A Raw Deal: The Arrival of Sushi in a Tube

by Nichol Nelson, Posted May 28th 2010 @ 4:00PM

If you listen to the latest pitches out there, we're a country totally hapless when it comes to food.

The airwaves have been blanketed lately with inventions that seem to imply we're incapable of cooking (or eating) with our own two hands. The EZ Cracker is designed to help those too clumsy to break an egg open (yes, really), and now, according to inventors Lucas Furst and Evan Kaye, we need help eating sushi too.

Furst and Kaye have put sushi in a tube and called their invention the Sushi Popper. Anyone who's ever enjoyed a Push-Up on a hot summer day will instantly get the concept: cut sushi rolls encased in a plastic tube. Eat from the top, push up from the bottom with a stick.

It's a gimmick, yes, but there's no denying the engineering is pretty slick. Each Popper contains eight pieces, and comes with a stick that doubles as a handle. And, surprise, the stick is also filled with soy sauce.

"It took thousands of hours to develop something to hold the sushi, to make sure it pushes up correctly and make sure the soy sauce doesn't leak," Furst told AOL News. "It took us a lot of engineering time."

They've got their bases covered when it comes to flavors, offering up everything from raw salmon-avocado rolls to spicy crab with mango and cilantro. There are even dessert options: Anyone for Key lime sushi?

Obviously, this is not a product for purists. In addition to unconventional flavors, the tubes come frozen. And while it's perfectly safe, freezing changes the texture and flavor of both the fish and the rice. But that's probably nitpicking when you're talking about a product designed to be consumed at a ballpark or purchased from a vending machine.

Intrigued? If you have room in your freezer, you can order the rolls directly from Sushipopper.com , where a variety pack of six rolls will set you back $29.99. They're packed with dry ice for the journey.

Sushi Poppers might be the definition of an invention you never knew you needed, but at least you'll have something for lunch.

Filed Under: New Products
Tags: ez cracker, sushi, sushi popper, SushiPopper