The California roll

In 1971, sushi was not widely consumed in North America. Chef Hidekazu Tojo, a Japanese chef new to Vancouver, needed to appeal to western palates, so he decided to flip traditional sushi rolls inside-out. By concealing the seaweed on the inside and packing the rolls with ingredients that Canadians were more familiar with, Tojo invented one of the most famous North American sushi rolls ever: the California roll.