🍚 Kanpyo Nori Makizushi (‘Kanpyo’ Dried Gourd Strips Sushi Roll)

Kanpyo is a crucial ingredient for sushi rolls; it is simmered with sugar and soy sauce then rolled with rice alone or with omelette egg and cucumber. Kanpyo is a local specialty in Tochigi prefecture, which boasts more than 90% of its market. (researched by Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery in 2018) Kanpyo is made from ‘yugao'(moonflower) fruit cut into strip and dried. It is said that Dadateru Torii, Japanese Daimyo, got moonflower seeds when he moved from Koshu (currently Shiga Prefecture) to Mibu in current Tochigi Prefecture in 1712, then ordered local farmers to grow moonflowers to produce Kanpyo. The area of production has been expended to south-east Tochigi Prefecture like Kaminokawa machi, Koyama City, Simono City, Utsunomiya City, Moka City and Kanuma City since then. It goes well with various flavours, and is popular as an ingredient of sushi roll.