I first came across kampyo while living in Astoria at Go Wasabi. It was only a few blocks from our house, so we went there often. At the time, I was only eating vegetable sushi and the pickings are usually slim, so I choose everything veggie and I came across this interesting hosomaki that was sweet and savory all at the same time. The waiter had tried to explain what it was, but I didn't quite understand.
I recently found out that kampyo comes from the dried shavings of calabash, a gourd. As luck would have it, I managed to locate it in Sofia at Liu's, but it is not called kampyo, since Liu's is Chinese and kampyo is a Japanese word, unfortunately, I never made note of the Bulgarian translation.
Here is the recipe that I followed for making kampyo for hosomaki.
- 2 oz (50g) kampyo
- 1 cup water (or dashi)
- 5 tbsp Sugar
- 5 tbsp Mirin
- 4 tbsp Shoyu (soy sauce)
Wash the kampuo with water.
Rub with salt until soft. Rinse off in water. Soak in water for an hour.
Bring water to a boil and then drain.
Add water (or dashi). Cook until crisp-tender. Add sugar, mirin and shoyu. Cook over medium heat until the juices have evaporated.
Cool on a plate.
Roll the finished kampyo into sushi... or other desired use.
As I explore asian cuisine, I am sure I will come across other fantastic ways to incorporate kampyo. If you have any ideas or suggestions please share.
