SUSHI RICE

Sushi is made with three simple ingredients: raw fish, a nori sheet, and sushi rice.

Sushi rice is made by cooking Japanese short-grain rice, which is then seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, salt, and often with kombu (kelp).

• Japanese short grain rice (Recommended Tamanishiki Super Premium Short Grain Rice and Kokuho Rose Rice
• Kombu (kelp) — Optional, but highly recommended! It’s the top secret for achieving best aromatic sushi rice.
• Sushi seasoning : Ingredients for 6 cups of cooked rice (3 cups of uncooked rice).

• 4 tbsp of Rice vinegar (Mild)
• 4 tbsp of sugar
• 1 tbsp of salt 

HOW

1. Cook rice with kombu using your preferred cooking method. (Rice 1, Water 1). Rinse rice thoroughly until water is clear)
2. Make sushi vinegar (seasoning).
3. Transfer cooked rice to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a sushi oke or hangiri (traditional method in our class).
4. Season the rice with sushi vinegar, then mix with a rice paddle (slicing motion!)
5. Cover with a damp towel and be ready to use. Traditionally, it's served body temperature right out of the chef's hand.

For Tezu (Finger Dipping Water) while you are making sushi

¼ cup water

2 tsp rice vinegar (unseasoned)

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HOW TO ROLL 

Prepare your sushi sheet

1. Place your nori sheet longest edge at the bottom, shiny side facing down. You can place this on the sushi mat to help you roll it but you don’t have to at this stage. Wet your hands to prevent the rice from sticking, then place a thin layer across the sheet leaving about an inch gap at the top.
2. Add your filling of choice.
3. Make sure your ingredients are thinly sliced and a similar length, so they can be lined up on the rice. Place your filling half way up the rice and let it hang over the sides, to make sure the whole roll is filled.

How to roll sushi

1. Make sure you have some water to hand. Take the bottom of the sheet and roll it up so that the bottom meets the top line of the rice.
2. Try to make one full roll of the rice keeping it tight, hold the roll in place. Then continue to roll the sheet, sealing the roll.
3. Place the roll on the sushi mat, roll the mat around the sushi giving it a gentle yet firm squeeze. You want to compact the roll keeping it round but not squash it.
4. Once you have made up all your rolls, make sure your knife is sharp and run the edge of the knife under a running tap. Cut the roll in half then keep cutting the pieces in half again until you have 8 pieces. (Keep running the knife under a little water in between cuts to prevent the rice from sticking to it).

To make sushi with rice on the outside: Uramaki sushi

• Follow the process as above but start by cutting your nori sheet in half. This will give you one whole circle when you roll the sushi. Then layer on the rice covering the whole surface.
• Flip the roll over and add your fillings of choice to the middle of the roll.
• Roll the bottom the sheet over once to meet the top and make one whole roll.
• Place on sushi mat and gently roll to tighten it up and seal it. But don’t over squeeze. Once you are ready to serve use a sharp knife and cut the roll in half then keep cutting the pieces in half again until you have 8 equal piece. As with a maki roll keep dipping the edge of the knife under running water to stop the rice from sticking.

TYPE OF SUSHI

Makizushi is the most well-known type of sushi. Maki means ‘roll’, therefore, makizushi refers to rolled sushi. The sushi rice is wrapped in nori seaweed and rolled into one large log (cylinder), and then cut into six or eight serving-size pieces. They come in four basic forms:

1. Hosomaki are thin rolls (1″ in diameter), with nori on the outside of the sushi rice, and generally contain 1 single ingredient. 
2. Chumaki are medium rolls (1-1.5″ in diameter), containing 2-3 ingredients.
3. Futomaki are thick, large rolls (2 inches in diameter), with nori on the outside of sushi rice, and contains two or more fillings. They are often vegetarian
4. Uramaki – “Inside-Out” Rolls (Today we make rainbow roll) 

Temaki (Cone-Shaped Hand Roll)

Temaki sushi, also known as hand rolls, is made by wrapping a crisp sheet of nori seaweed around sushi rice and one or more fillings. shi). Best to eat right away once you make. As nori gets soft if you leave it. 

Nigiri Sushi 

Nigirizushi (握り寿司), or Nigiri for short, is the most venerable of the sushi world. Sushi rice is formed into bite-size pillow shape and then topped with fresh raw fish like tuna or salmon sashimi.