Twinkie Sushi?!?

The Detroit News on Saturday published an anime party planning guide written by Eric Henrickson. Henrickson posts reviews and other short news items on his blog on the newspaper website as well as other occasional entertainment reviews. In the article, Henrickson suggests shows, cuisine tips, and a recipe for Twinkie Sushi.

The shows he suggests span genres, probably in an attempt to attract newcomers: “Azumanga” and “Fruits Basket” for light comedy, “Gankutsuou” and “Hellsing” for dark action/drama; Miyazaki and “Twelve Kingdoms” for fantasy lovers. As for food, he puts forth the obvious Pocky and Ramune along with other Japanese-brand cookies.

He ends with “one last quirky option” – twinkie sushi. At first, this sounds weird and unhealthy…and it looks like it is. The “sushi” in the name is only refers to the shape of the treat – rest assured, there’s no seafood involved. The recipe calls for “three Hostess Twinkies, assorted dried fruits, assorted fruity candies, two green fruit roll-ups, dried mangoes”.

Directions: Slice Hostess Twinkies into pieces about an inch tall. Slice fruit roll-ups in strips long enough and wide enough to wrap around the Hostess Twinkie pieces. Wrap the fruit roll-ups around the Hostess Twinkie pieces. Place dried fruits and candies into the cream filling. Place Twinkie rolls on a plate or in a bento box. Garnish with strips of dried mango to resemble pickled ginger.

I might try to make this sometime and who knows, I might be pleasantly surprised that it tastes good. Overall, the snacks are okay; although I’d rather have some healthier offerings, I shouldn’t set my expectations too high. Besides, ricecakes are too noisy for anime watching.