Today is March 22, 2025. It is my mother’s birthday and she turned 90 years old. She is still fit and mentally very sharp. She is living alone in the family house in Japan, still cooking every day, and sharing what she cooks with neighbours and family members.

When I was a child, my family was poor. My mother must have faced a lot of challenges, but her three daughters, my sisters and I, never had a day we were hungry. We were always fed with nutritious yummy foods. There are many memorable foods she cooked for us, but, for me, the most unforgettable food is ‘Sushi Dolls’.

In Japan, there is a tradition to celebrate girls’ health and happiness by displaying a set of dolls in March. My family was too poor to own such a set of dolls. Then, my mother made sets of Sushi Dolls for us. I will forever treasure the memory of Sushi Dolls she made and the happiness I felt.

Ingredients

Sushi Rice
*Note: Unseasoned cooked Rice OR cooked Rice mixed with Onigiri seasoning mix can be used instead.

For Decoration
Boiled Quail Eggs
Nori Sheet
Carrot
Smoked Salmon
Cucumber
Thin Round Omelette (Eggs)
*Note: You may wish to use Black Sesame Seeds for eyes, OR thin slice of Ham for female doll’s gown.

Method
  1. Prepare Sushi Rice. Make triangular Onigiri (Rice Balls). *Note: With 1 cup (180ml cup) Uncooked Rice would be enough for 4 Onigiri.
  2. Prepare ingredients for decoration. I used Boiled Quail Eggs for heads, Nori and a tiny piece of Carrot for faces. Use toothpicks to secure the heads.
  3. For bodies, I used thinly sliced Cucumber and 1/2 Omelette for male doll, and Smoked Salmon and 1/2 Omelette for female doll. Baton is made with Cucumber and Fan is made with Carrot. They are secured with toothpicks.
  4. Be creative. Enjoy decorating with your children, though it could be fiddly and too difficult for young children.