Ahead of International Sushi Day, Vaani Kapoor took a break from her shoot schedule and spent an afternoon learning how to prepare sushi. From placing the nori (the thin layer of dried seaweed used to make rolls) on the rolling mat and topping it with a layer of rice and vegetables, including her favourite asparagus, Vaani’s dish looked picture-perfect till she rolled it and attempted to slice it into bite-size pieces.“Gosh, it looks like biryani more than sushi now. The Punjabi in me was so alert that you can’t put it to sleep,” the actress laughed, as the ingredients started spilling out. Vaani, who loves vegetarian sushi, added, “I thought I’d get it right in one go, but now I realise that rolling, cutting and plating sushi is an art.”

Vaani’s first experience with sushi was when she was interning at a luxury hotel. She said, “I had just completed a tourism course in Delhi and was doing an internship at a five-star hotel. They were teaching us back-end jobs and a part of the program was to spend time with chefs and pick up skills in the kitchen. I was 17 when I had my first sushi back there. The wasabi was too pungent for me, but I developed a taste for sushi and have been a sushi fan ever since.”

The Chandigarh Kare Aashiqui actress said that she can easily tuck in over a dozen sushis in one go. “I can eat as much as 15 to 20 sushis at a time. Now I am planning to host a sushi party for my friends at home,” she shared.

Talking about her favourite vegetarian sushis, she said, “Veg sushi is a very healthy option. I love binging on asparagus and tofu sushi. Veg sushis have a delicious mix of vegetables like bell peppers, avocados and asparagus that are healthy and keep you full.”

Vaani was introduced to Japanese cuisine in her growing-up days. She said, “When I was a kid, my best friend lived in Japan. She would come to India to see her nani during the summer holidays. We were neighbours and she would get me packets of dried seaweed, which is eaten as a snack. I was just 11 when I was introduced to Japanese food. Now, I enjoy eating nori quite often.”