Kappa Kappa Maki Revealed!

Ah, the good old days.

Bunny, Buffy and Sheila were typical college girls–– going for hayrides, cheering their school on at football games, and getting back to the dorm by curfew to make hot chocolate and rinse out their stockings.

So when Rush Week came around, the three of them knew there was only one sorority worth pledging: the exclusive Kappa Kappa Maki.

Kappa Kappa Maki was the doorway to society, certain guarantee to well-heeled connections, and the key to a life of the world’s best sushi.

Despite the secret ceremonies, the closed tea parties, the clandestine pillow fights, we have managed to infiltrate the organization to obtain and reproduce the much coveted Kappa Kappa Maki coat of arms.

Now becoming part of this illustrious sorority takes no more effort than clicking a link and buying a t-shirt.  I can’t guarantee an entry into society, but who knows, you might score some free kappa maki (cucumber roll) if you wear it to your favorite sushi bar.

Shown here: Women's Organic Fitted Tee; other options available.

Little  Japan-related factoid: Do you know how kappa maki sushi got its name?

In Japanese mythology, the kappa are amphibious creatures who live in rivers and lakes. They are mischievous, not always in a benign way; they have beak-like mouths, webbed feet and hands, and a bowl-like indentation on top of their heads that must stay filled with magical water for their survival outside of their watery environments. They are fond of etiquette and may not wreak havoc when respected.

Long the subject of folk tales, in modern day Japan “kawaii” kappa toys and trinkets are available, and some rivers and lakes actually have signs warning visitors of kappa infestation!

Kappa love love LOVE cucumbers; hence, small cucumber rolls, sometimes called “bullets” in Japanese-American communities because their appearance, are known as kappa maki (lit., “kappa rolls.”)