Temaki Masterclass

The state of São Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. Obviously this is of great cultural importance but more importantly for me is that it means the sushi is incredible and a lot cheaper in the UK! Even at the cheapest por kilo lunch restaurant there is normally a plate of freshly made sushi on offer. 

My new favourite type of sushi that I tried for the first time when I arrived in São Paulo is Temaki. It is so popular here that there are restaurants where it is the only dish served, called Temakerias.

How a Salmon Temaki should look!

Temaki description from Wikipedia!: Temaki (手巻, "hand roll") is a large cone-shaped piece of nori on the outside and the ingredients spilling out the wide end. A typical temaki is about ten centimeters (4 in) long, and is eaten with fingers because it is too awkward to pick it up with chopsticks.

Last week Paula had some friends over and we all had a go at making some Temaki ourselves. It was definitely not Paula's first attempt, she made it look very easy. 

Mine didn't look so professional but wasn't bad for a first attempt! It was seriously yummy and so much cheaper than at a restaurant. I will definitely miss the Japanese food when I come back to the UK and will be bringing back lots of sushi making ingredients!

First attempt...

The Brazilian Riviera!

Friday night was eventful. My flatmate woke me at 3 in the morning having returned from a club to find a cockroach in her room. Let's just say I was not happy, it was nothing I could help with; she said she woke me for "moral support"! Eventually she called the porteiro and begged him to come up to kill the cockroach, he must have thought we were such wimps! 

Anyway, the next morning the cockroach incident was all forgotten and we headed to Paula's parents beach apartment, in a resort called Riviera de São Lourenço. On the weekend the whole of São Paulo seem to leave the city and head for the beach. The traffic is AWFUL, a journey that was meant to take 1hr30 ended up taking nearly 4!

However, when we arrived at the apartment, the stress of the journey immediately disappeared. It was in an amazing location, after just a 2 minute walk from the apartment we arrived here!

After a few hours of relaxation, or in my case pacing up and down the beach, why do I find it so difficult to sit still and do nothing?!, We headed back to the apartment and drove to Pão de Açúcar to buy provisions for the all-important churrasco. 

Barbecue duty!

View from the apartment...

Bye beach...until next weekend!

Sunday was a very chilled day spent alternating between swimming in the sea, going for walks and browsing the beach barracas! Paradise...

After another huge meal we headed back to São Paulo and got caught in another traffic jam...