cover the squares. Place each topping on the bed of sushi rice. Very easy!
5 Mosaic Sushi Tips
Besides the 2 tricks for this recipe that I mentioned above, here are a few things to keep in mind when you make mosaic sushi: Mosaic Sushi is indeed one of my newest sushi obsessions. Feel free to experiment with different toppings that you can think of! It is about the most fun you can have in the kitchen, so I hope you give this sushi a try.
Get Creative and Have Fun!
The beauty of this recipe is in its flexibility. The options for toppings are endless. You can customize this sushi to suit your aesthetic senses of color, shape, texture, and flavor. It’s highly adaptable to what’s in season and available in your local markets. You can also change up the toppings based on your dietary preferences. Above all, have fun with it. Get creative with different combinations of ingredients that appeal to you. You’re only limited by your imagination!
Readers’ Mosaic Sushi
Mosaic Sushi was the challenging recipe for JOC Cooking Challenge March 2022. Check out the beautiful mosaic sushi created by JOC readers!
More Sushi Recipes on JOC
California Roll Dragon Roll Spicy Tuna Roll Hosomaki (Thin Sushi Roll) Futomaki (Thick Sushi Roll) Inari Sushi Temaki Sushi (Hand Roll Sushi) Ultimate Sushi Guide: Sushi Types, Recipes & Etiquettes
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram. Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on March 1, 2022. It was republished on February 28, 2024.
