The tekka maki is a classic sushi roll that’s simple and elegant. It’s not bathed in sauce, fried, or stuffed with ingredients.
Three reasons to love tekka maki: a great texture and taste, awesome value when dining, and perfect for learning to make sushi rolls at home.
This post breaks down this pro-level sushi roll’s ingredients, origin, name, and nutrition. Also included is all the info you need to make tekka maki at home.
What is Tekka Maki?
Tekka maki is simply a raw tuna sushi roll. It’s a classic hosomaki with nori seaweed on the outside. And it only has a few ingredients, including whole slices of lean tuna. This makes it an excellent bridge toward more advanced types of sushi like nigiri.
The tekka maki probably arrived just after the tekkadon was born. This raw tuna donburi was popular at tekkaba (gambling dens) around the mid-late 19th century.
This tekka sushi post is part of an informative sushi and sashimi guide. Check it out if you want to take your sushi game pro.
Tekka Maki Ingredients
The primary ingredient in a tekka roll is tuna. Bigeye, yellowfin, or bluefin tunas are all used.
Sushi rice and nori seaweed are the other principal ingredients. And some chefs will add sesame seeds to their tekka rolls.
What Does Tekka Maki Taste Like?
Tekka maki has a crunchy exterior and a tender interior. Flavor varies slightly depending on the type of tuna. But in general, a tekka roll will be semi-sweet with lots of umami and a clean finish. The seaweed and sushi rice contribute a faint nutty, sour, and briny taste.
Bigeye and yellowfin tuna sometimes have a slightly sour finish. Confusingly, both of these fish are often called ahi tuna. Of the two, bigeye is denser and cleaner. Yellowfin can sometimes have a faint fishiness.
Bluefin tuna will have the most fat and umami. It’s also the least fishy-flavored and the most expensive tuna. Bluefin tekka maki uses lean akami cuts.
Why is it Called Tekka Maki?
Tekka maki gets its name from tekkaba (鉄火場). These were gambling dens that were popular in the late Edo and early Meiji eras. Tekka donburi was a very popular dish at these seedy establishments. And the name eventually became mainstream.
Tekka (鉄火) also means red-hot iron in Japanese. Tekka maki has a bright red color, so the name has a second meaning.
Tekka Maki Pronunciation
(tek kah mah kee) For English speakers, tekka rhymes with Mecca. And maki rhymes with hockey.
How to Make Tekka Maki Roll
Tekka roll sushi is easy to make at home. You will need sushi-grade tuna, rice, rice vinegar, salt, sugar, and nori seaweed. The main tools you’ll need are a sharp knife and a makisu.
Check out master sushi chef Taichi Kitamura’s video on making sushi rice if you’re unfamiliar.
And the excellent how-to video below from Umami Dream will show you how to make a tekka maki roll.
Retailers Selling Sushi-Grade Tuna
If you’re down to make tekka maki at home, the easiest place to find sushi-grade tuna is a restaurant. An order of sashimi is likely enough for a solidly-built roll.
But this isn’t very cost-effective: you’re paying someone to slice it, possibly tax, and a tip.
High-end Asian grocers, boutique grocery stores, and seafood shops are options for some. It just depends on where you live.
Online retailers offering overnight shipping are probably the most economical option IF you’re willing to buy a pound or more of tuna.
Below are some sponsored retailers. As an Amazon Associate, I earn commissions on qualifying purchases.
Spicy Tekka Maki
A spicy tekka roll is simply a raw tuna roll with a spicy sauce or peppers. Ichimi togarashi is a traditional ingredient that will add spice. Sriracha is a hotter, more pungent ingredient.
Spicy tekka maki uses whole pieces of tuna, so it’s not the same thing as a spicy tuna roll. A spicy tuna uses minced scraps of tuna instead. And it often has other ingredients like cucumber and/or avocado.
Tekkadon: Tekka Maki’s Sibling
A tekkadon is a type of donburi, consisting of rice and tuna sashimi. It’s likely the original “tekka” sushi, originating in the late Edo period.
Diet and Nutritional Information
Tuna roll sushi is delicious, and can also be nutritious in moderation.
Tekka Maki Calories & Nutritional Information
An average tekka maki has around 185 calories. There are also around 2.2 grams of fat, 16.5 mg of cholesterol, 415 mg of sodium, 28.3 grams of carbohydrates, 11.7 grams of protein, and 1.2 grams of fiber.
This is based on the following recipe size.
- 40 g bigeye or yellowfin tuna
- 75 g sushi rice (short grain rice, sake vinegar, salt, sugar)
- ½ sheet nori seaweed
- 3 g toasted sesame seed
Sources
Is Tekkamaki Healthy?
Tekka roll sushi is a relatively healthy dish. It contains around 200 mg of Omega 3 fatty acids, plenty of iron and protein, low cholesterol, and is an ok source of fiber.
One of the downsides of tekka maki is a high level of sodium. Sushi rice (salt) accounts for most of this. So tekka rolls are similar to other sushi rolls in sodium levels.
Another knock on the tekka roll is mercury. Bluefin, bigeye, and yellowfin tuna all have high levels of mercury. It’s recommended that adult men have three or fewer 100 g servings of tuna per month. And women can have four or more. This amounts to about 7.5 tekka rolls for men, and women can have 10+ tuna rolls.
31 Days of Sushi
If you find this post useful or enjoyable, I suggest you check out some of the other content in my 31 Days of Sushi campaign.
Every day in August I’ll share a new piece of content. Topics are centered around nigiri and maki sushi. I include sashimi info, as well.
It’s like an omakase of sushi information!
What Do You Think About Tekkamaki?
Have you tried it before?
Also, are you concerned about the sustainability of tuna?
Please share your thoughts by commenting below!
I find it hard to get an accurate size for the tuna, I read 1/4 to 1/2 inch now thats a huge difference. The roll is only 1 inch by tradition. Can you advise as I tend to err on the larger side as the main ingredient is the sushi not the rice