The first step to understand how to make sushi in any sushi recipe is preparing the sushi rice. There are many recipes for sushi rice available, but all produce similar results. The goal is for the rice to be light and fluffy, yet sticky. Sushi rice may be prepared by stove top or in an electric rice cooker.

Sushi Recipe

Sushi Rice Ingredients:

• 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

Sushi Rice Preparation:

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.

Note: Only use Japanese rice in sushi making. It is a medium-grained rice and gets sticky when it is cooked. Long-grained American rice will not work because it is drier and doesn’t stick together.