A Mansfield
sushi designer tries a few of her own inventions
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A Mansfield
businesswoman with a flair for food design is determined to change
people’s perception of Japanese sushi.
Ali Cheung has
a degree in fashion design from Nottingham Trent University, but
her latest passion is the design of tiny vegan sushi.
If you haven’t
tried sushi, it’s a Japanese speciality made of vinegared rice balls
topped with colourful titbits raw fish or vege.
But this mother-of-two
has thrown away the fish and set up Enoki, her own vegan-only
sushi business, in her Mansfield kitchen.
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| Some of
Ali Cheung's vegan creations |
Ms Cheung says
most people think of raw fish or seaweed when they think of sushi
– and have a vision of "inedible stuff floating around the sea"
that puts them off.
She describes
herself as a semi-vegetarian, and wanted to start a business that
avoids processed food and creates simple and fresh products.
So all her sushi
are handmade on the same day as they are sold. Ms Cheung’s business
is growing already.
She contacted
a local caterer who provides food for Belvoir Castle and was given
an order for 150 pieces of sushi.
Not longer after
that, she was asked to provide another 1,500 pieces for an event
in May.
Some examples
of her sushi rolls are the hijiki which includes capers, gherkins,
coriander and scallions topped with simmered hijiki seaweed.
Another is teriyaki
shiitake mushrooms rolled with green asparagus or baby corn in a
mini-roll.
| Interview
with Ali Cheung |
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| A
woman with a mission |
Hi Ali.
You seem to really like sushi.
"That's right.
I love the colour and style of them. The whole point is to make
it colourful. People really appreciate the effort that goes
into making them and the beauty that comes from the natural
ingredients. |
Was
your design background helpful?
"For sure, you see I consider each one a small sculpture.
It is like painting or fashion design … each one is different
from the next one." |
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| Some
of the Enoki products |
How many
designs do you have so far?
"I have more than 100 different styles already and I am
still inventing more. I consider some of the sushi inventions
as my babies. I want to introduce the concept of fresh, vegetarian
sushi to the people in this area as it is both healthy and beautiful
– especially the colour. |
Give
us an example of one of your favourite sushi inventions.
The range of colours you can get from vegetables is amazing,
for instance I used pickled carrot that is blanched and roll
it up into fine slices. It has a strong orange colour that looks
like salmon.. |
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| A
touch of Japan in Mansfield |
Do
you enjoy the making of the sushi?
Making the rice rolls is quite therapeutic, so I really
enjoy doing it.
But it
does take time as they are all handmade. I can make about
200-300 pieces a day by myself.
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How
did you first start making them?
I saw some retail packs of sushi at Marks and Spencer and
they were not great, so I tried making some of my own and my
children loved them. |
Who
was your inspiration?
A Japanese friend who was staying with me showed me how
to make them and she left me the bamboo rolling mats so I could
use them. |
What
lies ahead?
I am looking for a business partner so I can expand my
business and perhaps employ some more people. |
For more information
on Enoki, you can contact Ali Cheung at info@enoki.co.uk.
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