What Is a Boston Roll?

A Boston roll is an Eastern United States version of a Japanese sushi roll. A Boston roll contains poached shrimp, avocado, cucumber, sushi rice and nori, or seaweed sheets that hold the roll in place.

Boston rolls contain the exact same ingredients as California sushi rolls, only with shrimp in the place of imitation crab meat. This simple adaptation pays homage to the dish's Japanese roots while celebrating Boston's plentiful shrimp bounty. The substitution of poached shrimp is also appealing to sustainable farming enthusiasts who disagree with the worldwide practice of using endangered fish to create traditional Japanese sushi rolls.