How to Roll Your Own Sushi

As a budding sushi enthusiast, I was astonished to discover how expensive restaurant sushi can become. One particular visit to an upscale Charlotte, NC sushi bar left our party of four with a $95.00 bill; after this pricey outing, we quickly began to learn how to roll our own edibles and were surprised at how easy and fun it can be.

Sushi Tools

In order to prepare sushi, there are only a few specialty tools that are required. The first is a rolling mat, often made of bamboo; however, I have found that a very thin silicone baking pad or cooling mat works as well. A good-quality knife is important as well; most ingredients work best with a mid-sized non-serrated carbon blade, but any high quality knife will do. The only other tool required for the most common forms of sushi is a wooden spoon or spatula with which to spread the rice over the bamboo mat.

Kitchen Essentials

You need to stock your kitchen with some essential ingredients before you attempt this enterprise: the starting point for almost all types of common sushi is rice. Do not use instant or brown rice, as it will not stick together well. Instead, use short grained rice for your dishes. You will also need nori, or toasted seaweed sheets, and sushi vinegar, which can be located at most major supermarkets in or near a larger city. If you live in the country, these may be difficult to find unless you have a specialty supermarket nearby. Other common ingredients used are wasabi (in powder or paste form), soy sauce, sesame seeds, and in some cases, salmon roe, which is used as a garnish.

Rice Preparation