How to Make Sushi

Sushi Recipe

• 3 cups Japanese style Sushi Rice (do not use American style Rice)
• 3 1/4 cups Water
• 1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
• 2 tablespoons Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt

1. Before cooking, rinse rice several times in running water until the water runs clear (this may take several rinsings).
2. Prepare sushi vinegar (sushi-zu) by mixing rice vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pan. Place pan on low heat and cook until sugar dissolves.
3. Allow the vinegar mixture to cool.
4. Spread the cooked hot rice into a large plate (or a traditional wooden bowl, called sushi-oke) by spatula (called shamoji).
5. Sprinkle the vinegar mixture over the rice and fold into the rice by spatula quickly. Do not smash the rice.
6. To cool and remove the moisture of the rice well, use a fan as you mix sushi rice. This will give sushi rice a shiny look.
7. After cooling, use the sushi rice immediately.

• Makes 6 cups of sushi rice.

How to Make Sushi Rolls

Step 1. Rice Layer

Spread Rice over Nori Place the nori sheet, shiny side down, on the bamboo rolling mat. With water moistened hands (which helps in handling the sticky rice), spread half a cup of sushi rice evenly over the nori sheet, leaving 1" at the top.

Arrange Fillings over Rice Arrange the sushi roll fillings (see glossary for different types of sushi rolls and ingredients) in a narrow row across the top third of the sushi rice. Leave a space of rice above and below the strip of toppings.

Step 2. Add Fillings

Step 3. Roll Tightly

Fold sushi mat over roll Moisten the top edge of exposed nori with water. Grasp the rolling mat with both hands, thumbs underneath, and fold the close edge of the nori sheet so it overlaps the sushi rice and ingredients.

Roll Sushi Tightly with Mat Roll tightly with firm pressure using the rolling mat. Lift the mat slightly and finish rolling until the edge closest to you meets the rice free edge at the far end of the nori. Overlap the moist edge of the nori sheet to create a seal.

Step 4. Seal Edge

Step 5. Remove Roll

Remove Sushi Roll from Mat Use the rolling mat to shape and square up the sushi roll by pressing gently along the tops and sides of the roll. Remove the sushi roll from the bamboo mat, and place the roll seam side down on a cutting board.

Slice Sushi Roll into pieces Sushi is best sliced using a carbon steel Japanese style knife. After the knife is moistened in water/vinegar, cut the nori rolls into six or eight equal pieces. (Cut the roll in half, then each half in thirds or forths.) Use a swift back and forth cut for best results.

Step 6. Slice Rolls