Sushi Called "Chirashi-zushi"

This is called “Chirashi-zushi” that is a kind of sushi with soy sauce and a cup of Sakura-tea.  My grandmother used to make Chirashi-zushi like this.  I think the toppings and how to cut ingredients are different from family to family. 

I really hope people who have never seen or eaten Chirashi-zushi before think they want to eat the real one, after looking at my cookies.

I tried a lot of things for this challenge. 

Liquid food item:  Sakura-tea and soy sauce with gelatin 

Media:  royal icing, flower paste, gelatin, coke-gummy and colored sugar

These are the cookies I baked.  I made one square box, one tea cup and soy sauce dish with cookies.

Toppings:   

Shrimps, fish, Japanese mushrooms and peas (kinusaya) are icing transfer. Except the peas, I have painted them.  After they are dried completely, I put very thin gelatin (jelly) to make them shiny.    Melted coke-gummy is put on fish and mushrooms.  (My fish smells like coke....  funny)  Those are supposed to be sweet soy sauce.   

I colored melted gelatin with orange color and made salmon roe (caviar) (A)    I made shredded fried egg with flower paste (C)

(B) is soy sauce dish, I made soy sauce with gelatin colored with brown. 

Tea cup and Sakura-tea

We have salted sakura flower and put it in a cup and add hot water to enjoy the smell and sakura.     (A)  this is real one.

This is the bottom of my tea cup (right photo)

The side of the tea cup is decorated with flower (B)  After I took this photo, I made the edge flat with zester.  

I made Sakura with Sugarin flower paste that I got as a prize of Practice Bakes Perfect Challenge #35 ( https://cookieconnection.julia...t-challenge-35-recap)   (C)  I added a stem and some leaves after I took this photo.  This is the first time for me to make flower with flower paste.  It is fun, I actually enjoyed more than I thought.  This paste is miracle.  Even first time, I could make a flower!   After the flower and royal icing stem and leaves are dried, I added slightly pink colored gelatin.   Not to break the flower I added the the gelatin when it started to be set.  (right before it becomes to jelly)

Rice

I made a square box and covered with white icing.  It shouldn’t be perfect flat icing to make the rice look natural.   This is the first time for me to be able to make a perfect box, unfortunately this is covered with rice....

I also made Sakura-denbu.  We want to name pink colored thing “Sakura” so this is called Sakura-denbu because of the pink color.  Denbu is shredded fish.  (A) 

I made 3 different shades of pink powdered sugar and I added granulated sugar to make it a little sparkle. (C)  Manu showed us how to make colored sugar. 

Please refer to Felt technique by Manu  (how to color sugar)

https://cookieconnection.julia...hug-for-a-cookie-mug

(B) is real steamed rice with Sakura-denbu   My grandmother used to put this pink Sakura-denbu for us, Sakura-denbu is sweet. 

It took days for me to pipe all these grains one by one.  This is not white, I added a little brown and grey color to make them look real.   I painted very very think gelatin to make the rice a little shiny.  This square shaped rice looks so perfect for me and I thought I could even post as a finished cookie.   😁
This is very basic thing but when we make colored icing, we need to prepare more than enough.  I know this, but I thought I could make the same colored icing for these grains but actually I couldn't.  Obviously I didn't make enough colored icing, the color of grains is slightly different from some point.... 😱

I put my pink colored sugar on my rice

These are my cookies from different angle.

To study real Chirashi-zushi, I went to buy one to supermarket, well that’s faster than I cook.  I study them really carefully and took photos of each ingredients before I ate them!

Well, so would you like to eat real Chirashi-zushi someday? 

Wow! This is amazing- thank you for the amount of detailed pictures- the rice is crazy awesome! And your shrimp is incredibly relaistic!

Amazing!  My husband frequently orders chirashi and this looks just like it.

@sylviawilson posted:

Wow! This is amazing- thank you for the amount of detailed pictures- the rice is crazy awesome! And your shrimp is incredibly relaistic!

Hi @sylviawilson, thank you.    I thought I was crazy to make those rice.... 😄  Shrimp, it took so long to paint but I am very happy to read your comment, thank you again. 

@Econlady posted:

Amazing!  My husband frequently orders chirashi and this looks just like it.

Wow, you know chirashi, that makes me really happy.  Thank you, @Econlady

Wonderful! So many fantastic techniques, so well done! The salmon roe, though - how did you shape the gelatin into little beads!

@Icingsugarkeks posted:

Hello Ryoko, first of allhappy birthday !!! I wish you all the best, but above all health !!
Your contribution is again "real Ryoko" - sensational !!
This is a perfect tutorial !! I love it and really appreciate your work with it !!! Thank you so very, very much dear Ryoko !! ❤️😘  @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.

Stay safe and well !!!!!

 

Hi Gabi, there!  Oh, thank you, yes it's my B-day today.   I really did my best for this challenge and I am glad I didn't break anything before I took photos.  

Stay safe, Gabi.

Brilliant, Ryoko! So many great ideas. I love them all.

@Julia M. Usher posted:

Wonderful! So many fantastic techniques, so well done! The salmon roe, though - how did you shape the gelatin into little beads!

Actually, I hoped somebody asked me, @Julia M. Usher  I was wondering my explanation is already very long....  

This is not my idea, I googled how to make these beads with gelatin.  Unfortunately I don't know who found this originally, there are many gelatin beads on internet. 

1.  prepare oil in a cup (mine is 200cc cup) and put into freezer over night, it said so, so I did but my oil became solid, that shouldn't be.  I waited until it melted.  But to keep it cold, I put ice around the cup while I was working. 

2.  make colored gelatin and while it is liquid, drop one by one into cold oil, if you want to make a bigger bead, just add one more drop right after the first one

3  take out beads from oil and rinse with cold water  

You know why oil works, (I don't know) what I know is cold water instead of oil doesn't work.  I know, because I tried, I was really curious.  

It says you can make any kinds of beads such as coffee taste....  and add to your cold dessert.   this is fun, Julia.  

Instead of gelatin, I used the one with alga, alga is easy to become solid with room temperature.  

@Aproned Artist posted:

Brilliant, Ryoko! So many great ideas. I love them all.

Hi Samantha, @Aproned Artist  Thank you.  I couldn't make small ones like you do, mines are pretty big.....  even the size is real

リョウコさん、素晴らしすぎるテクニックの数々、共有してくださりありがとうございます！一瞬本物かと思いました（今でも信じられないです✨）まさかのコーラグミが登場するとは！！エビのペイントもそう、いくらも、お魚の照り具合も、サクラ茶も、どれも完璧で驚くばかりです！米粒も大変な作業だったでしょう。本当に素晴らしいアーティストリョウコさん！出会えて光栄です❤️

@CHIKAKO.F posted:

リョウコさん、素晴らしすぎるテクニックの数々、共有してくださりありがとうございます！一瞬本物かと思いました（今でも信じられないです✨）まさかのコーラグミが登場するとは！！エビのペイントもそう、いくらも、お魚の照り具合も、サクラ茶も、どれも完璧で驚くばかりです！米粒も大変な作業だったでしょう。本当に素晴らしいアーティストリョウコさん！出会えて光栄です❤️

ちかさん、ありがとう。流石に、米粒を作ってる間はお米を食べる気がせず、ずっとパンでした。　お魚と椎茸がコーラの香りで、不思議ですが。。。　いやぁ、苦労しました。

Thank you, @CHIKAKO.F  While I making these grains of rice, I didn't feel like eating rice at all, I had bread straight.  It is very strange that my fish and mushroom smell coke.  I had lots of difficulties to make these. 

This is so magical!!

That's amazing @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.!!👏

@Kim Damon posted:

This is so magical!!

Hi, Kim  thank you

Stay safe @Kim Damon

@MANUELA CANTÙ posted:

That's amazing @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.!!👏

Thank you, @MANUELA CANTÙ

Incredible! Thank you so much for all of the details!

Oh wow, Ryoko!!! You excelled in this presentation! It is amazing to see all the different techniques you used and so ingeniously too. Amazing work👏👏👏🥰

Wow, Ryoko this is incredible, amazing 🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍. It looks so real. I don't know how this dish looks like, because I never had one myself, but I know the ingredients and they look fantastic. How much effort you put in this bit was 100% worthy. 💖❤️💗

And happy birthday again what a wonderful way to celebrate, with Chirashi-zushi 😀🎂🎁🎊🥂🍾

@LisaF posted:

Incredible! Thank you so much for all of the details!

Thank you, @LisaF 

@Heather Bruce Sosa posted:

Oh wow, Ryoko!!! You excelled in this presentation! It is amazing to see all the different techniques you used and so ingeniously too. Amazing work👏👏👏🥰

Hi Heather!  Thank you 🌸

@carouselselsel posted:

Wow, Ryoko this is incredible, amazing 🤩🤩🤩😍😍😍. It looks so real. I don't know how this dish looks like, because I never had one myself, but I know the ingredients and they look fantastic. How much effort you put in this bit was 100% worthy. 💖❤️💗

And happy birthday again what a wonderful way to celebrate, with Chirashi-zushi 😀🎂🎁🎊🥂🍾

Hi Zara @carouselselsel    As you say, my grandmother used to make Chirashi-zushi for special occasions such as B-day or any special days when many people gather.  It was really fun to help her when she made and we were very happy.   

Amazing details and tutorial! It looks so real! 

@Manu biscotti decorati posted:

Amazing details and tutorial! It looks so real! 

Oh, thank you, Manu.  I thought I was going to make something totally different from this sushi and actually I bought all real ingredients to study, but somehow I didn't feel like starting making cookies.  While I was writing you, suddenly I thought.... I'm a Japanese, I should make something Japanese and introduce a little about our culture.   The idea dragged me out from watching TV endlessly.  Thanks to you, @Manu biscotti decorati  

After I saw your non-entry cookies, I thought I should have made sushi and put them in a sushi box..... that might be really fun.

By the way, it was a lot of fun to do many experiments while making this set and it was interesting to color sugar.  

Perfectly done dear Ryoko! ❤️

@Dolce Flo posted:

Perfectly done dear Ryoko! ❤️

Hi Filomena, grazie mia amica (did I say right?)  

Absolutely amazing  @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.!!! Thank you so much for the detailed explanation about the cultural aspect of what you designed out of cookies and other edible elements . I love your creativity in using gelatin, isomalt, flower paste, colored sugar and gummy candies.

All your planning and hard work really shows! I always get excited to read about your projects and understand the thinking behind what you've made. Fabulous work my dear cookie friend ❤️❤️. Stay safe and well

My husband was disappointed when he realized I was talking about a cookie and nit the real thing.

@Cookies Fantastique posted:

Absolutely amazing  @Ryoko ~Cookie Ave.!!! Thank you so much for the detailed explanation about the cultural aspect of what you designed out of cookies and other edible elements . I love your creativity in using gelatin, isomalt, flower paste, colored sugar and gummy candies.

All your planning and hard work really shows! I always get excited to read about your projects and understand the thinking behind what you've made. Fabulous work my dear cookie friend ❤️❤️. Stay safe and well

Hi Carol.  Thank you💕  Chirashi-zushi reminds me grandmother who used to make one for us in special occasions, or gatherings....  we were all excited to see many ingredients on rice....  we put some sugar and vinegar on hot-steamed rice and we fan rice with paper-fan, that makes rice shiny.  

Stay home and stay safe, Carol, @Cookies Fantastique

@Econlady posted:

My husband was disappointed when he realized I was talking about a cookie and nit the real thing.

🤣🤣😄have you ever been to Japan?  Have you ever seen plastic-fake food at the entrance of restaurants in Japan by any chance?   When my husband looked at this cookies, he said, "wow! this just looks like that fake food, so real"  He knows that I don't cook real Chirashi-zushi   @Econlady   Well, what am I supposed to tell him?  They look so real like fake food?? or real like real?  

@Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. posted:

🤣🤣😄have you ever been to Japan?  Have you ever seen plastic-fake food at the entrance of restaurants in Japan by any chance?   When my husband looked at this cookies, he said, "wow! this just looks like that fake food, so real"  He knows that I don't cook real Chirashi-zushi   @Econlady   Well, what am I supposed to tell him?  They look so real like fake food?? or real like real?  

I understand my husband rarely likes my cookies.  We have never been to Japan, but our daughter did 10 days as an exchange student in Japan.  She was only 16 years old.  According to hubby your hometown is where she went!  My mother-in-law was raised in Hiroshima Japan and came to the US by an arranged marriage to hubby’s father. 

@Econlady posted:

I understand my husband rarely likes my cookies.  We have never been to Japan, but our daughter did 10 days as an exchange student in Japan.  She was only 16 years old.  According to hubby your hometown is where she went!  My mother-in-law was raised in Hiroshima Japan and came to the US by an arranged marriage to hubby’s father. 

Oh, really?  Was she in Fukuoka?  my city Kitakyusyu?   I hope she had a good time in Japan.  

@Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. posted:

Oh, really?  Was she in Fukuoka?  my city Kitakyusyu?   I hope she had a good time in Japan.  

Your profile says Fukuoka and that’s where my hubby says she was.  I think she liked japan and her host family was very good to her.  It was weird sending her half way across the world because she was so young.  She was fearless.

@Econlady posted:

Your profile says Fukuoka and that’s where my hubby says she was.  I think she liked japan and her host family was very good to her.  It was weird sending her half way across the world because she was so young.  She was fearless.

Oh how fun @Econlady!! I wanted to jump in with your conversation because I went to Italy when I was 20. I didn't know the language, culture or anyone there. I had gotten a job in Naples and was pretty "fearless" at the time as well. LOL. My parents often said that they didn't know how they were able to let me pursue my dream to go. The difference from your daughter was that that I MOVED to Italy for at a year at the minimum. I met my hubby there ❤️❤️. It was a magical time and I ended up living there for 3 years...loved it!

@Cookies Fantastique posted:

Oh how fun @Econlady!! I wanted to jump in with your conversation because I went to Italy when I was 20. I didn't know the language, culture or anyone there. I had gotten a job in Naples and was pretty "fearless" at the time as well. LOL. My parents often said that they didn't know how they were able to let me pursue my dream to go. The difference from your daughter was that that I MOVED to Italy for at a year at the minimum. I met my hubby there ❤️❤️. It was a magical time and I ended up living there for 3 years...loved it!

Wow!  You are very impressive!

Wow! This is certainly a change from the style we are used to seeing from you, but it is also a very impressive one. And, after reading the comments, it seems that many people would agree.

Where do I even begin? First, thank you for writing such a wonderful description of how you created everything (and including some wonderful stories as well). The photos you included illustrate your techniques beautifully.

And then there's the "food." All of those techniques and media, skillfully combined, to create a very realistic masterpiece. I can't believe you spent days piping those grains of rice - that box definitely deserves to be posted as it's own cookie. Very nice work. You captured the spirit of the challenge perfectly.

@Sweet Prodigy posted:

Wow! This is certainly a change from the style we are used to seeing from you, but it is also a very impressive one. And, after reading the comments, it seems that many people would agree.

Where do I even begin? First, thank you for writing such a wonderful description of how you created everything (and including some wonderful stories as well). The photos you included illustrate your techniques beautifully.

And then there's the "food." All of those techniques and media, skillfully combined, to create a very realistic masterpiece. I can't believe you spent days piping those grains of rice - that box definitely deserves to be posted as it's own cookie. Very nice work. You captured the spirit of the challenge perfectly.

Hi Christine, @Sweet Prodigy   

As you say, this set is really different from what I make usually, this is another "Challenge" 💕I really wanted to try, thank you, Christine.  I could try and did some more experiments, that were fun and I learned more through this challenge.  

One of my Japanese friends said that she would cook Chirashi-zushi for dinner after she saw my cookies.  That made me really happy.   Well, she is a friend who is nice to me.  She really did make Chirashi for her family. 

The other one said....  "I enlarged the photo to see"  "oh, what did you see?"  "Soy sauce!"   This made me laugh.   why, soy sauce 🤣🤣🤣   

* Please don't enlarge the photo to see soy sauce, it is just colored hard texture jelly.  

It took a lot of time to make this sushi part but to tell you the truth, it was really hard for me to make this 3D tea-cup, I used zester again to dried icing to adjust the shape.   The sakura flower in jelly.... I could put real salted flower as media but I decided to make one by myself.   I almost gave up this tea-cup and soy sauce dish but realized if I gave them up where my liquid things....  

@Ryoko ~Cookie Ave. posted:

Hi Christine, @Sweet Prodigy   

As you say, this set is really different from what I make usually, this is another "Challenge" 💕I really wanted to try, thank you, Christine.  I could try and did some more experiments, that were fun and I learned more through this challenge.  

One of my Japanese friends said that she would cook Chirashi-zushi for dinner after she saw my cookies.  That made me really happy.   Well, she is a friend who is nice to me.  She really did make Chirashi for her family. 

The other one said....  "I enlarged the photo to see"  "oh, what did you see?"  "Soy sauce!"   This made me laugh.   why, soy sauce 🤣🤣🤣   

* Please don't enlarge the photo to see soy sauce, it is just colored hard texture jelly.  

It took a lot of time to make this sushi part but to tell you the truth, it was really hard for me to make this 3D tea-cup, I used zester again to dried icing to adjust the shape.   The sakura flower in jelly.... I could put real salted flower as media but I decided to make one by myself.   I almost gave up this tea-cup and soy sauce dish but realized if I gave them up where my liquid things....  

Good thing you didn't give up. I think a lot of people look at the finished work, and don't realize all of the effort that goes into it. The 3D teacup turned out really well, and is a nice compliment to the whole set.

I had to laugh when you said your friend made Chirashi-zushi after seeing your cookie. She must have look at it and thought, "That looks amazing....and delicious! "

Your soy sauce does look really good, but I can also see all of the work that went into the sushi because I zoomed in 500%. : )

Superb💗