How to make sushi rice?
This is probably one of the most fundamental questions when it comes to Japanese cuisine, thanks to the increasing popularity of sushi in the world. Home cooks who are interested in Japanese cuisine will ultimately want to learn how to make perfect sushi rice—the vinegared rice which is the building block of all sorts of sushi. Once you master a great sushi rice recipe, you can make just about any sushi to your liking…
A basic sushi rice is made with short grain rice with three basic ingredients:
- Rice Vinegar
- Sugar
- Salt
Other than the rice, the most important ingredient is the rice vinegar, which is pretty much the soul of the sushi rice. The sugar and salt are added to flavor the sushi rice to one’s liking. Therefore, a perfect sushi rice starts with a good rice vinegar and I always use Mizkan Rice Vinegar. As the #1 brand for vinegar and vinegar-related condiments in Japan, Mizkan is the brand that my Japanese friends recommended when I first learned how to make sushi many years ago. If you want something easier, you can use Mizkan Sushi Seasoning, which is widely used in Japan. This all-in-one sushi seasoning has the perfect and authentic flavor so anyone can make sushi if they want.
Here are some tips that I would like to share with you when making sushi rice:
- Use only high quality Japanese white short-grain rice. You can get the rice at Asian supermarkets or Japanese food stores.
- Wash the rice thoroughly with water before cooking. The rice is ready to be cooked when the water becomes clear—an indication that the “starch” coating the rice is completely washed off.
- Use an electric rice cooker to cook the rice.
- Add rice vinegar or sushi seasoning right after the rice is cooked, mix it while it is hot and then cool it.
- Preferably, use a wooden bowl and spoon to prepare the sushi rice. Traditionally, sushi rice is made in a wooden tub called hangiri.
- Always use fresh sushi rice to make sushi. Refrigerated sushi rice loses its original texture.
Stay tuned for the next installment as I will be sharing my hand roll recipe with you.
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Liz Thomas
What brand of Japanese rice would you recomend?
Rasa Malaysia
I use Kagayaki Select Premium Short Grain Rice, but you can also use any of these brands: Botan, Kokuho Rose, Tamanishiki.
Jane H.
Botan Rice is a good brand to use.
Rasa Malaysia
Correct, and I think it’s pretty easy to find.
Kiran
I’m always intrigued by sushi making techniques :)
Etsuko R.
Please read my comment posted on 12/9/2010 about Sushi Rice. That I usualy do which I learned from my mother in Japan. Enjoy !
Ivy @ My Simple Food
Thanks for recipe. I have never made sushi rice at home. Something to consider :) I hope everything is going well for you.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Ivy, thanks, I am well! Yes, do try out making sushi using this sushi rice recipe.
Etsuko R.
I use medium grain rice NISHIKI, after washing rice, keep rice about 1 hour without water, then add water little less than instructed (If there are water level lines in rice cooker for amount, water level below the line of your rice amount.) After cook, mix hot rice with a spoon in pot, give air between rice and brake up stiffness. Move cooked hot rice in wide mouth bowl, add vinegar mixture all over, mix rice with a spoon but cutting motion ( do not pat-a-cake, it will be mashy ), same time you can give bleaze with a fan or paper. This will help to dry vinegar, and make shiny vinegared rice. Do not cool down completely, little warm or room temprature rice to shape your Sushi.
Rasa Malaysia
Etsuko, thanks for your tips for making sushi rice.
Ellen
Can you use Hinode Rice?
Ellie (Almost Bourdain)
Thanks for sharing detailed instructions on how to make sushi rice.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Ellie. Hopefully you will get to make some sushi using this sushi rice recipe.
Lisa
It will be a 2 person making sushi rice (for me)… I am mixing the vinegar into the hot rice while my hubby will fan… I can’t mix and fan at the same time… hehehe… very confusing indeed :)
ah hong
Need to stay far when adding rice vinegar into the hot cooked rice? I remember the evaporated vinegar makes my nose feel sensitive.
bird
Watch out for GMO (genetically modified) soy sauce w/sushi!!! Get organic or soy alternatives to be safe! Get organic rice too! Learn about GMOs – scarey stuff!
Ciastoy
Can you recommend a reasonably priced rice cooker?
annaeisaks
I think much more useful recipe would be without rice cooker. How many people have rice cooker at home. There some ways to do it without rice cooker. But it is not perfect ofcourse.
Vrenn
I’ve noticed some other sites ask to heat up the rice vinegar in a pot, while adding the sugar and salt to melt it down. Are there pros and cons to this method or is it just another way of making sure that the elements of the seasoning is all melded as one?
nickii
how much water do I add to the rice to cook it so it could be the right texture?
Vicky Bryant
Exactly the way I make mine. If you haven’t made it before “just to it!” I don’t have a rice cooker though. Reason for post…i take the chill off my leftover rice and put in bowl and top with all my normal sushi roll ingredients. I guess you could call it a deconstructed roll? Usually do a bowl for breakfast and it DOES go with coffee. LOL ** blushing **
Lita Waston
I think adding some sugar in the sushi rice isn’t a good idea. It may destroy the texture and isn’t so good as the authentic one. I hope that my advice can help you to improve your talent.
Bee
How much water? How long do I cook it? I’ll have to look for a different recipe