Whether you actually enjoy eating raw fish or simply enjoy the Instagram-able qualities of a well-designed spider roll, going to sushi restaurants is usually a popular choice for a birthday dinner, a girls’ night out or really any occasion.

Betches Love This considers sushi to be the ultimate trendy kind of food, and Sushi With My Girls literally labels girls (and guys) as “sushis.”

On Wednesday night, Chanie Naymen, who works for the Jewish Resource Center, came to the Chi Omega house to teach the girls how to make their own kosher sushi. She came armed with sushi rice, seaweed, sliced veggies (like cucumbers, carrots, mushrooms and avocados) and imitation crab (the stuff inside a California roll). She even brought sliced mangos and pears for those who wanted to get fancy.

Photo by Julie Mirliss

We started by evenly spreading a layer of rice on our sheet of seaweed while struggling to keep the rice from sticking to our hands. Next, we lined up our veggies and fish at one end of the seaweed. I put cucumber, avocado, imitation crab and mango in my roll. Delish.

Photo by Julie Mirliss

Rolling the contents into the actual sushi roll was the hardest part but finally we got to enjoy our creations. With homemade spicy mayo, soy sauce, sesame seeds and tempura crunch as optional toppings, everyone was a little bit closer to a master sushi chef. Some creations were pretty impressive-looking. Mine was a mess, but still tasted great.

I talked to sophomore Gabby Hassan, who keeps kosher, about how she navigates various menus based on her dietary restrictions. She told me that it changes from person to person based on how strictly they follow the rules of Kosher-dom, but in general:

  • Shellfish is out of the question.
  • Fish that have scales and fins are kosher. So tuna, yellowtail and salmon all fine.
  • Veggie rolls are always a safe option for unsure or picky eaters.

Technically for the strictest followers, a kitchen needs to be specially certified as kosher for anything on the menu to be considered kosher. There aren’t any totally kosher sushi places in Ann Arbor, but there is one in Brooklyn, NY. So for those of you who are kosher and are craving sushi with your girls, invite them over to make your own sushi at your place! Problem solved.
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