Tips For Making Sushi At Home

Sushi is a delicious meal or even snack on its own. Sushi is essentially cooled, boiled rice mixed with rice vinegar that is typically shaped into bite-sized pieces and topped with raw seafood. Sushi can also be formed into a long seaweed wrapped roll that contains strips of vegetables or raw fish and is then sliced into bite-sized pieces.

While earlier, you’d only find sushi in select Japanese restaurants and specialty stores, these days with people getting increasingly more adventurous with their foods, sushi is also available in several grocery stores.

Making your own sushi at home, using ingredients and components that you enjoy is a labor of love that is sure to impress any die-hard sushi lover. Here are a few things you will need to begin your sushi making adventure: a bamboo rolling mat, a cutting board, a sharp knife and a large bowl.

The first step is to make the rice. You will want to use short grain or cal-rose rice. Instant rice and brown rice do not have a place in sushi. Rice should be slightly harder for sushi than other dishes, this does not mean undercooked, just not overcooked to the point of mushiness. You may also wish to rinse and drain your rice in a colander, which is optional. Once you have transferred the rice to a bowl, pour sushi vinegar over the top and mix. About one tablespoon of sushi vinegar per cup of cooked rice should do the trick. Mix well and cool. The rice mixture needs to be cooled before using to make sushi.

While cooling the rice get out nori seaweed for sushi rolls. You can find this at Asian grocery stores if it is not available in the general grocery store. Lay out your bamboo mat and if desired, cover with plastic wrap to keep it clean. Place one sheet of nori seaweed on top of it. Spread rice on top of the seaweed, leave about an inch of seaweed exposed along the edges for rolling. One of the biggest mistakes people make is using too much rice. Rice should be about 1/4th inch thick and the nori should be visible through the rice. Don’t overload the nori with rice or you will not be able to achieve a well-rolled product.

Place the items that you want inside your roll on top of the rice near the edge, the edge you will roll first. A California roll contains a slice of avocado, a slice of crab meat and a slice of cucumber. Other rolls contain different sliced vegetables or fish. Place these on top of the rice and then begin to roll. You do not have to apply to much pressure to pack the rice and other items inside the roll, the rolling process will take care of that. Slowly fold the mat over and tuck the nori as you go. Apply light pressure as you roll, removing the mat and plastic wrap as the nori rolls and takes shape. Once the roll is formed moisten your knife and cut into six to eight even pieces. Stand on end to serve.

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