"Obama Sushi" made by an exceptionally creative sushi chef pays tribute to America's 44th president in a most unusual - and dare I say, tasteful - manner.



There's still room for more Obama mania... if the room is the kitchen and you happen to be Kawasumi-sensei, a sushi chef who teaches at Tokyo University. Kawasumi has whipped up a feast for both the eyes and stomach that looks so good, it had to be framed.

Kawasumi-sensei's masterpiece features, in addition to a startlingly realistic pair of Obama futomaki rolls, a variety of nigiri-zushi and futomaki that together must cost any purchaser a hefty chunk of change - we can believe that! But while the cars and happy faces are undeniably cute, it's the Obama sushi that are the highlights.



Creating the perfect Obama futomaki roll took considerable trial and error according to Kawasumi-sensei. Careful selection of ingredients was just the start: brown rice for the skin, black sesame seeds for the hair, tiny shrimps for the lips and a gleaming fish-paste smile.



It appears that rich red Maguro tuna and white Ika (squid) were used to mold the stripes of the American flag, with cooked egg spelling out "USA" and, of course, a big "V" for Victory. (via Tofugu)

*** UPDATED! Originally published on March 15th, 2009