How To Make Sushi

[Drakkenfyre]

I love Sushi, and I love to make Sushi. Contrary to popular belief, Sushi is NOT raw fish, that's Shashimi. Sushi actually means "vinegared rice."

Before making Sushi, you obviously need the ingredients, so last night I went to our local oriental grocery store (It's actual name is "99 Cent and Oriental Grocery", as half of the store also sells regular merchandise as well. And if it isn't marked with a price, it's 99 cents, lol.)

One of my favorite types of Sushi roll contains imitation crab, celery, and carrots. Unfortunately the (normal) grocery store was out of celery, so I used a cucumber instead. So that's the kind I will be making.

Now most of the stuff to make Sushi can be bought at Wal-Mart. In fact Wal-Mart even carries Nori, but I like this place, and sometimes the prices are better.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/9329/hpim4468zo2.jpg

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/189/hpim4470xa9.jpg


Blurry because it was taken quick, and without a flash so I wouldn't let the manager know I was taking pics, lol.

http://img227.imageshack.us/img227/615/hpim4471sq7.jpg


More random stuff.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/6392/hpim4472sd8.jpg


This VERY blurry picture is of a package containing firm, brown lumps, with a cat on the front. There was zero English on the front, so I have no idea what this product was. If I had to guess I would say some kind of vegetable.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1520/hpim4473pz9.jpg


Candy!

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/5407/hpim4474ez0.jpg

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3024/hpim4475kx0.jpg


And the resiquite Pocky shot, lol.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/4029/hpim4479xv1.jpg


"Prepared cuttlefish."

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9544/hpim4480gs5.jpg

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3996/hpim4477vz7.jpg

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/8079/hpim4476gs9.jpg


Mmm, prawn snacks! Lol.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/8627/hpim4481yj0.jpg

-Drakk )))

[Drakkenfyre]

Mmmm, Lychee candy, lol. I grabbed a bag.

Two different kinds of Wasabi. On the left is powdered Wasabi, which is the kind you have had at practically every Sushi and Japanese restaurant you have been to. Fresh Wasabi is a luxury item even in Japan, so the powdered kind is the most common there, too. Just add water, and you can vary the strength to your liking. On the right is prepared Wasabi in a tube. I have had that brand before, and do not like it. It's very gritty, as if someone mixed in sand with the Wasabi, and it's way overpowered. Now let me explain this in context. The Wasabi on the left is potent, and even if you "thin it out", it's still rather powerful. And I love it. The one on the right is so overpowered that the first time I tried it, with just a small dollap, I had a stomach ache not long afterwards, something that had never happened with any other Wasabi I have ever had, reguardless of how strong it was.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/2884/hpim4482tc3.jpg


The drink cooler in this store always has interesting drinks, as well as regular drinks like Pepsi, Mountain Dew, ect.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8579/hpim4485il5.jpg


http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/9348/hpim4483im3.jpg


Some of the haul at the register.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/8861/hpim4487ta5.jpg


I had gotten the stuff I needed, when on the way out this caught my attention.

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1728/hpim4488ze9.jpg

Manga books, and at two for $1! I grabbed a few that looked interesting, and went back to the register, then left.


For Sushi you need Sushi rice. This is a long or medium grain rice that is meant for Sushi. Short grain rice will NOT work. This is my preferred brand.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/4459/hpim4502ta0.jpg

Despite it's name, it's actually from a California company. Traditionally you are supposed to rinse the rice until the water is completely clear before cooking it. This isn't a hygiene issue or anything. It just stems from the fact that most Sushi rice is dusted with cornstarch, and if you leave it on, it makes the rice stickier than normal. You also lose some of the vitamin content by rinsing. Even tho some brands, such as this one, say "rinsing not required" on the back, you are still supposed to rinse it. I normally don't rinse it because the extra stickiness isn't a problem.


This is Nori. It's roasted seaweed. The seaweed is grown in clear ponds, then harvested, processed, then flattened into sheets and roasted. An optional way to prepare Sushi is to lightly reroast these sheets before using them. I don't reroast them, lol. This is the green/black wrap around the Sushi roll.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7813/hpim4501wi5.jpg


This is the stuff together. I forgot to grab an individual pic of the Sushi vinegar. Owning to the name, you need Sushi vinegar (also called rice vinegar) when you prepare the rice. If you don't have it or can't get it, you can find recipes online to make it out of normal vinegar. It's essentially slightly different vinegar.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/57/hpim4498em5.jpg

This is a Sushi mat. It's made of up pieces of bamboo and is required to make Sushi. You can't make Sushi without one. I have several, but this is my original one, it's several years old. In restaurants they will lay a sheet of clingwrap on it so absolutely no rice or anything else comes into contact with it, reducing the chance of transferring any germs. I don't use clingwrap because it would be a total pain in the ass to use with the mat, and since I am eating the Sushi, and not using multiple types of meat, I don't have to worry about cross-contamination with multiple foods like raw fish (when it is used in Sushi rolls.)

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/3016/hpim4522wj8.jpg


I use a rice cooker to cook the rice. It makes perfect rice in 25 minutes. Most Sushi restaurants rely on rice cookers now instead of the traditional pot. (Yes, I am aware the outside of it needs wiping down, lol, it was a little dusty from sitting ontop of the fridge. The inside is, of course, completely clean.)

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/2927/hpim4506bo9.jpg


While the rice cooks, let's slice up the other ingredients.

This is a package of imitation crab meat, leg-style. I normally get it at Wal-Mart, but when the oriental grocery store has it, I like getting it there because for the same price as Wal-Mart's, you get more. I prefer the leg-style imitation crab meat because it's easier to cut, and it's already in the shape for Sushi.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/6052/hpim4523du9.jpg


And because my cat had been meowing continously at my feet for awhile now, she got a piece of it, lol.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/1364/hpim4524vw8.jpg

-Drakk )))

[Drakkenfyre]

Time to cut up the imitation crab meat. (Cutting carrots up stains the hell out of the cutting board, lol.)

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/6614/hpim4525mq8.jpg

Followed by the carrots.

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/9835/hpim4526ei2.jpg


Carrots are a pain in the ass to slice into "stick" form. If I can't find any already cut like that, I usually cheat by using a potato peeler, and "shaving" the carrots. The slices are thin and straight, and work fine in a Sushi roll. But this time I couldn't find the potato peeler, so I cut the carrots into half, and then tried slicing out pieces.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9016/hpim4527wv2.jpg


Followed by the cucumbers. You have to deseed them otherwise they become a pain in the ass to slice, and make the Sushi roll mushy, lol.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/7052/hpim4528aa3.jpg


This is the rice, cooked. This is more rice than we need (each Sushi roll will use about 1 cup of cooked rice) but I prefer having more than I need, than not having enuf, and having to cook more rice, lol.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9027/hpim4531et8.jpg


The preferred container to transfer the rice to is a wooden bowl called an Oke. It's preferred because the wood will absorb the excess moisture and vinegar from the rice before it's used. I don't have an Oke, so a plastic bowl will work, lol.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/7373/hpim4534fu6.jpg


Now we add the vinegar to the rice. I use about 1 tablespoon per cup. This bowl I dumped about 4 tablespoons into. My measuring spoon is plastic. Never use a metal measuring utensil or mixing implement when making Sushi rice as the vinegar will interact with the metal, and alter the flavor.

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/8177/hpim4536ui3.jpg

Mix the two well. This batch of rice was a touch dry, so I added a little bit of water to it, and it was perfect. Obviously the rice will soak up the extra water.

Now we wait for the rice to cool. This is an important step. As the rice was just cooked, it's very, very hot. But more importantly, the very starchy Sushi rice has a consistancy like glue. It's very hard to get off. And let me tell you, you don't want to plunge your hands into that stuff, find out it's like lava, then pull your hands out, and be unable to get it off, even while running your hands over water. Believe me, I speak from experience. The first time I made Sushi I thought the rice had cooled enuf, the surface temperature wasn't very hot. I plunged a hand down into it, and found out the rice underneath was still very hot. Scrubbing hot rice off your hands (and I do mean scrubbing) under cold water is not fun, lol. Traditionally Sushi chefs use a wooden fan or even a small battery-powered fan to help cool the rice. You cannot place it in the refridgerator as it will harden the rice.

This is a sheet of Nori. It's like parchament paper. Once you place the rice on it, it will absorb some of the moisture, and become pliable.

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1018/hpim4539zc2.jpg


Here is the sheet of Nori placed on the Sushi mat.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/706/hpim4541ue8.jpg


This is the rice placed on the Nori. This is actually alot of rice, and you can use much less if you want. The 1-inch uncovered spot is important, more on this in a moment. The more rice you use, the thicker the roll will be, but generally you don't want a ton of rice on the Nori. Scoop up some of the rice, and place it on the Nori, and spread it thin woth your fingers. I should mention that a bowl of water to dip your fingers into and help clean the rice off of them is also used. Normally you use a cup of water with a tablespoon or two of the Sushi vinegar, it helps clean the rice off your fingers.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/5786/hpim4538eu1.jpg


Now we place the first filling. It goes towards you, at the bottom of the sheet of Nori.

http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/9071/hpim4543nw9.jpg

-Drakk )))

[Drakkenfyre]

Now the second ingredient, which is placed above, and right against the first ingredient.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/3337/hpim4544kq7.jpg

Third ingredient. This one goes ontop of the second ingredient.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/443/hpim4545fx8.jpg


Now you grab the Sushi mat, and the ingredients. This should have been obvious by now, but as Sushi is made by hand, you should wash them before beginning, lol.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/1300/hpim4547tc5.jpg


Now you roll the mat over, and "tuck" the ingredients as you roll. The mat will roll with it, and when it touches the Sushi roll, you pull it up, and keep rolling. I have pulled the mat back so you can see what the roll looks like at this point.

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/3493/hpim4549nh9.jpg


Here is the Sushi roll almost finished. Remember that 1-inch flap I said to leave rice-free? Here is what it's used for. You moisten that flap with water, then smooth it down. This will seal the Sushi roll. Now place the roll to the side, and let it rest for a minute or two before cutting.

http://img184.imageshack.us/img184/1502/hpim4550wa8.jpg


Here is the finished roll. Rolling Sushi takes practice.

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/2530/hpim4552cr8.jpg


Here are two finished rolls.

http://img168.imageshack.us/img168/8669/hpim4555dj6.jpg


Now for the Wasabi. I am sorry these pics are blurry because it was hard to get a good upclose shot of it.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/7146/hpim4559pg3.jpg


Just the right amount.

http://img401.imageshack.us/img401/1185/hpim4561ae7.jpg


Perfect.

http://img136.imageshack.us/img136/374/hpim4562jz8.jpg


The traditional way to slice the Sushi rolls are to cut them in half, then cut the two halves into pieces. I just cut them whole. Cut into 6-8 pieces, server with soy sauce, gari (picked ginger) if you are serving more than one type (it's to cleanse the pallet between different kinds of Sushi) and Wasabi. (I had soy sauce in the fridge.)

http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/2954/hpim4563gt5.jpg

Now these pieces are thickly-cut. Normal Sushi you get in a restaurant is a little thinner. Here is a comparison in thicknesses.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/6421/hpim4567lh0.jpg

Hope you enjoyed this little pictorial, lol.

-Drakk )))

[Gibb]

がんばてねヅラックさん

[Drakkenfyre]

がんばてねヅラックさん

Ok, the online translator I used could only get "Cancer, you think?" out of that, lol.

-Drakk )))

[Gibb]

It's colloquial, so your translater will probably not like it.

Also i had a small typo, forgot the little tsu.

がんばってねヅラックさん

ganbattene durakku san

Basically "You went for it" or "You did it"

[Vermillion]

Okay, I hate Sushi as well as any other food that comes from the Ocean or Rivers, but this has me interested in making some for other friends.

When you cut the sushi rolls, do you just need a sharp knife or do you need to put some water/vinegar mix on the knife for each cut to prevent it from sticking while cutting the rolls?

Also, how would fresh seafood work with this? I have easy access to fresh crab meat and fish meat, so would it work roughly the same?

[Akira]

Good effort. Minus points for eating surimi which is simply filth, but otherwise good job.

[Hughesmar]

Could you maybe use "lol" anymore during that?

[Cop]

http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/3996/hpim4477vz7.jpg
Jet Li, Bruce Lee and Jesus Lii

[Drakkenfyre]

Okay, I hate Sushi as well as any other food that comes from the Ocean or Rivers, but this has me interested in making some for other friends.

When you cut the sushi rolls, do you just need a sharp knife or do you need to put some water/vinegar mix on the knife for each cut to prevent it from sticking while cutting the rolls?

Traditionally you use a very sharp knife, and rinse the blade between cuts. Rinsing the knife in a water/Sushi vinegar mix wouldn't hurt. You aren't supposed to use a sawing method, but the knife I use is serrated, and will cut it just like you see above, with a sawing method, but I wouldn't recommend doing that with other knives as it will usually smash the roll down.

Also, how would fresh seafood work with this? I have easy access to fresh crab meat and fish meat, so would it work roughly the same?

You can use whatever you like for Sushi rolls. The filling is up to you. You could use fried eggs and bacon if you wanted, and it would still be Sushi as long as it contained the vinegared rice, lol. Like I said above, Sushi isn't raw fish, but you can use raw fish in Sushi rolls all you like, however be VERY careful of your source for it. Use only trusted, well-established seafood dealers when using raw fish. In fact raw fish that's meant for Sushi (and therefore, more carefully handled) will usually be marked "Sushi-grade." Now if you meant cooked fish meat, then you don't have to worry about it. Just as long as it is cut into strips like above, it will fit fine in the Sushi roll. Tastes will, of course, be up to you, lol.

Now correctly rolling a Sushi roll takes practice, like I said above. It looks simple but does take practice. If you want to make some for friends, I would suggest trying to make a few rolls for yourself first, lol.

Everything, except maybe the Sushi mat, can be gotten at Wal-Mart. The Sushi vinegar I normally use, the Nori, and if you don't see Sushi rice, then you can use the "Water Maid" brand, which isn't marked as Sushi rice, but it will work. That's the most important thing. If you get short grain rice, it simply will not stick together. So if you can't find Sushi rice, look for white, long-grained rice. And of course, instant rice will not work either, lol.

-Drakk )))

[ohbeardedone]

Jet Li, Bruce Lee and Jesus Lii
Jesus Lii is such a badass

[Drakkenfyre]

Could you maybe use "lol" anymore during that?

I could.

Lol.

-Drakk )))

[Drakkenfyre]

Good effort. Minus points for eating surimi which is simply filth, but otherwise good job.

But I likes me some surimi, lol.

I tend to avoid tuna here simply because it's so damn expensive. I don't know any other companies I would trust here for raw fish, either.

-Drakk )))

[Drakkenfyre]

I did forget to mention, Vermillion, that the water/vinegar mix isn't just for cleaning it off your hands, but that dipping your hands into it before handling the rice will also help keep it from sticking.

-Drakk )))

[Bloodycape]

Jesus Lii is such a badass

He's always saving lives.