New vegan tuna and salmon roll out at Whole Foods sushi counter

The sushi counter at Whole Foods Market is a go-to for a quick meal, but the vegan options here are mostly limited to edamame and avocado rolls. However, for some shoppers, that’s about to change with Kikka Sushi’s new vegan tuna and salmon roll.

Kikka has been a partner of Whole Foods for more than 30 years and offers plant-based sushi options, such as vegetable and salad rolls, at the grocery chain’s 200 locations. However, Kikka recently expanded its sushi selection to include its own plant-based fish options, which are now hitting Whole Foods sushi counters at 17 flagship locations in six regions.

“We have always placed a strong emphasis on responsible environmental stewardship, and use sustainable, natural and responsible certified products,” Grant Kimura, director of marketing and business development at Kikka Sushi told VegNews.

Kikka Sushi

“With food science and plant-based options becoming more available, we were able to develop a product in partnership with one of our vendors in Japan to create something that not only looked good, but tasted good,” he says. “Previous attempts at vegan fish alternatives have had one or the other, but this is the first product we’ve tasted that does both.”

Vegan tuna and salmon at Whole Foods

To create realistic vegan tuna and salmon, Kikka uses a proprietary blend of red algae and konjac. Often referred to as “konyaku,” konjac is a root vegetable that has been popular as a noodle base in Japanese cooking for centuries. Now, its flexible texture is being explored in other applications, such as as a plant-based alternative to fish.

Kikka’s plant-based sushi is developed in Japan by the company’s vendor Kikka founder Tony Sosanto, who holds a master’s degree in chemical engineering from the acclaimed University of California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Kikka Sushi

Informed by both Japanese culinary heritage and deep technical knowledge of plant chemistry and engineering, this unique collaborative effort, Kimura says, is what sets Kikka’s plant-based fish apart from others. “I think the difference is obvious when you see and taste the product,” says Kimura. “The texture and ‘mouthfeel’ are on point and the product tastes good.”

Plant-based sushi for everyone

Beyond its plant-centric sushi options, Kikka has also attracted a wide range of consumers with plant-based tuna and salmon options who shy away from fish for a myriad of reasons.

While some avoid eating marine life for ethical reasons, ocean pollution – in the form of plastics and chemicals – has led many to avoid eating fish. A study published last year found a link between fish consumption and skin cancer risk due to potential exposure to mercury.

Because of high levels of mercury, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that pregnant people avoid certain fish to reduce the risk of birth defects—creating another consumer base for fish-free options.

Kikka Sushi

“Another demographic we encounter is expectant mothers who miss fish and sushi, and we’re so glad we now have a product they can embrace,” says Kimura.

Kikka’s new plant-based sushi is just the beginning of the brand’s quest for fish-free innovation. Kikka just launched plant-based gyoza and is working on other vegan seafood items such as hot bowls and poke. Kikka transforms all its white rice products into vegan sugar to ensure they are free from bone char.

Vegan seafood makes waves

In addition to Kikka, a number of companies have developed viable alternatives to sushi-grade fish, particularly bluefin tuna as overfishing has drastically reduced numbers of the top predator over the past few decades.

Current Foods is another sushi-grade fish company in the plant-based space. Made from algae, koji, radish, bamboo and potato, the company’s vegan tuna is so realistic that it landed the startup on TIME’s 100 Best Inventions of 2021 list.

GTFO it’s vegan

In 2021, vegan e-commerce platform GTFO It’s Vegan launched its own line of konjac-based vegan tuna, salmon, sailfish and calamari that can be used in the cold preparation of dishes featuring traditional sashimi.

In Chicago, Aqua Cultured Foods is doing something a little different. The startup harnesses the power of microbial fermentation to create vegan whole-cut fish products from mycoprotein. Earlier this month, the startup broke ground on its new facility that will allow it to ramp up production of its ultra-realistic calamari, shrimp, scallops and tuna and whitefish filets.

“This move is the final step on our path to commercialize alt-seafood, and one that we and our supporters have been waiting for,” Anne Palermo, CEO of Aqua Cultured Foods, said in a statement.

The startup plans to bring its first product to market in the second quarter of 2023.

Anna Starostenetskaya is Senior News Editor at VegNews and keeps an eye on all things vegan in her hometown of San Francisco, CA and elsewhere.