YUSŌ Japanese-inspired Rice Ball Snack Great for Summer Outings

Yusō, the Japanese-inspired snack, gives sushi lovers an answer to healthy snacking on the go, with no chopsticks required. The triangle-shaped rice ball – known as onigiri in Japanese – is a popular food all over the world, including parts of Asia, Europe and now the U.S.

Made in small batches in Massachusetts, the high-protein, low-fat yusō is a 21st century update on the 1,000-year-old snack, which dates back to 11th century Japan.

The product was created by Sarah J. Sturtevant, a long-time analyst turned food entrepreneur, who first tried onigiri on a business trip in Japan and was instantly hooked.

“I loved onigiri so much that I was inspired to develop a healthy version for busy people in the U.S. to enjoy,” Sturtevant said. “For Americans on the go, there is an unmistakable void in the search for fresh, nutritious and filling snacks. Yusō fills this gap.”

Yusō shares similar ingredients with sushi, yet its taste profile is unique. The filling – which comes in four flavors for summer – is surrounded by sticky rice and wrapped in Japanese nori, a pure, dried, crunchy seaweed.

The current flavors are:

• Smoked Salmon, with rich, buttery, cold-smoked salmon, seasoned with a touch of cayenne and lime.
• Spicy Smoked Steelhead, made with sustainably farmed, smoked steelhead plus our own Vietnamese Sriracha sauce to give it a kick.
• Sesame Chickpea, combining a house-made, vegan sesame chickpea filling with hints of garlic, red pepper, and lime.
• New! Coconut Mango – a limited-time, vegan, summer flavor made with organic mango and coconut flakes and seasoned with cardamom, ginger and lime, plus white beans for added protein.

The two fish-based flavors provide more than a day’s worth of omega-3 fatty acids from smoked fish and four seeds, including flax, sesame and chia. At 200 calories or less per snack, each type of yusō has a balance of carbs, fiber and protein, ranging between 4 and 7.3 grams.

The premium ingredients are responsibly farmed and harvested, as well as preservative-free, non-GMO, gluten free and antibiotic free.

Yusō is innovatively wrapped in two layers of cellophane, such that the first time the rice and nori come in contact with each other is when the consumer unwraps it. The interior layer keeps the rice moist and the nori crisp, while the outer layer preserves freshness.

Yusō is great to eat in the car, on the plane, after practice or anywhere on the go. The product is available at Brothers Marketplace in Medfield and Weston.

About yusō

Yusō, the portable Japanese-inspired snack, is a savory and satisfying 21st century take on the traditional rice ball known as onigiri. Made in Massachusetts, it’s a fusion of tastes from around the world, including Japanese nori, California-grown rice, sustainably harvested salmon and steelhead. Learn more at yusogood.com.