First things first, the most important component of cooking sushi is the rice. In fact, sushi refers to vinegared rice, so when you say sushi, it’s rice, not the fish. Of course, making good sushi rice is where the key lies since this is the sushi foundation upon which everything else is built upon. Without well-cooked grains of rice, the best-laid sushi plans can turn into a disaster.

Sushi rice is made by cooking a high-quality Japanese rice – a type of short grain rice that is dominantly cultivated and consumed rice in China, Korea, and Japan. Short-grained rice contains a high percentage of starch when compared to other varieties, this is why the rice is so sticky. After the rice is cooked, it is mixed (while it is still hot) with other ingredients such as rice vinegar, salt, and sugar while quickly cool it off using a fan. These ingredients help to accentuate the flavor and provide stickier rice.

Perfectly, prepared sushi rice should be light, fluffy, and slightly sticky when cooked. In this step by step guide, we will show you how to make good sushi rice every time.

Well, before we go into the details on how to make sushi rice, let’s see what you will need to make it?

What you’ll need?

1. Pick up the main ingredient – Short Grain White rice

Sushi rice is a super premium grade short grain white rice that is sticky and slightly sweet rice. It is essential that using the correct kind of rice when making sushi to ensure that perfect consistency and adhesive quality so integral to good sushi.

Real sushi rice will have a good balance of starches (amylose and amylopectin) so that the sushi rice sticks well together, making it easier to pick up with chopsticks or form into sushi rolls. The rice for sushi should be quite fresh because the older the rice is, the harder it is and the more water it takes to soften. Ideally, try to find the rice that is less than a year old if possible (Check a date on the bag of the rice).

The best rice is the one that is labeled “First Crop” or “New Variety”, which means it is picked in the fall. If you can’t find “First Crop” or “New Variety” on the bag, you should ask the grocer if the rice is “Shinma”, purchased within 3 months of harvest. Unfortunately, it can be hard to find rice that fresh outside of Japan. Just buy the best rice you can afford. Once you know how to prepare the rice, you will really taste the difference between different type of rice.

Some of the best that you can get here in the U.S. are Koshihikari, Tamaki, and Tamanishiki. They tend to be expensive. In Japan, Koshihikari is the most popular “first grade” Japanese rice variety. Tamaki is a California grown Koshihikari, it is as good as Koshihikari cultivated in Japan. Tamanishiki is also a California grown rice that uses two kinds of short grain rice: Yuma Gokochi and Koshihikari. This combination of two creates wonderful texture and great flavor.

One more thing you want to know is that don’t buy the pre-washed rice (does not require the normal rinsing to remove the “starch” that is present with the standard short grain rice) for the sushi rice recipe.

2. Get the Rice vinegar

In order to balance the fishy taste of the raw fish put on sushi, sushi rice needs vinegar. There are two kinds of vinegar you can use to flavor the cooked rice: rice vinegar and sushi vinegar.

For those who don’t know, Sushi vinegar (Seasoned rice vinegar) = Rice vinegar + Sugar + Salt. So if you want to use plain Japanese Rice Vinegar (not the Seasoned rice vinegar), you will need to have sugar and salt on hand.

When you are shopping with the intention of getting the pre-made sushi seasoning, then sushi vinegar is what you need to look for. Both Mizkan and Marukan are the most popular and widely available U.S. grocery stores. You can also find them online (Mizkan sushi vinegar and Marukan sushi vinegar).

If you prefer, you can make your own sushi vinegar at home (using a homemade sushi vinegar recipe below).

3. Kombu and Sake (Optional)

These ingredients are optional but they also play a role in making great sushi rice. They can add a pop of extra savory flavor to the sushi rice. You can find these ingredients at the Japanese grocery stores, Asian market or order them online here – Wel-Pac Dashi Kombu.

4. An electric rice cooker or a heavy-bottomed pot

There are several ways to cook sushi rice, but the simplest way to cook sushi rice is in a rice cooker. A rice cooker usually cooks every grain evenly and the result is almost guaranteed good. But If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can cook sushi rice on the stove top, it doesn’t really matter.

I personally use a Zojirushi rice cooker with warming function, it keeps the rice warm for up to 24 hours. This “smart” rice cooker of mine also has a Computerized Fuzzy Logic Feature that does all of the thinking. With this unit, all I have to do is wash the rice, add water and push a button. It will pre-soak, cook and steam the rice after cooking. When I mix a slightly more than equal part of water to the rice, it still comes out perfectly. Just a note: Zojirushi is an EXCELLENT band, though a bit too pricey for some. So if you’re on a tight budget, you want to consider other inexpensive options such as Aroma Professional Plus ARC-5000SB 20-Cup (Cooked).

Other supplies

You will need a large bowl or pot for mixing your sushi rice in. Traditionally, a wooden bowl, which called a hangiri, is the best thing to use to mix and cool sushi rice. It is a round, flat-bottom wooden tub or barrel. The advantage of using a hangiri is that it helps absorb any excess moisture from the sushi rice. You can get a hangiri at any Japanese store, and even online here (Kotobuki Hangiri).

You also need a wooden paddle or non-stick paddle which usually comes with a rice cooker.

See Also:  Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

How to make sushi rice?

To make 4 cups of cooked rice, you will need:

• 2 cups of short grain white rice
• ¼ cups of rice vinegar
• 2 cups of water (If you’re using an electric rice cooker, add water up to the certain level marked in the inner pot.)
• 2 tablespoons of sake (optional)
• 4×6 inch piece of kombu
• And homemade sushi vinegar.

Step 1 – Make your homemade sushi vinegar

Homemade Sushi Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients:

• 4 tablespoons of rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoons of salt

Once you have all ingredients, combine them in a small saucepan. Then turn the heat to medium and heat over the saucepan until the sugar and salt are dissolved. Make sure not to let the mixture boil. This amount would be enough to season about 4 cups of rice, you can adjust the amount according to the amount of rice you have. For the best result, make sure to mix the sushi vinegar with the cooked rice while it is still hot.

Of course, You can change the sugar and salt measurements to find your sweet spot. Too vinegary? Add sugar. Not enough taste? Add salt. Not quite there? Add vinegar. This is the real test when you are making homemade sushi seasoning.

You can also find them online (Mizkan sushi vinegar and Marukan sushi vinegar).

Step 2 – Washing the Rice

When you’re ready to get cooking, begin by putting the rice into a large bowl or pot and washing the rice in cool water until the water is almost clear. This should take 5-6 washes. This step may seem like a bother, but they are completely critical to making properly sushi rice. So do not skimp on this! This is a common mistake by the first-timers.

Keep in mind that the water never becomes completely clear, it will be somewhat “milky” looking in color. Strain the rice using a mesh sieve or by placing your hand and turning the pot slowly sideways.

The purpose of washing or rinsing is to remove some of the starch on the outside of the rice grains. Excess starch on the surface of the rice grains will gel during cooking. Thus, when you take a bite of rice, you can get a mouthfeel that’s more pasty with less distinction between grains of rice since the space between the grains is filled in with more starch and less air. If you’re working with brown rice, then there is little to wash or rinse off it since it has little starch on its surface.

Step 3 – Soaking the rice

Add your water/sake mixture to your rice in your pot. Break off a 4×6 inch piece of kombu and put it in the pot.

At this point, you should let the rice soak for about 15 minutes. The results in a shinier rice with a better texture. You can skip the rice soaking step if you’re cooking in a rice cooker and it says that soaking is not necessary.

Step 4 – Cooking the rice

Cooking in a pot

Put the mixture in the pot and bring the water to a boil over medium heat. When the water begins to boil, stir well and then put on a tight-fitting lid. Then reduce the heat to simmer and continue cooking the rice until the water is completely absorbed into the grains. For 2 cups of rice in 2 cups of water, this will take about 15 minutes.

Remember: Never take off the lid or you will ruin the rice. You’d really want to use a pot with a glass lid here so that you can easily check the water level without removing the lid.

After 15 minutes, turn up to high heat for a few second to get rid of any excess moisture if necessary. Then turn the heat off, keep the rice covered in the pot and let the rice steam for another 15 minutes.

A good rice cooker includes this steaming time in the cooking cycle, and also allows for condensation to evaporate, so you can open the rice cooker and fluff the rice as soon as it stops turns off.

Cooking in a rice cooker

If you are cooking in a rice cooker, just switch on and cook for 20 minutes, your rice cooker will automatically turn off when it is done (or if you need the rice later, set the time). Once the rice cooker turns off, you want to leave the rice in the rice cooker with the lid closed for at least 5 minutes to make sure the rice is cooked thoroughly.

Important note: Never remove the kid during the cooking. This will mess up the cooking process. If the cooked rice seems too dry or mushy, don’t try to cook it again to fix the issue since that will ruin the rice. Next time you can adjust the amount of water to correct the issue. Add a bit more water if it’s too dry. Use slightly less water if it’s too mushy.

Step 5 – Taking the rice out

Once the rice is ready. Take the lid off and fluff the rice by turning it lightly over a few times using a wooden paddle or non-stick paddle. Then, transfer the rice from the pot to a large bowl or a traditional wooden sushi tub called hangiri.

There are some things you need to keep in mind while taking the rice out of the pot:

• Only use a wooden paddle or non-stick paddle to scoop the rice. Don’t use a metal paddle to do that because it can damage the rice or react with the vinegar we’ll add later.
• Don’t try to scrape out the rice from the bottom of the pot. Some of the rice will stick to the bottom, but that’s fine since we won’t use be using these dry and burned pieces for the sushi anyway.

Step 6 – Seasoning the rice

Now spread your rice out and use the paddle to spread the sushi vinegar all over the rice (While the rice is still warm). Working rapidly, turn and mix the mixture in a cutting motion, taking care not squish the grains. Then gently stir the rice to make sure the individual rice grains are all coated by the rice vinegar. That should take a few minutes.

Step 7 – Cooling your sushi rice

Let your sushi rice cool down for a few minutes until it reaches room temperature. You can speed up the cooling process by using either a fan or put it by the window.

Important: Don’t put the sushi rice in the refrigerator because the texture and flavor rapidly deteriorate when it’s chilled. So we recommend making the exact amount of rice you want to eat or use for sushi and finishing it that day. Sushi tastes best when made from freshly cooked, unrefrigerated rice. This is why the good nigiri sushi is eaten right after it’s made, at the sushi counter.

If you must refrigerate, cover the rice while it’s still a bit warm before refrigerating so that it does not dry out. When you need the rice, reheat by gently microwaving or steaming until the texture returns to that of soft cooked rice, then open up to cool down again to room temperature.

Quick Tip:

• Dip your hands in a mixture of water and rice vinegar (with a ratio 1:1). This helps keep the rice from sticking to your hands.
• With a great rice cooker, rest assured that you will make great sushi rice every single time and it can save you a ton of time. You may not have to wait 15 minutes for soaking the rice, and another 15 minutes to steam the rice. Just follow your rice cooker’s instructions to make sure you will have the best result.

See also:

• Best Sushi rice cookers
• Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

The post How To Make Sushi Rice appeared first on quiet hut.

Sushi is perhaps the most famous Japanese food in the world and has transformed into contemporary dishes with varying preparation, condiments, and ingredients, but that doesn’t mean that everyone understands what sushi technically is and what exactly the different types of sushi are. So if you’re looking for the answers to these questions, this article is for you.

Before I elaborate on what the types of sushi are, let me discuss more about what makes sushi and the difference between sushi and sashimi.

What is sushi?

Sushi is vinegared rice topped with some sugar and salt, combined with a variety of other sushi ingredients which can include raw fish, avocado, soy paper, seaweed, cucumber, and omelets. These are just some of the common accompanying ingredients.

The word “sushi” is often ambiguous for most sushi beginners. They think of it as being interchangeable with raw fish. Despite popular belief, the word sushi does not say anything about raw fish. Originally, sushi was fermented fish with sushi rice preserved in salt, and this was a primary dish in the Land of the Rising Sun for a thousand years until the Edo Period when contemporary sushi was developed. The term sushi is no longer used in its original context and literally means “sour-tasting”, which reflects back to its origin of being preserved in salt.

Sushi is Japanese cuisine, but these days you could find sushi everywhere since it has developed into international trend across the world. In America, sushi has become a trendy, healthy, and delicious lunch choice.

The taste can differ vastly from region to region. For instance, sushi in Japan is more flavor concentrate and simple that does not contain more than one type of fish or one type of vegetable. In Japan, they don’t have the types of rolls that are popular at most establishments in the United States, such as Spider Roll, Rock & Roll, and Caterpillar Roll. These kinds of rolls are considered Western-style. When it comes to using condiments, the Japanese also keep it simple. They do not mix wasabi in the soy sauce, they dab a little bit on the sushi if desired. Japanese also do not put sauces on their sushi, such as unagi sauce or spicy mayonnaise. The pickled ginger (Gari), as a palate cleanser, is eaten in between pieces of sushi, not with the sushi pieces.

On contrary, in the Westerners, we love them all in combinations, with the addition of avocado, cream cheese. And the pieces of sushi here are quite big, not the typical bite-size like in Japan, but it’s fine to take two bites.

See Also:  Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

So what’s the difference between Sushi and Sashimi?

Sashimi

Many non-native Japanese tend to confuse between sushi and sashimi while they are actually two completely distinct and separate items. Just remember that sashimi is not sushi since it is not accompanied with rice. Sashimi means “sliced meat”. It is commonly thinly sliced raw seafood that is fresh like Tuna or Salmon. Since mostly freshwater fish tend to have parasites that can cause intestinal distress, saltwater fish is often used. Typically in restaurants, sashimi is served on top of daikon (Asian white radish shredded into long strands) along with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi paste.

Here is a list of common meats served as Sashimi.

• Salmon (Sake)
• Tuna (Maguro)
• Horse Mackerel (Aji)
• Octopus (Tako)
• Scallop (Hotate-gai)
• Fatty Tuna (Otoro)
• Sea Urchin (Uni)

If you want to learn more about Japanese cuisine or simply want to make sushi at home, you also need to know the different types of sushi. So without further ado, let’s dive into the details of all the different types of sushi and prepare your taste buds for some delicious Japanese dishes.

The different types of sushi

Nigirizushi

The most well-known sushi is Nigirizushi or Nigiri, which means hand-pressed sushi. Nigiri is the original form of sushi, consists of an oblong mound of vinegared rice pressed between the palms of the hands to form an oval-shaped ball, and a single topping draped over it. Any hand pressed sushi using your palms belong to this category.

Nigiri became popular in the early 19th century in Japan and it is believed to have been invented as a type of “fast food” by a sushi chef who decided to sell his freshly created sushi to nearby workers for a quick snack. Like other types of sushi, the key seasonings used in nigirizushi are wasabi and soy sauce. While soy sauce is used as a dipping sauce, wasabi is put in nigiri. Other garnishes might include daikon radish and seaweed.

Some common Nigiri sushi toppings include:

• Tuna
• Salmon
• Sea Bass
• Sweet Shrimp
• Yellowtail
• Young Yellowtail
• Abalone
• Flounder
• Japanese Omelette
• Octopus
• Fake Crab
• Gizzardshad
• Monk Liver
• Salmon Roe
• Sea Urchin
• Surf Clam
• Whiting

The best nigirizushi is the one that has bite-size mouthwatering sushi size and thick enough topping to complement the flavor. Many sushi chefs have to go through extensive training to learn how to make nigiri. In many sushi restaurants, nigiri is offered on a combination platter, so that diners can try several different types of sushi at once. This type of sushi is usually served with other types of sushi such as Inari for a taste contrast. Some types of nigiri combine a variety of ingredients, although these types are often found outside of Japan. One of the popular nigiri combinations is grilled unagi and avocado.

If you have a reliable source of very high-quality fresh fish, you can easily make Nigiri at home. If you are unable to obtain freshly caught fish, the fish should be roasted, baked, grilled before being eaten. To make this type of sushi, cook a batch of short grained sticky rice and season it with a mixture of one teaspoon sugar, one tablespoon rice vinegar, and a pinch of salt to each cup of rice. Let the sticky rice cool while you prepare your topping or neta. Dip your hands in water to keep the rice from adhering and pick up a small handful of rice, compressing it to form a clump.

This sushi is intended to be eaten with your fingers, but you can eat it with chopsticks also if desired, and guests are often provided with small individual plates and mixing bowls for sauces. If you want to eat with your hands, place one piece of Nigirizushi between your forefingers and thumb, turn it upside down, and dip the fish in the soy sauce. Be careful not to dip rice in soy sauce too much. This is must be done this way since dipping it rice-side first will cause it to fall apart. You should place Nigiri in your mouth fish side down.

Temarizushi – This is a variant of nigirizushi that is made by pressing rice and fish into a ball-shaped form by hand using a plastic wrap. These sushi balls combine vibrant contrasting colors sashimi over seasoned sushi rice. Temari often served during Hinamatsuri (Japan’s girl day) or other special occasions.

Gunkanmaki – Although Gunkanmaki is referred to as warship or battleship “roll”, it is actually a special type of nigiri that has a strip of nori wrapped around its perimeter to form a vessel that is filled with some loose ingredients that require the confinement of nori. Some common toppings for Gunkanmaki include soybean-natto, salmon roe – Ikura, sea urchin – Uni, and capelin eggs – Masago. Other raw ingredients are also used through dicing, chopping, smashing, then either go alone or combine with sriracha, spice or kewpie mayo to make a unique mixture and place atop the Gunkanmaki.

Makizushi

This type of sushi is one of the most popular types of sushi in America. Which means you can walk into any well-stocked modern grocery store and you can usually find a sushi booth stuffed with all kinds of variations of Makizushi.

Makizushi is the “roll” type of sushi. This is the type of sushi where rice and ingredients are carefully rolled in a sheet of Nori (seaweed), which is then cut into smaller pieces. It can also be wrapped in a thin omelet, cucumber, soy paper, or perilla leaves – Shiso. These are also eaten with your hands.

Topping ingredients for Maki sushi can be anything from whole, slice to chunk, cook to raw. They can be fruit, pickle, meat, seafood, vegetable. The best sushi rolls will have all toppings and ingredients hold well together, e.g. everything should be fresh whether cook or not, not crumble down when eating. Many sushi restaurants make specialized sushi rolls with their chefs’ creations. The creative possibilities are endless.

There are 3 main types of Makizushi that are “inside” rolls. Which means that the rice is rolled inside the seaweed-nori or just about anything that is flat and pliable potential.

Hosomaki (Thin rolls)

Hosomaki is quite popular in Japan for snack, lunch as it is small and bite-sized. It usually contains one ingredient like a strip of fresh tuna, cucumber, or pickled daikon. Because of its thin diameter ( about 1-inch diameter), most people find it harder to roll than the larger chumaki roll.

Some popular types of Hosomaki are:

• Tekkamaki – This sushi is made with raw tuna, served as a quick snack that could be eaten with one hand.
• Kappamaki – named after Japan water imp (greenish color), it is made with sliced cucumber and is traditionally used to cleanse between seafood or fish.
• Negitoromaki – Chopped tuna is usually used for this sushi with chopped scallion.
• Kanpyomaki or Kanpyo – marinated dried gourd strips are the main ingredients in this roll.
• Tukuan Hosomaki – This one is made with takuan.

Chumaki (Medium rolls)

Chumaki is the slightly larger cousin of the Hosomaki, it usually contains 2 or 3 ingredients and is about 1.5” in diameter. It’s a bit easier to roll because there is more diameter to “grip”, but not too much to grip. And there is a 2 ½ inch bare nori strip at the farthest edge left to seal the roll. To make this sushi, you could either use the full 8×7 nori sheet or just fold and tear off a quarter.
What you will need to make this roll are a little close to 1 cup of cooked sushi rice and the ingredients. Then just roll it like you would on a Hosomaki.

Some popular Chumaki rolls include but not limited to:

• Umekyu maki – pickled plum and cucumber, double the clean
• Anakyu – saltwater eel and thin slices cucumber

Futomaki (Thick rolls)

Futomaki is the “fat boy” of this maki roll lineup, typically between 2 and 2.5 inches in diameter. Because of its large size, some people find it harder to roll than a chumaki roll. This roll includes a combination of ingredients (4 or more ingredients).

This roll is a more popular variation of sushi within America and comes in variations that take their names from their place of origin. In Japan, Futomaki usually filled with a variety of contrasting color veggies and pickle mainly for decorating purposes when serving on special occasions. Similar to the above two cousin’s rolling method, the futomaki roll is cylindrical in its shape and usually wrapped in nori, and it uses 1 ½ cups of sushi rice over a full nori sheet instead. One of the unique facts about this type of sushi is that it uses dried ingredients instead of using fresh ingredients which used for a typical sushi roll. One of the most popular Futomaki in Japan is the Ehomaki.

Uramaki

Then there is an “inside-out” sushi when the rice is on the outside, this is called uramaki. This roll is a modern version of makizushi and is a Western’s invention as a result since the creation of the California roll. Which’s why a majority of Western’s sushi rolls are uramaki variants. It’s made by first layering the sushi rice onto the bamboo sushi mat, then laying the flipped nori on the top followed by the certain ingredients such as crab stick -kani, avocado, cream cheese, before rolling. It’s often rolled in sesame seeds, which helps enhance flavor and reduce stickiness or topped with tobiko fish eggs for extra crunch.

Temaki

And last but not least, there is “handroll” or Temaki. Temaki literally translates to hand (te) rolled (maki) sushi. Temaki roll is also a popular casual Japanese food at Japanese sushi bars where your choice of sushi fillings (seafood, fish, egg roulade, caviar, and vegetables) are wrapped with a small amount of sushi rice in a large piece of nori into an easy-to-grab, ice cream cone shaped sushi roll. Traditionally, temaki is eaten by hand, because it would be awkward with chopsticks. Making temaki roll is fun and easy, and it is often used to introduce Westerners to the taste and experience of sushi. The temaki is also ideal for family night dinners. All you need is to prepare the sushi rice, meats and vegetables like crab, tuna, avocado and maybe some seasoned shitake mushrooms and dinner are served.

Inarizushi

Inarizushi is the third popular type of sushi in the U.S., along with nigirizushi and makizushi. This is a deep-fried tofu pouch stuffed with sushi rice which is brown and oval-shaped. The seasoned inari pouch is most commonly filled with sushi rice to create a sweet, slightly sour, juicy dish. Inarizushi can also be filled with rice topped with other ingredients like squid, mushrooms, chives, and shredded omelet. The number of inarizushi recipes is limitless as any ingredients combination mixed to the rice stuff with tofu would create a fun variation.

The portability, versatility, ease of making of inarizushi makes it a perfect lunch for picnics. Unlike other sushi types mentioned above, inarizushi doesn’t contain any fish. So if raw fish is not your favorite, try this sushi. And if you like regular sushi, you’ll still like it, too!

Chirashizushi

The word “chirashi” means “ scattered”. Chirashi is a type of sushi served in a bowl of sushi rice mixed with fish, vegetables, and other ingredients of your choice. The toppings commonly include pieces of salmon, cucumber, squid, and shredded omelet. This sushi is similar to a kaisendon (Japanese rice bowl topped with a large amount of seafood), however, chirashizushi uses vinegared sushi rice whereas kaisendo uses plain steamed white rice.

Chirashizushi is very popular in Japanese homes because it is easy to make and there are almost no limits to what ingredients go in chirashi, making it ideal for using up leftovers. And if you’re a vegetarian, you could make a vegetable-only chirashi since it does not need to have fish. If you’re in the mood for rice and fish but don’t want to make sushi rolls, you can try this one as well.

Mushizushi

Mushi zushi means steamed sushi. This is a very regional sushi that it is not used or found very often on the internet, even if you ask any Japanese, it’s likely they have never heard of or seen it before unless they are from Osaka or Kyoto region. This steamed sushi comes in either a bamboo steamer or a bowl, with such fish as Unagi (freshwater eel), Anago (sea eel), Shrimp and white fish with shitake mushroom and cooked a shredded egg over rice. This sushi is a kind of steamed version of Chirashi. It is easy to make – just place any kind of fish and vegetables over the sushi rice and steam until the fish is cooked.

Oshizushi

Oshizushi means “pressed sushi” or is also known as hako-sushi which means “box sushi”. Box sushi is a fun way to enjoy sushi and fresh fish. This type of sushi is from Osaka, a part of the Kansai region. Today, “box sushi” made with sushi rice and mackerel is one of the most popular forms of taking out food bought at airports by Japanese travelers.

Pressed sushi is one of the oldest forms of sushi, sushi rice and ingredients shaped into a block with a wooden mold, called an oshibako. The bottom of the mold is lined with the topping which is covered with rice and then the lid of the mold is firmly pressed down to form rectangular shape sushi. When the block of sushi is removed from the wooden mold it cut into pieces and served. The toppings include fish like gizzard shad or mackerel, and may also be decoratively layered with leaves like bamboo.

Some popular Oshizushi you would see are:

• Kakinohazushi – This is the type of pressed sushi which is wrapped with persimmon leaves. Unlike most of the other types of sushi, the wrapper of this persimmon leaf-wrapped sushi is not edible, however, it is there because of its bactericidal nature and also to infuse the sushi with its scent. The sushi rice with raw fish wrapped in persimmon leaves and kept for a couple of days, which makes this persimmon leaf-wrapped sushi have a strong and delicious umami taste. Originally from Nara (the land with no sea in Japan), this sushi commonly cannot be found in sushi restaurants.
• Hakozushi – Osaka modern pressed sushi, which includes high-grade fishes such as sea eel, snapper, shrimps and other exotic.
• Hazushi – pressed sushi with leaves layer
• Battera – pressed sushi which topped with gizzard shad or mackerel and cut rectangles.
• Masuzushi – pressed sushi which wrapped by bamboo leaf
• Bozushi – pressed sushi in long candy bar shape and cut into bite-size pieces
  Narezushi

This is considered as a taste of ancient sushi in Japan as before nigiri was invented, Narezushi was the only form of sushi in Japan. Dating back to the 10th century in Japan, Narezushi was fermented fish with sushi rice and salt for six months to a couple of years before being eaten – is a perfect example of this technique that dates to the Nara period. During the fermentation process, the fish started to generate very foul odor and as such, its delicacy just like some foul odor possessing cheese. After the fermentation process was done, the rice was originally discarded, only the fish was eaten.

Over time, this fermentation period became shorter so that the rice could be eaten with the fish that then gave way to more modern types of sushi. At first glance, this sushi looks nothing like other modern sushi. It’s often sold as one whole fish, covered in a yogurt-like sauce. To serve, sushi chefs will slice the fish into thin layers and arrange them atop a bed of rice in a beautiful pattern.

Because of the sewage-like aroma and mouth-puckeringly sour taste of the Narezushi, this one will either make or break your dinner.

These days, narezushi is less popular than other types of sushi because of its extremely pungent flavor. However, funazushi, in the Lake Biwa, remains popular, which made from nigorobuna fish. Because it commonly takes up to 5 years to ferment, funazushi is considered a regional delicacy due to its high price.

The Most Popular Sushi rolls

As you can see, there are many great sushi rolls out there, but some sushi rolls are popular than others. These sushi rolls can usually be found at most sushi restaurants. If you’re going to go out for sushi, here are some great options you can choose from.

Vegetable roll

If you’re a vegetarian, these rolls are great options. They usually contain avocado, shisi leaves, sprout, asparagus, cucumber, carrot, kaiware, etc.

The classic rolls

These rolls are classic for a reason! These ones are very simple yet tasty and contain only three things: tuna, avocado, and cucumber.

Dragon roll

One of the top famous rolls in the U.S. and it’s virtual an inside-out roll with cucumber. I like the crunchy texture of shrimp tempura inside this roll. The outside is cover with sliced avocado to resemble the scale and roasted eel. Since raw sashimi fish is not required for this recipe, pregnant women or small children can enjoy this roll at home!

Shrimp tempura roll

This sushi roll is easy to make and taste just as delicious too. Shrimp tempura roll is one of my favorite sushi rolls, although it’s not prepared in the traditional way since it’s fried is shrimp tempura.

The New York roll

This one is pretty basic but incredibly tasty, it usually contains apple, avocado, and smoked salmon. This roll is ideal for making at home since you can find the ingredients in almost any local market. Most people are open to eating shrimp which makes it a great choice for beginning sushi consumers.

Philadelphia roll

If New York is not quite to your liking, try Philadelphia. This one is a makizushi classified as a type of sushi generally made of smoked salmon, cucumber, avocado, and cream cheese. It can also include other ingredients such as sesame seed, scallions, or other types of fish.

Eel and Avocado roll

Even if you’ve never had sushi roll, you will like this roll. This sushi is chewy and one of the fattier fishes used in sushi. It’s eel, rice, avocado, and nori.

Dynamite roll

This roll is a type of Western-style sushi. It is called this perhaps because of its color scheme and its heavy calorie numbers. It usually contains tempura and masago with vegetables like avocado, radish sprouts, and cucumber, as well as Japanese mayonnaise. The roll is lightly baked, torch, etc. to melt the sauce a bit.

Yellowtail roll

These rolls contain spicy yellowtail, scallion, and cucumber inside, topped with more yellow sashimi. If you’re not a fan of yellowtail, you can use tuna or salmon instead. Unlike some other traditional sushi, Yellowtail ( or Hosomaki in Japanese) is really easy to make. These are also not inside-out rolls, which requires a bit more practice, so it’s a great sushi roll if you are a first-timer.

California roll

This is the basis for all Western or American sushi rolls. This roll is made of avocado, imitation crab, and strips of cucumber. It is then rolled with sushi rice on the outside, seaweed inside and cover with some sesame. The California roll has a lot of variations, with each restaurant changing it a bit. You could find this sushi at any sushi restaurant that serves sushi at a pretty affordable rice too since the ingredients are all budget.

Lion King roll

Lion King roll is essentially the California roll wrapped with salmon and baked, and topped off with a special house sauce (Mayo, Roe, and Sambal Oelek brand chili sauce). Making the Lion King at home is quite simple and budget-friendly as well.

Boston roll

This roll is very similar to the California roll with just slight variations, for example, poached shrimp is used instead of imitation crab. It is usually served with soya sauce, wasabi, and pickled garlic. This roll contains no raw fish, so if you’re a fan of raw fish, you want to give this one a go.

Rainbow roll

This one is definitely one of my favorite rolls. This sushi roll is just a basic California roll, but it’s marbled and the layered topping of assorted fish (tuna, salmon, white fish, yellowtail, red snapper) and avocado make this roll perfectly divine.

Spicy tuna roll

This roll is another popular sushi roll in sushi restaurants in the U.S., along with California rolls, Dragon rolls, and Rainbow rolls. Do you like it hot? If you do, you might like this one made of sushi rice, nori (seaweed), avocado, cucumber and a bit of chili sauce to give it a kick!

Other options

These rolls are just some of the most basic. Of course, there are a lot of sushi rolls that you can find on the market. Some rolls are actually unique to the restaurant. Some may be served mainly in a certain region. For example, in Japan, it’s common to find certain types of sushi in Osaka that you cannot find them in Tokyo. While the American restaurants don’t have this as much, you will still find unique sushi rolls at locally-owned and operated Japanese restaurants.

As mentioned, there are some noticeable differences that you can find between traditional Japanese sushi and U.S. sushi. That’s mainly because Americans are used to eating foods that have certain textures and tastes. For instance, in Japan, the seaweed wrap the outer-most part of the sushi roll, but it is almost always on the inside in the U.S.

The main difference between Authentic Japanese sushi and American sushi

One of the most common questions that most sushi lovers want to know is what the difference between the sushi is prepared in its homeland of Japan and the sushi available in the U.S are. So if you’re finding yourself wondering this question, maybe you can find the answer to your question in the comparison table below.

So if you want to try authentic Japanese sushi, keep reading on!

Where to get Authentic Japanese Sushi?

You can get authentic Japanese sushi in any traditional sushi restaurant in Japan. Generally, Sushi is considered a high-class delicacy, however, prices of the sushi may vary depending on several factors, such as the type of sushi you choose, the location and the sushi chef’s ability. In Japan, you can order your favorite sushi pieces as you eat your meal or you can order a set of sushi with a fixed price, which often comes in handy for group outings.

If you can’t find a sushi shop that meets your budget, there are places called kaiten-zushi, where a conveyor belt topped with plates of sushi moves from table to table around the restaurant. These restaurants offer a casual sushi dining experience at reasonable prices and can be found everywhere in Japan. When you go to a kaiten-zushi, you will wait until your favorite plate of sushi comes near you, and then pick up it from the moving table. If your favorite sushi isn’t available on the table, you can also order them from the kitchen. Prices of the sushi in such a restaurant are determined by the color of each plate, so it’s easy to keep track of meal costs.

If you’ll likely never visit Japan but really want to try one of these types of sushi, you can find it at traditional Japanese restaurants which are usually located in coastal cities with large Japanese populations such as New York, Seattle, Honolulu, or Los Angeles.

See Also:  Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

The post Types of Sushi | All Things You Need Know About Sushi appeared first on quiet hut.

Sushi is one of the most popular dishes in the world, not only because it’s a typical Japanese dish but also it’s healthy and convenient. The term sushi refers to the vinegared rice, so if the vinegared rice is not involved, it cannot be considered sushi. In other words, sushi rice is the most important component of sushi. If you want to make good sushi at home, you need to prepare perfect sushi rice first.

You can use a simple saucepan to make sushi rice, but the most convenient and time-saving way is to cook sushi rice using an electric rice cooker. Cooking rice on the stove is iffy and it requires a constant eye since it can easily overcook. Generally, there are 4 stages to cook sushi rice – wash the rice, soak it, boil it, and steam it until it’s completely cooked. If you use a good rice cooker, you can even skip the soaking and steaming process. It will cook the rice in just the right amount of time and automatically turn it off when it is finished.

There are many different brands on the market for the rice cooker but one interesting thing you might notice is that the best rice cookers would be made in countries where rice is the main staple food. And Japanese rice cookers are one of the most well-known models on the market. The brands from Japan have a strong focus on rice and tend to make high-quality rice cookers. Personally, my trusted rice cooker brand is Zojirushi when it comes to making sushi rice at home. In fact, I have two Zojirushi rice cookers in my home kitchen. Since I cook sushi rice frequently, these rice cookers have “sushi” option which makes it easy for me to get perfectly cooked sushi rice every single time.

In this article, I will share with you some of the best rice cookers from Zojirushi that specifically designed to cook Japanese style sushi rice and then we’ll talk about how to pick the best rice cooker for sushi. You don’t want to buy a unit that doesn’t even correctly cook short grain white rice (sushi rice). This is a special style of rice that compacts easily and bunches together, making it ideal for creating sushi rolls and eating with chopsticks. Since the sushi rice is more absorbent and cooked different than most of the other rice styles, a good rice cooker need to be specially made to handle these rice grains in order to create the perfect sushi rice consistently.

Well, before we go any further, you may want to know a bit about Zojirushi manufacturer.

About Zojirushi corporation – The manufacturer

Zojirushi Corporation is headquartered in Osaka, Japan. It has a branch in South Korea and subsidiary companies in Taiwan, China, Hong Kong, and the United States. This is one of leading manufacturers of kitchen appliances in Japan. The company was founded on the 10th of May in 1918 in Osaka as the Ichikawa Brothers Trading Company. In the year 1948, the company was established as Kyowa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. In 1961, its name was changed again to the Zojirushi Corporation and its corporate logo was adopted. Zojirushi is from Zou (elephant) and Shirushi (mark), so the company’s name means “elephant mark”, denoting intelligence, strength, and familiarity. They started off with glass production, and the company first made a vacuum bottle. In 1970, the company started the manufacture of what will become their most popular product – Rice cooker.

Back in the day, their rice cookers were no more than the conventional rice cooker, but today Zojirushi is a great option when you start to look for the high-quality rice cookers and there is quite a range to choose from. The company seems to be extremely good at creating models that perform above expectations. In most cases, Zojirushi rice cookers are great for every type of rice, including sushi rice.

So without further ado, let’s look at the top three sushi rice cooker from Zojirushi below.

Reviews of the Best sushi rice cookers

1. Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-Cup Rice Cooker

This model Zojirushi is considered as one of the most affordable Zojirushi rice cookers in the market but at the same time, it still offers an extensive range of functions. If you are looking for a small rice cooker to make perfect sushi rice at home, you simply cannot find a better one out there. It comes equipped with almost everything that an expert rice cook could ask for. The artificial intelligence will do the rest of the heavy job for you. The latest fuzzy logic equipped to bring out the perfect rice each time. It will even keep the rice warm after the rice has finished cooking.

Read the detailed review below to determine if the Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-cup rice cooker for you.

Adjusts to the type of rice you are cooking…

This rice cooker is built in with special functions to cook each type of rice since all rice is not cooked the same and each rice type has different cooking times. For example, the sushi rice setting has the same cook time as “White Rice/Mixed Rice” at 40 to 50 minutes, but the way it’s cooked will be different. The Quick Cooking setting can get white rice done at 20 to 30 minutes, but the rice may be a bit harder if it isn’t cooked long enough.

Brown rice has a hard bran (Bran is the hard outer layer that covers unprocessed rice) and requires preheating time so that the water is absorbed better. The brown rice setting cooks longer (with a cooking time of 1 hour 20 minutes) at a lower temperature to prevent mushiness.

Saves your kitchen space

This unit is very compact with a weight of 7 pounds. It takes up a small amount of counter space and its stainless steel body will match just any kitchen decor.

Not enough for serving a large family

Given its size, it can only cook 3 cups of uncooked rice and you will get six cups of superb rice each time. So it works perfectly if you are single or feeding a small family of 3-4.

Delivers the perfect quality of rice each time around

The problem most people have with cooking rice is that they don’t measure the rice and water properly and they don’t know how long to cook their rice. This Zojirushi model solves these problems with two features: the inner pot with measuring lines in it, and the MICOM (microcomputer) technology.

The inner pot is spherically shaped to distribute heat evenly, it also has measuring lines that help you to be more precise when putting in ingredients.

The microcomputer technology will do all of the heavy lifting for you, just put your rice in, set the timer and it will do the rest. You don’t have to worry about overcooking or undercooking since the MICOM distributes heat evenly throughout the cooker that enables you to cook perfect rice every time. This is done through “fuzzy logic” which adjusts the heat according to the ratio of rice to water. Thus, you won’t find a single uncooked patch of rice after the rice cooker stops working. Even if you miscalculate the ratio of rice to water a bit, the quality would not differ.

Automatically keeps cooked rice warm

After the rice has been cooked, the keep warm is used to keep just cooked rice warm for quite some time in case you are not eating right away. But the keep warm setting is not supposed to be used reheat cold rice. Once the cooking cycle is complete, an interchangeable beep signal will alert you.

It is designed with the convenience in mind

The control panel has an LCD panel that is extremely precise. There are many functions and settings that make it more convenient. The buttons are big and obvious. The button labeled “timer” is for setting the time you want your rice to be done. The “cooking” button is used to start the rice cooking cycle. The “menu” button is for selecting a rice cooking mode – quick cooking, white rice/mixed, sushi, porridge and brown.

The rice cooker comes equipped with the cold retractable so it can be stored easily. It also has a non-stick inner pan which makes it easy to clean. The inner lid of the cooker can be removed, you can get it cleaned without having to waste too much time. Note: Use a non-abrasive rag or sponge to clean the inner the pan. The stainless steel exterior also helps quite a bit.

Add-ons

Accessories included with the unit are:

• A measuring cup
• A spatula holder – to avoid making a mess on your countertop
• A rice spatula – to avoid damaging the non-stick coated inner pan

See Price of the Zojirushi NS-LAC05XT Micom 3-cup rice cooker

2. Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH Induction Heating System Rice Cooker

Another great sushi rice cooker from Zojirushi, Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH Induction Heating System rice cooker is made with the sole purpose of producing excellent rice with minimum effort. What is interesting about this rice cooker is the fact that the rice tastes like it was just made after one-two days. This induction based pressure rice cooker model is not the most expensive rice cooker, but it isn’t a cheaply priced one either. So If you plan on using your rice cooker often, this unit deserves a serious consideration.

Want to know more about this rice cooker model? Keep on reading.

Multi-menu functions and healthy cooking options bring variety to your table

There are not many rice cookers out there that can provide a one-size-fits-all method for cooking many different types of rice. But this model offers a wide range of menu cooking functions and healthy cooking options (brown rice, germinated brown rice, and GABA brown rice) so that you can prepare whatever you want. Moreover, this model comes with many advanced features to make sure that every rice type can be cooked to perfection. For instance, there are specialized cycles for sushi rice, sweet rice, porridge, mixed rice, brown rice, GABA brown rice, and germinated brown rice.

There are 3 separate settings for white rice – regular, softer, and harder – to suit your preference. The most impressive rice type is the GABA rice setting. GABA brown rice is not a new variety of brown rice, but a newly discovered way of cooking brown rice to “activate” it and increase natural GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) – an amino acid that lowers blood pressure and relieves stress. The GABA properties are activated by soaking brown rice at 40°C (104°F) for 2 hours prior to cooking.

But what is germinated brown rice?

Germinated brown rice, sometimes called sprouted brown rice, looks similar to regular brown rice. Once cooked, however, the germinated brown rice yields a slightly sweeter flavor and a less chewy texture. Germinated brown rice also contains increased values of GABA and can be used in many of the same recipes in which you already use regular brown rice.

If you enjoy making sushi at home, you will know that sushi rice requires a consistency that can be hard to achieve. The sushi rice setting in the Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH takes a headache out of your preparation and gets it perfect for you every time.

Induction heating technology

This rice cooker model is equipped with the latest advanced technology – induction heating cooking (IH) that efficiently provides high heat and cooks flawless rice every time. IH system combined with the triple heater that penetrates the pot from the bottom, sides, and lid, making sure that everything inside is well cooked. With IH technology, each rice grains cooked at the same time. Therefore, it conserves energy and the result more reliable.

Thanks to IH technology, the rice cooker is able to make precise adjustments to the way it cooks rice, both in temperature and air circulation. And it does all that with the help of a magnetic field created by coils in the base of the rice cooker. When the inner pot is placed into the external vessel, the magnetic field is activated and starts the cooking cycle.

Design and attention to the practical details

Most of the Zojirushi models carry the same design as this one. The outer casing of the rice cooker is stainless steel and the color comes in dark gray. The clear coated exterior gives the cooker sleek and shiny look, making it a welcome addition to any home kitchen. There is a smart led on the front panel which helps it to look better.

Zojirushi doesn’t only offer an innovative way to cook the rice, they also make their cookers as user-friendly as possible. The cooking pot is made of black metal that speeds up the heating process. The inside pot and inner lid are both dishwasher friendly and can be removed for easier cleaning. The clear coating also helps in easy cleaning as nothing sticks to it, it only requires a quick wipe to stay looking as good as the day you bought it.

This rice cooker also comes with handy tools such as measuring and non-stick spatula to make life even easier.

Lets you choose your convenient time

Like other advanced rice cookers, with this model, you will enjoy automatic cooking options that allow you to decide the time to eat. Automatic keep warm function helps to keep rice at the perfect serving temperature. It features an extended keep warm function that allows you to keep the rice warm for over 8 hours. It also comes with a delay timer which pre-soaks the rice before cooking, thus speeding it up.

Size

You can choose two sizes: 1 liter and 1.8 liters. The capacity range varies from a personal need to large family need. The most commonly used capacity is 1 liter since it is perfect for normal use. But if you have a large family, then you go with 1.8 liters (about 7.5 cups).

The verdict?

If you want to use your rice cooker to prepare more than just plain white rice, this model may be a great buy. With this machine, you can make delicious sushi, healthy brown rice varieties, and even creamy porridge for breakfast! Overall, this is a high-end rice cooker for serious rice lovers.

See Price of the Zojirushi NP-HCC10XH Induction Heating System rice cooker

3. Zojirushi NP-NVC10 Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker

Zojirushi NP-NVC10 Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker is one of the most expensive rice cookers on the market, however, the money spent on this unit is worth it, and in time it will simply paying for itself. So If you are able to afford it then this is definitely the best rice cooker that money can buy. The Zojirushi NP-NVC10 Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker will bring the best Japanese rice cooking technology to your dining table. It combines advanced microcomputer fuzzy logic, induction heating, and pressure cooking into one appliance in order to produce the highest quality of rice possible. It offers a wide range of settings that make the machine more versable and it is a perfect option if you plan to cook sushi rice in the appliance.

Read the details below to determine if this Zojirushi model for you.

AI Fuzzy Logic technology

The Zojirushi NP-NVC10 Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker is programmed to adjust the cooking cycle according to your cooking habits. Which means the rice cooker can actually learn from its previous rice-making experiences and reapply the same information to your next cooking to yield a consistent result. The fuzzy logic enables the rice cooker to think like a human for “if…then” scenarios. For example, if you cook sushi rice, a set of variables of cooking time and temperature would be called upon which is different if cooking white rice.

The advanced fuzzy logic will remember key metrics such as the typical capacity of the rice you make in order to automatically set the proper temperature and time. It can adjust its settings to get you perfect rice texture and consistency regardless of environmental factors like humidity and heat. The rice cooker even will make adjustments for the final “wait” period that happens during the steaming process. In other words, this machine thinks things through on your behalf so you can concentrate on putting together the rest of your meal.

What is the reason for adding a pressure cooking function?

Unlike other rice cookers that use a bottom heating element, with this model, the pressure induction heating technology use heat that is electromagnetically generated and the entire pot become the heating element.

The heat is generated through the entire pot surface rather than by an external source of heat. This means your rice will be cooked faster than usual. The pressure cooking function increases the normal boiling point of water so that the cooked rice softer and stays softer for longer.

The rice cooker is equipped with pressurized heating in 3 different settings of temperature and pressure. To cook white rice, the setting is at 104°C/219°F at 2.1 psi, sushi rice (firmer than regular white rice) at 100°C/212°F with 2.1 psi, brown rice at 105°C/221°F at 2.8 psi.

Pressurized cooking is a key feature in this model, applying pressure while cooking converts the rigid beta starch in rice into alpha starch which make the rice softer and easier to digest.

Makes every type of rice you can image

The menu settings are by far the most comprehensive on to date, you can check all of the different types of rice you can make with the Zojirushi NP-NVC10 here.

I love making sushi rice but it’s pretty tricky. This model takes the guesswork out of making sushi rice. You just need to set it and wait for the “Ready” beep sounds.

The umami, steam-reduce, and scorched settings are brand new settings.

To the Japanese, “Umami” is thought of as the 5th flavor, which means “good tasting” or “deliciousness”. The umami setting allows you to capture the “5th flavor” by pre-soaking the rice longer than it does on the white rice setting. This added soak time allows for the rice’s natural sugars to release from and reabsorbed to the rice grains, giving it that subtle “deliciousness”.

The steam-reduce setting allows you to lower the steam to 50% of the regular setting. This process probably helps to shorten the cooking time, less energy is consumed, and allows you to enjoy rice that is firmer than average.

You can even make “scorched” rice. This setting enables you brown/toast the rice to a golden brown, giving it a “nutty” flavor note.

Platinum infused inner pot

Another brand-new feature is that the inner pot has a nonstick fluorine coating infused with platinum particles. These platinum particles alkalize the water via contact. Alkaline water breaks down the proteins on the rice surface to release the natural sweetness of the rice. This helps to give a sweet flavor to the cooked rice.

Smart Lid

Even the lid on this unit is smart. Amazingly, this cooker’s lid sensor keeps track of how many times the rice cooker has been opened and for how long. It then uses these metrics to tell you the ideal temperature and time needed to keep the rice serve ready. The lid is even detachable and washable for easy cleaning.

This rice cooker has two variants

One is a 5.5 cup model (Zojirushi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-NVC10) that is suitable for moderate family.

And the other is a 10 cup model (Zojirushi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker & Warmer NP-NVC18) that is suitable for a larger family.

See Price of the Zojirushi NP-NVC10 Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker 

How to pick the best rice cooker?

Do I want a smart rice cooker or just a simple, get-it-done model?

Most high-end models come with a lot of advanced features and technology such as features to decide when the rice cooker will begin cooking, to keep the rice warm, to speed up the cooking time, or to reheat rice. These advanced features help make the cooking process quicker, more convenient and give you the best price possible.

Some smart models are very intelligent and do all the thinking and cooking for you. They also offer a wide range of menu cooking functions – white rice, mixed rice, sushi rice, porridge rice, and even offers healthy cooking options – brown rice, germinated brown rice, and GABA brown rice.

Basically, with these smart rice cookers, all you need to do is:

• Choose your favorite type of rice.
• Decide how much rice you want to make.
• Fill the cooking pot with water up to the water line for the type of rice you are cooking.
• Press the menu button to select the cooking setting and turn it on.
• It will do the rest.

The thing I like about these rice cookers is that you don’t have to soak the rice before cooking, and you don’t have to steam the rice at the end of the cooking process…they are smart enough to do it all for you.
Keep in mind that all those extra features will come with a few extra dollars tacked onto the price.

Do you have limited counter space?

If you have a limited counter space, you will want to consider a multi-purpose rice cooker that also serves as a steamer and slow cooker. Pressurized rice cookers don’t release steam, so they can be used in almost any room of the house – this might help a lot if you have a small kitchen.

What size do I need?

When selecting a rice cooker, consider how much rice you want to prepare. Consider this suggestion.

• A 3 cup rice cooker will make enough rice just for single or couple.
• 5.5 or 6 cups will feed 3-6 people comfortably
• 10 cup is enough for 7-9 people.

How to use a rice cooker?

1. You can start the rice cooking process by measuring the rice with the included rice cup and put it into your cooking pot. One cup of uncooked rice will make anywhere from 1 ½ cups to three cups of cooked rice, depending on variety. You want to leave enough space for this expansion to keep the rice cooker from spilling over.

2. You want to wash the rice a few times in order to remove any pieces of bran or some of the starch on the outside of the rice grains. If you’re working with sushi rice, then there is a lot to wash off it since it has a lot of starch on its surface. Drain water through a sieve. Here, if you use a pot or a simple rice cooker, you will want to let the rice sit in a sieve and drain for 30 minutes. But with a smart rice cooker, you can skip this step and still get the perfect results.

3. Put the rinsed rice into the inner cooking pot. How much water you add depends on your rice type and how moist you prefer it. There are measuring lines on the inside of the cooking pot which indicates how much water should be added. For example, add 1 cup of white rice to the inner cooking pot and add water to number 1 on the white rice scale mark. Note: Use bottled water to cook your rice if your water is hard and alkaline since this might cause your rice to turn yellow or become gluey and sticky.

4. If you are using a standard rice cooker, you will want to soak your rice to get a shinier rice with a better texture. If you are using a smart rice cooker you don’t have to worry about soaking the rice, it does it all for you.
5. If you are using a simple rice cooker, just press the “turn on” button. If using a smart model, press the menu key to select the cooking setting you want and then press the cooking button to start the cooking process. The cooking light turns on and a melody will play. (You can also change the sounds from a melody to a beep, just follow the instruction).

6. Next, if you are using a smart rice cooker which steams the rice after the cooking time is finished, you do not need to let your rice steam. Otherwise, let the rice steam for 15 minutes.

7. When the cooking time is over, if using a smart model, another melody will play. The rice cooker now switches to keep the rice warm. You can open the lid and turn the rice lightly over a few times using a non-stick rice paddle. This helps to release extra moisture and to make the rice fluffy.

8. Taking the rice out and enjoy!

If you want to know how to make sushi rice at home, you can check this article !

See Also:  Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

The post Best Sushi Rice Cooker Reviews appeared first on quiet hut.

What is Maki Sushi?

Maki means “roll” in Japanese, so if Maki appears in the name of the dish, it is rolled. In the U.S., when someone says Maki, it refers to the sushi roll, however, in Japan, the correct term to use is Makizushi. Maki Sushi is considered a beginner sushi since it is one of the most popular types of sushi in the world and is not adventurous as other sushi types.

Maki sushi is made with nori (seaweed) on the outside, and then vinegared rice on the inside, as well as the various fillings such as seafood (most commonly and often raw) and other different ingredients. Since nori is one of the main ingredients in Maki sushi, it is as known as “norimaki” in Japanese. The choice of fillings are endless and you can have various maki rolls, such as tuna roll, avocado roll, eel roll, cucumber roll, Philadelphia roll, vegetable roll, California roll. The most important aspect is the preparation of the rice. That said, if you want to make decent Maki sushi at home, you need to know how to prepare the rice first.

Generally, making Maki sushi requires several techniques, including rice, spreading, ingredients arrangements (so that the cut faces looking pretty), rolling (not too tight, not too loose) and clean cutting. Maki sushi looks like it is more difficult to make than other sushi types, but with the aid of a bamboo mat, it is quite easy. In order to help you spread the rice thin enough and to use fillings sparingly, the key is to keep your hands moistened at all times.

There are several different styles of Maki sushi, based mainly on the thickness of the roll itself. In this article, we will walk you through different types of Maki sushi that you can often found in sushi restaurants.

Where can you eat Maki sushi?

Maki sushi is one of the most popular types of sushi in America. To see evidence of this, while it goes without saying that you can find them in any sushi restaurant, you can find them in any well-stocked modern grocery store, supermarkets and even in convenience stores.

How Do You Make Maki Sushi

If you want to make Maki sushi at home, you will need some specialty items to get started (except you want to make temaki sushi). Sushi mat or makisu is one of them – made from thin pieces of bamboo held together with string. A bamboo mat is a working place where you will put all your ingredients in and start rolling. These mats can be found in any supermarket or you can get them online.

See Also:  Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

Sushi rice

Like any type of sushi, rice is the most important element in maki sushi. You should only use sushi rice for making any sushi type since it is sticker than most of the rice. Sushi rice can be made easily at home with a few ingredients.

See also: How to make perfect sushi rice at home

Sushi fillings

As mentioned, Maki sushi can be filled with a variety of ingredients, but the most popular ingredients are raw tuna, raw salmon, cucumber, Nita kanpyo, simmered shiitake, sakura denbu, rolled omelette.

Rolling Maki sushi

Once you have all the desired ingredients, you will start rolling. This process is relatively easy with the help of a bamboo mat, but it will take some practice to get right if you are a first-timer. Don’t worry about messing up at first, they may just fall apart, but will still taste good.

4 Types of Maki Sushi

Hosomaki

Hosomaki rolls are simple rolled, thin sushi, which should be consumed in a single bite. They are made with a half sheet of nori, sushi rice and usually contain only one filling ingredient like fish or a vegetable. There are many versions of Hosomaki based on the ingredient. Hosomaki that contains cucumber is called Kappamaki. Another common type of Hosomaki is Tekkamaki, filled with tuna. Hosomaki was originally designed as a convenient snack, so they are simple in flavor, simple to eat and simple to make. Since Hosomaki stands tall and elegant with a single filling, the key to have a good Hosomaki roll is not overdoing it.

However, do not underestimate Hosomaki sushi as the simplicity of it is a delight in itself. One really gets to savor and taste that single distinct filling. The layer of sushi should be thin enough to complement and not-power the filling.

How to make hosomaki

First, you want to moisten your hands with warm water to keep the rice from sticking to your hands.

With the half sheet nori on the bamboo rolling mat, spread a thin layer of the sushi rice onto the nori, leaving about 1 inch of the nori without rice at the far end. This part will be used to seal the roll. Create a thin ridge at the far end to prevent filling from spilling forward when rolled.

You will want to use your fingertips to spread the sushi rice onto the nori. If you try to use rice paddle, spoon or spatula, you will end up with a paste. While spreading the sushi rice using your hands, don’t put too much pressure on the rice, otherwise, you will end up with a paste as well. Also, don’t try to make all of these sushi rice and nori planks at once as the longer the sushi rice sits on the nori, the more paste-like the rice will get, so make them as you go.

Next, place your desired ingredient over the sushi rice. Be sure to try to evenly distribute the single ingredient throughout the hosomaki roll.

Then lift the bamboo rolling mat with your thumbs and slowly begin rolling forward until the edge of the mat touches the top of the ridge. Firmly squeeze the bamboo rolling mat with your thumb and fingertips to make sure that the roll doesn’t fall apart when you eat it.

When you finish rolling, give the roll a few good squeezes, making sure to squeeze on the spot of the nori with no rice to give the Hosomaki roll a good seal. If the roll does not seal, you want to run your wet finger down the inside of the flap of the nori and try sealing it again.

Finally, moisten your sushi knife with vinegared water and cut the roll into 5 slices. Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and a small dollop of wasabi. Enjoy!

Futomaki

You have met Hosomaki, the thin elder brother. Now you will get to meet the fat younger brother, Futomaki – one the most popular types of sushi in the U.S. They both have the same nori wrapping on the outside and a layer of sushi rice on the inside. But while Hosomaki is slim and willowy with the single ingredient, Futomaki is plump and juicy with two or more ingredients.

Futomaki rolls are often much larger than other types of sushi – as much as 2 inches in diameter. That’s why you cannot have too many Futomaki rolls on your plate at once. On the other hand, Hosomaki has strength in numbers as they are usually clustered together.

Futomaki is served throughout the year in Japan, but it is the main dish for Setsubun, the day of prayer for a good year with happiness. Japanese people have a tradition of eating futomaki during Setsubun holiday. At this time, Japanese call this sushi roll “Ehomaki”. “Eho” refers to a lucky direction (this direction changes every year depends on the zodiac symbol for the year), and you would eat the entire Ehomaki while facing the lucky direction. Don’t know whether you believe Ehomaki will make your wish come true or not, but If you happen to be in Japan at this time, you won’t want to lose any opportunities to enjoy this delicious roll for sure.

It’s simple to prepare the ingredients for making Futomaki, especially you can also use the leftover trimmings or other pieces of meats to make it since the quality is not affected by the way that the filling look. Just like other types of Maki, most sushi chefs use the leftover trimmings to make Futomaki so that they can cut down on waste and cut costs.

Futomaki thick rolls are generally made with cooked vegetables and some cooked seafood. Popular ingredients are boiled spinach, marinated shiitake mushrooms, grilled unagi, sweet fish flakes. You can use any combinations, so be creative!

How to make Futomaki

Place the bamboo rolling mat on the work surface and put a sheet of nori on the mat, shiny side down.

Dip your hands into some warm water and shake off the excess water. This keeps the rice from sticking to your fingers while assembling the sushi. Then cover about two-thirds of the nori with sushi rice and spread evenly with your fingertips. Leaving about ½ inches of the nori without rice at the far end, this will help to keep the rice from coming out from the seam and makes it look pretty after you roll.

Place your fillings across the rice. You should cut the ingredients into a long stick if possible that allows for an even distribution of the ingredients as well as makes it easier to roll. Put the larger items on the bottom and the smaller ones on the top. Since Futomaki is a big roll, you want to spread the ingredients out some to accommodate the size of the roll. Don’t worry about keeping everything inside of the plank since they will move around while rolling.

Fold the bamboo rolling mat over, start rolling the nori onto the filling tightly and firmly until the bottom end reaches the top end of sushi rice. Be careful not to roll the rolling mat into your sushi roll. You may have to support your filling with your fingers so that it goes in the proper place while rolling.

Hold the roll with the bamboo mat over it, and grab the top of the mat and pull against each other to tighten the roll. When the roll is tight enough, pulling the mat forward to finish rolling. Continue to make the rest of the rolls.

Now you have a futomaki complete roll. Remove the roll from the mat and put it on a cutting board. Using a very sharp knife and cut the roll in half first. Every slice or every other slice, wipe the knife with moisture kitchen cloth for making clean cuts. Then cut both of two pieces in half again. Then cut all of these pieces in half again. This should give you eight evenly sliced pieces of futomaki.

Uramaki

Maki sushi has an “inside-out” variation which is also a largely American form of sushi called Uramaki, some people refer to uramaki as “inside-out rolls”. Like futomaki, this type of maki sushi has two or more fillings. The difference is that Uramaki has the sushi rice on the exterior of the sushi roll rather than the seaweed. If you have ever seen a California roll, you will be familiar with this type of Maki sushi. California roll is actually a classic example of uramaki.

Uramaki can be made with different fillings such as salmon, canned tuna, crab fish cakes, butterhead lettuce, avocado and more. Often uramaki are topped with garnishes like the fish roe or sesame seeds for a finishing touch. This type of roll was invented in America and originally made with non-Japanese diners in mind, as the dark green of the nori was potentially off-putting to those not used to it. While uramaki rolls are a fun addition to a sushi platter, they are more common outside of Japan like some other rolls such as the well-known California and Philadelphia rolls.

How to make Uramaki

Inside-out rolls are made just like futomaki, but you start with a piece of plastic wrap over the bamboo sushi mat. This plastic wrap helps to avoid sticking. If you want to use a gallon ziploc bag, choose the cheapest ones since they will be more flexible and easier to roll.

Then, again, dip your hands in some warm water and remove any excess water. Spread the sushi rice directly onto the plastic wrap.

Next, place a sheet of nori over the sushi rice and gently pressing the nori to the rice. Then place filling ingredients on the top of the nori. There are many different filling ingredients that you can add to the roll.

Then, lift the rolling mat with your hands and use your fingers to hold the fillings in place. Keep rolling the mat exactly like futomaki.

The Uramaki can be coated with sesame seeds and other garnish. You can do this by rolling the roll in them.

Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the roll. Moisten your knife and cut the complete roll exactly in the center. Then cut both of two pieces in half. Finish by cutting the four pieces in half again.

Remove the wrap, arrange your Uramaki rolls on a sushi plate and serve. Don’t forget the soy sauce and wasabi for dipping and pickled ginger for cleansing the palate between eating different pieces of maki sushi.

Temaki

“Te” means hand, so temaki is hand roll. Temaki is similar to other variations of Maki sushi in that it uses nori as a wrapper with the sushi rice and toppings inside. While other Maki sushi rolls are shaped to a cylinder with bamboo rolling mat, temaki does not require a makisu (bamboo rolling mat) to form the roll – it is shaped like a cone by hand, hence the name temaki. Because of its unique form, Temaki is usually eaten with the hand rather than with chopsticks.

Unlike other types of Maki sushi, in which rolls are expected to dip in soy sauce, temaki usually come with fillings that are pre-seasoned, precluding the need for a soy drunk. Temaki should be eaten straight away since the cone of dried nori can absorb moisture from the fillings inside, making it to lose its crispness. If it is premade, it will generally be sealed in plastic that would be removed just before eating.

These Japanese hand rolls are a more casual type of sushi. They have a fun visual appearance with ingredients overflowing from the cone like a cornucopia which makes them a fun choice for a sushi party.

How to make temaki sushi

Temaki is considered the easiest, dirtiest way to have Maki sushi at home since it does not require any specials tools nor technique to make.

First, take a piece of nori and hold it in your hand. Nori (Seaweed) used for Temaki would be either ½ or ¼ of full-size one used for Maki so that a small pile of rice and fillings can be made on one corner.

Spread sushi rice onto one end of the nori, then covering around a third of it. Add your desired toppings diagonally across the rice.

Once you have added what you like, roll the temaki by bending your hand so that it starts to fold in onto itself. When you finish rolling, you should have a cone-shaped roll. The moisture in the sushi rice will make the rice stick to the seaweed.

So there you have it. All 4 of the different type of Maki sushi. Choose your favorite one and get started making your very own Maki sushi.

Enjoy… and have a wonderful day!

See Also:  Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home

The post What is Maki sushi (Makizushi)? appeared first on quiet hut.

There are a ton of sushi ingredients and condiments on the market that you could have in your home kitchen. But you only need a few basic sushi ingredients to get started making good sushi. Outlined below are the basic items you need to get started. Keep reading on!

Sushi Ingredients

Sushi Rice (Sushi-Meshi)

Without any doubt, Sushi rice plays the most important role in making good Sushi. It also has one of the most pleasing textures in the world. Sushi rice is made by cooking a super premium grade short or medium Japanese white rice and then mixing it with rice vinegar, salt and sugar mixture while fanning it to cool it off. This combinations of ingredients and activities together make the sushi rice fluffy, but still firm, and with a shiny sheen to it. Sushi is sticky, gooey and chewy – in the best possible way. And the sweetness from the sugar and the bright pop of vinegar added to sushi rice don’t hurt anything either.

Learn how to prepare the perfect sushi rice at home, and you will be able to make your great sushi rolls at any time you want. Cooking the sushi rice at home might look complicated, but as you go along with it, you might notice that it’s just like making your ordinary rice, only with some ingredients added to it, and a bit of Japanese methodology.

Recommended Sushi Rice: Kokuho Rice Sushi

Japanese rice vinegar (Komezu)

Rice vinegar is another important ingredient of sushi. For those who don’t know, sushi gets its name from vinegar, SU meaning vinegar and SHI meaning the skill of hand. Rice vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented rice in China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam. Japanese sushi vinegar is around 5% acidity and is rather mild and slightly sweet in taste. The ready-to-use Japanese sushi vinegar is easy to use and of very high quality. The right taste is obtained by adding salt and sugar into the sushi vinegar. Rice vinegar is used in combination with salt and sugar to form the seasoning for your sushi rice giving it that sweet and tart flavor that we all recognize in good sushi rice.

Although Japanese rice vinegar can be made at home, it can also be readily bought in any local Japanese grocery store. Rice vinegar is not only used to cooked rice to be used in making sushi, but it is also used to make sunomono (vinegar dishes), tsukemono (pickles), nimono (simmered dishes) as well as used in salad dressing varieties popular in the west, such as sesame dressing or ginger.

Recommended Japanese rice vinegar: Marukan Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Kombu (This is meant for flavoring, not eating)

Kombu is technically an edible kelp from the brown algae family known as Laminariaceae. It is widely eaten in most East Asian countries such as China, Korea, Japan. The majority of the available Kombu is cultivated in the seas of Korea and Japan. Over 90% of the Japanese variety is harvested from around Hokkaido, which is the second largest island of Japan.

In Japan, Kombu is a sort of sea-weed used in many Japanese foods. Kombu is usually sold in thick, dried, nearly black strips. It may be pickled with sweet and sour flavoring, cut into strips about 2 cm wide and 5 cm length. These are often eaten with green tea. It can be used to make pickled or added to the sushi rice during cooking. It may also be eaten fresh in sashimi.

But perhaps it is a dried seaweed mainly used in dashi, a soup stock used in Japan similar to the way that we use chicken stock here in the United States. Dashi is made by putting dried kombu in cold water and heating it to near-boiling.

How to use Kombu in sushi?

Although its most notable use is in making Dashi, it is also one of the “required” sushi ingredients for making the perfect sushi rice. This is not used as the actual wrapping but instead is for flavoring the sushi rice. When cooking the sushi rice, just before you turn on the rice cooker, throw in a few small pieces of Kombu (5x5cm per 3 cups of rice). It is helpful to make slits in one or more sides of the Kombu to help release its flavors. Kombu typically gives the sushi rice a hint of dashi flavor.

Kombu can be found at your local Asian food store or Japanese market. It can also be found online here.

Recommended Kombu: Wel-pac Dashi Kombu

Nori (seaweed)

Nori is the Japanese name for edible seaweed species of the red algae (though it looks green) genus Pyropia, including P. tenera and P. yezoensis. Nori is gotten from the sea, washed with water and then passed through a shredding machine to make it smaller. These small pieces are mixed with fresh water, passed through rectangular or square frames, drained and then dried on a heated surface. The results are dried edible seaweed sheets that are immediately packed and sealed to keep them from absorbing moisture.

Sushi Nori, which you use for rolling the sushi ingredients in, is very important. Not any type of Nori can be used for making sushi. To get the good sushi, you need to use high-quality nori. The taste and quality of the Nori is a function of location, water temperature and mineral content of the sea. This might explain why the best Nori is usually produced on the Ariake Bay, Kyushu Island of Southern Japan. The finest Nori for sushi is the one which is uniformly thick and very dark in color (like black). The dark Nori is rich in protein, vitamin A, calcium, and iron.

Nori is used in most kinds of sushi. Its mild, salty and unique seaweed flavor makes a perfect pairing with sushi rice, fish and the other ingredients of sushi. A fresh nori should come very dry. But it will become sticky once it interacts with the moist sushi rice. Thus, it acts as a firm yet sticky skin for the sushi when wrapping the rice. So to make the most of the nori, it must be kept in a dry environment before used or it will not stick well and the sushi will fall apart soon.

As in most sushi ingredients, you can get Nori in most Asians stores or Japanese markets. There are many suppliers at different costs and values. In order to get the good sushi rolls, it’s important to find good Nori.

Recommended Nori: Daechun Sushi Nori, Product of Korea

Fish

For culinary, and sanitary reasons, the freshness and the quality of raw fish must be superior to that of cooked fish. Sushi chefs are trained to recognize important attributes, including firmness, color, smell, and freedom from parasites that may go undetected in the commercial inspection.

If you want to use raw fish in your sushi, be careful where you buy it. Not any raw fish can be used for sushi – Look for sushi- or sashimi-grade fish. Regular fishes are not handled with the intention of raw preparation as they are likely to contain parasites and bacteria. You may want to ask at a local sushi bar or check out Asian markets.

Here’re some popular fish types that you can use to make sushi:

Bluefin Tuna (Maguro)

Bluefin tuna is one of the prized fish in Japan – so much so that only 20% of the Pacific and Atlantic bluefin tunas are consumed outside of the country. Bluefin tuna is also one of the most popular fish found in sushi. It has a firm yet tender texture and fresh, mild flavor.

The Japanese have been using tuna for making sushi since the mid 19th century when a chef marinated some pieces with soy sauce and called it nigirizushi.

These days, sushi chefs prepare three different cuts of this fish: akami, chu-toro, and o-toro. Akami is the red meat that is at the top of the back of the tuna. Chu-toro is the milky-pink marbled meat which is located in the belly of the tuna. It has a rich buttery texture. O-toro is the fatty part of the tuna which is found at the fattiest portion of the belly. Toro is considered the most prized and expensive part of the bluefin tuna. It has a richer texture and flavor.

Salmon (Sake)

Along with bluefin tuna, Salmon is one of the easiest fish for sushi novices to enjoy. It is the fish of choice for making nigiri sushi. It has a soft texture and a pleasing, mild flavor and its flesh could appear as peachy orange or deep red. Many sushi lovers insist on salmon even when they are presented with many other options. So salmon can be found in almost every sushi restaurant. The fatty part of the salmon, called “Beni toro” in Japanese, is considered the most prized part of the salmon. In addition to its tasteful freshness, salmon also contains nourishing protein and two types of omega-3 fatty acids: DHA and EPA, which the body cannot produce by itself.

Japanese amberjack or yellowtail (Hamachi)

This fish is a seasonal favorite in the cold months because of its high content. Prepared either cooked in a roll or raw as nigiri, Japanese amberjack has a buttery texture with a bold tangy flavor. In Japan, about 120,000 tonnes of Japanese amberjack are sold every year. While the fish reach 3 kilograms are sold which is called hamachi, others left to grow bigger till they attain a weight of 5 kilograms is called buri. American sushi chefs believe that Japanese amberjack is better for sashimi or nigiri since the marbled fat give a versatile flavor profile that can make a dish which is rich, salty and spicy.

Mackerel

Mackerel is generally more attractive to the Japanese than to us sushi-rookie Westerners. In fact, many non-native Japanese avoid eating mackerel at sushi restaurants. The fish gets a bad rap for being “fishy”, with a tendency for the potent flavor to linger on one’s palate (or hands) for extended periods of time.

On contrary, Mackerel is quite popular in Japan and it is commonly served as sushi. It is especially healthy that is packed with omega-3’s, DHA, and EPA. Mackerel is a shiny fish that has a potent fishy flavor and aroma. There are four types of mackerel most commonly served in sushi restaurants.

• Saba – is cured for hours with vinegar and salt before being served as sushi. This mackerel is known to be a fall-season fish.
• Spanish mackerel (sawara) – a large variety with a whiter color. The fish’s best season is spring and it is very popular from spring to early summer.
• Horse mackerel (aji) – This fish is smaller than other types of mackerel and has a lighter flavor. Its best season is summer.
• Mackerel pike (sanma) – This fish actually belong to another family. Sanma was not commonly served as sushi in Japan until recently. The best season is from late summer to fall.

Fun fact: While tuna doesn’t have “mackerel” in its name, it also belongs to the mackerel family.

Albacore tuna (Bontoro)

Albacore tuna, the bluefin tuna’s smaller cousin, became a popular sushi fish in recent times. Since albacore lives in the warmer parts of the sea, it has a more delicate flesh and smoother texture compared to bluefin tuna. Sushi chefs use a method called tataki in order to further concentrate the albacore’s flavor. They grill it quickly, cook the outside and then drunk it on ice water to tighten up the flesh. Albacores are one of the most affordable fishes, so in Japan, you will find them in kaiten-sushi (belt-conveyor sushi chains). At sushi restaurants in the U.S, this type of tuna will often run a bit cheaper than all other types of tuna.

Vegetables

There are some vegetables that show up in sushi more than others such as cucumbers, avocado, carrots, spring onions and steamed Asparagus. You should find out which types of sushi you want to make and then get needed vegetable(s) depending on your favorite type. If you don’t know what types of the sushi are, then visit our types of sushi page to learn more.

Sushi Condiments

Wasabi

Japanese horseradish also called “wasabi”, is a Japanese spice root and has a potent, hot flavor, but not in the same way as capsaicin in hot peppers produces heat. It generates vapors that are felt more in the nasal passages than on the tongue. Wasabi will add a spicy punch to your favorite sushi roll. Start with a tiny dot of it the first time you try it.

For most people, wasabi is an important member of sushi table. Some like to swipe wasabi onto the sushi rice when making sushi, and some prefer to add it to the soy sauce bowl for dipping.

Wasabi products for sushi can be found in your local Japanese grocery or Asian food stores in either paste or powder form.

Recommended Wasabi:  Wasabi Paste, Japan

Soy sauce

Nothing is as good as dipping your sushi roll in soy sauce combined with some wasabi and taking a juicy bite. So how could anybody eat sushi without it?

Soy sauce, also known as shoyu, is a dark, salty sauce. It is traditionally used in many Asian cuisines, including Japanese sushi. It helps enhance the umami flavors of the sushi ingredients. It may be served in a small bowl (per person) for dipping. It is made using the paste of soybeans that have been boiled and mixed with grain (rice, wheat, or barley), Aspergillus sojae and brine. You can choose between low-salted soy sauce or the sweet sashimi-shoyu.

Recommended Soy sauce: Kikkoman Japan Made Soy Sauce

Sushi ginger (Gari)

Wasabi’s pink (or yellow) companion is thin-sliced pickled ginger, also called gari. Gari is a sharp, fragrant and slightly sweet condiment. It is there to be eaten between pieces of sushi roll (or with it if you prefer) as well as before and after a sushi meal in order to cleanse the palate. It is made by salting slices of ginger, then pickling them in a solution of sugar and rice vinegar.

It is a common item that you can find in Asian markets in various sizes. Not much of this condiment needed for one meal of sushi, so the smaller jars are commonly the ones taken.

Recommended Sushi Ginger: Sliced Pickled Ginger, Japan

These are some ingredients and condiments which are considered “classics” due to the traditions and tastes if Japanese cuisine. However, If you’re making you sushi at home, you ‘re free to put whatever you want in your sushi.

Other Tools You will Need for Making Sushi

Bamboo paddle, spreader, and mat

Hangiri

Chopsticks

Sushi: Taste and Technique

The post Sushi Ingredients – Everything You Need to Make Sushi at Home appeared first on quiet hut.