S U S H I

Sushi is the most famous Japanese dish outside of Japan, and one of the most popular dishes among the Japanese themselves who usually enjoy sushi on special occasions.

In Japanese cuisine, sushi is a type of food made from vinegared rice, topped or filled with fish, seafood, vegetables or egg. The topping can be raw, cooked, or marinated; and may be served scattered in a bowl of rice, rolled in nori, laid onto hand-formed clumps of rice, or stuffed in a small tofu pouch.

During the Edo period, "sushi" refered to pickled fish conserved in vinegar. Nowadays sushi can be defined as a dish containing rice which has been prepared with sushi vinegar. There are many different types of sushi. Some popular ones are:

Nigiri
Small rice balls with fish, etc. on top. There are countless varieties of nigirizushi, some of the most common ones being tuna, shrimp, eel, squid, octopus and fried egg.
Gunkan
Small cups made of sushi rice and dried seaweed filled with seafood, etc. There are countless varieties of gunkanzushi, some of the most common ones being sea urchin and various kinds of fish eggs.
Norimaki
Sushi rice and seafood, etc. rolled in dried seaweed sheets. There are countless varieties of sushi rolls differing in ingredients and thickness. Sushi rolls prepared "inside out" are very popular outside of Japan, but rarely found in Japan
Temaki
Temakizushi (literally: hand rolls) are cones made of nori seaweed and filled with sushi rice, seafood and vegetables.
Oshizushi
Oshizushi is pressed sushi, in which the fish is pressed onto the sushi rice in a wooden box. The picture shows trout oshizushi in form of a popular ekiben (train station lunch box).
Inari
Inarizushi is a simple and inexpensive type of sushi, in which sushi rice is filled into aburaage (deep fried tofu) bags.
Chirashi
Chirashizushi is a dish in which seafood, mushroom and vegetables are spread over sushi rice.

Note that "sushi" becomes "zushi" in word combinations in which "sushi" is the second word, e.g. nigirizushi.

Sushi-Making Tools

You’ll need a number of tools to make sushi. Though you may already have some of them on hand, you’ll probably need to buy others. The following list describes the most important sushi-making tools and the primary use for each. Where applicable, tool care instructions are provided as well.

• Bamboo rolling mat (makisu): To make sushi rolls, you need a rolling mat, which is made from small bamboo sticks held together with cotton string. You should clean your mat with cold water and wipe it dry promptly after each use. A square mat that measures 9 1/2" on each side is best.

 

• Rice paddle (shamoji): Use this wooden paddle to turn and cool down sushi rice after cooking. The flat, round paddle won’t bruise the rice while turning it. Always soak your paddle in water before use to prevent rice from sticking to it.

 

• Rice cooker: You can cook rice in any heavy-bottomed pot, but an electric rice cooker makes perfect rice every time and requires less work on your part. Look for one with a nonstick interior and a capacity large enough to meet your needs. A 10-cup cooker will make rice for about 5–6 people.

 

• Flat fan (uchiwa): This lightweight paper fan helps to cool rice by fanning air over it. Use it as you turn the rice with your rice paddle.
• Rice tub (hangiri): Use this short, stout, wooden vessel to speed the cooling of sushi rice before flavoring the rice with rice vinegar. Soak the rice tub in cold water and dry it before each use. When finished, wash it in cold water (without soap) and dry it completely. Store the tub upside down in a cool place away from direct sunlight.

 

• Sushi mold (oshibako): This type of mold is used primarily to make pressed sushi, though some molds are used to form finger sushi. Most pressed sushi molds are wooden, but plastic ones are easier to care for since they don’t require drying after each use.

 

• Sushi knives (hocho): Sushi knives are designed to make the precise cuts in fish and vegetables needed for sushi (for more information, see How to Buy and Care for Sushi Knives and How to Use Sushi Knives).
• Cutting boards: To maintain proper hygiene, use a wooden cutting board only for vegetables and use a plastic board for fish. Plastic boards won’t absorb odors or bacteria from the fish.
• Strainer: Use this tool to wash uncooked rice, rinse vegetables, and tenderize fish skins.
• Grater: Many sushi recipes call for grated horseradish, citrus peel, or ginger, so a small grater is necessary.
• Cloth towels (fukin): Use a damp, lint-free towel to clean your hands and cover rice as it cools.

 

SUSHI RICE RECIPE
Often, up to 80% of product consumed during a sushi meal is rice. Getting your sushi rice right is a crucial element in successful sushi making at home. The proper preparation of the rice is so important that in our shop as well as most quality establishments there are chefs whose sole responsibility is to cook the rice.

Let's Begin
If you do not have a Japanese rice cooker, a heavy pot with lid is essential( I like Lagostina cookware). One secret is to always measure your ingredients carefully. Following is a basic sushi rice recipe for rolled sushi. Also, the type of rice you use is most important.

We recommend the following brands: Kokuho Rose, Tamaki Gold, Tamanishiki, Nozomi and Yume.

Prepare Your Tezu
Your first step is to prepare your vinegar-water solution called tezu. Mix together 250 ml of water, 30 ml of rice vinegar (Marukan and Mitsukan are excellent) and 5 ml of salt.

Ingredients
(yields - 4 large rolls [futomaki] or 10 small rolls [hosomaki]) 500 ml Sushi Rice
600 ml Water
60 ml Rice Vinegar
30 ml Sugar
5 ml Salt

Wash The Rice
Wash the rice several times until the water runs fairly clear when draining. Let your wash rice strain for 30 minutes. Transfer the rice to your pot or Japanese electric rice cooker and add the measured water.

Cook The Rice
For electric rice cookers, turn on and wait for rice to finish cooking. For stove top cooking heat to boiling , cover tightly and simmer at lowest heat allowing the rice to steam for 18 minutes. You must leave it covered... no peaking!

Remove your pot from the heat and let stand covered for another 15 minutes.

Prepare Your Sushi Vinegar
Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt together in a small saucepan. Heat the mixture until the sugar dissolves, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and let your sushi vinegar cool to room temperature.

Take a wooden spatula or spoon and cut and fold the rice. Be gentle as you do not want to smash the cooked grains.

Prepare Your Mixing Bowl
Moisten your bowl with a cloth dampened with your TEZU mixture. The traditional bowl to use is the flat-bottomed wooden sushi oke or hangiri. The porous wood absorbs excess moisture and the large surface allows the rice to cool more quickly and evenly.

Put the hot rice into your mixing bowl and add 1/4 of the sushi vinegar solution. Mix with a folding motion so as to not smash your perfect sushi rice. Repeat until all sushi vinegar is used.

Fan Your Rice
After mixing, fan [electric fan will work] the hot rice mixture for about 5 or 6 minutes in order to remove excess moisture and create a glossy shine to your rice. Your rice should have a slight chewiness and be sticky to the touch.

You're Done
Et Voila! Sushilinks' perfect sushi rice – ready for rolling!