How to Make Perfect Sushi Rice

To make great sushi, the fish needs to be fresh, and the rice needs to be sticky.
This page will give you step-by-step instructions and tips for how to make perfect sushi rice.

Introduction
- In order to make sushi at home, you are going to need to make the special sticky rice that makes it all possible. You can't just use regular rice, though, because it won't stick together enough. Follow the instructions on this page and you'll make perfect sushi rice every time.
Ingredients for Sushi Rice
- The following amounts will make about four cups of rice, enough to make several rolls or pieces of sushi nigiri.
- 2 cups rice: You will need Japanese short-grained white rice, also called japonica rice or sushi rice. Do not use American-style long grained rice as it will not turn out well. Japanese rice has the right amount of starch needed to make the rice glossy and sticky but not mushy or dry.
- - You can find this style of rice at most well-stocked grocery stores or Asian markets.
  - You can also buy it online from a store like Amazon.com.
  - It is best to use the freshest rice possible.
- 3-4 tablespoons Japanese rice vinegar: Only use rice vinegar to make sushi rice. Rice vinegar is a mild vinegar made from fermented rice or rice wine.
- 2-3 tablespoons sugar: Use plain white sugar to taste.
- 2 teaspoons salt: You may use table salt, kosher salt or sea salt depending on your preference.
- Here are some other variations on the sushi rice recipe:
  - Emeril Lagasse: Mitsuko's Perfect Sushi Rice
  - Alton Brown: Sushi Rice
  - About.com: Sushi Rice
  - Epicurious.com: Sushi Rice
  - Martha Stewart: Vinegared Sushi Rice
Preparing the Vinegar
- Heat the vinegar, sugar and salt in a sauce pan on the stove over medium heat until the sugar and salt are dissolved into the vinegar. Do not boil the mixture. Leave sitting off heat until needed. You can make this portion before or while the rice is cooking.
Preparing the Rice
- Rinse the rice in cold water. This will take several minutes and several changes of water. Rinse the rice until the final change of water runs almost clear.
- Watch these videos for a demonstration of two techniques for rinsing the rice:
  - VideoJug's How to Make Sushi Rice shows you using a bowl under a sink tap
  - 5 Min's Making Sushi Rice illustrates how to use a sieve and bowl combination under a sink tap
- You can leave the rice to soak in the water for 15 minutes, or let it it sit drained in the strainer for up to an hour.
Cooking the Rice
- Steam the rinsed rice in an equal amount of water (i.e.: 2 cups of rice and 2 cups of water) in a rice cooker or on the stove top following the package's directions or by bringing to a boil, then cooking over very low heat until the water is evaporated and you are left with lovely sticky rice.
- As always when cooking rice on the stovetop, use very low heat after the initial boil and keep the lid on at all times. The trapped steam is what enables the rice to cook.
- An optional step is to add a piece of kombu, or dried kelp, to the rice as it cooks to add more flavor. If using the stove-top method, discard the kelp after the initial boil.
- Once the rice has finished cooking, it can be left off heat in the pot with the lid on for up to 15 minutes.
- For information on rice cookers see Mahalo's Guide to Rice Cookers and read this review of rice cooker brands.
Seasoning the Rice
- When the rice has finished cooking, add the vinegar seasoning to the rice. Turn the rice out of the pot and into a non-reactive shallow bowl.
- The traditional method uses a wooden container, such as a hangiri.
- You want to cool down the rice and add the seasoning at the same time.
- Use a tool like a shamoji in a gentle chopping motion to spread out the grains of rice and ensure the seasoning covers every grain.
- Some people use a hand-held fan to help in the cooling process.
Tips for Making Perfect Sushi Rice
1. Use a non-reactive metal or wooden container for the final step of seasoning the rice, as some metals will react with the vinegar and mar the flavor of the rice.
2. Be careful not to squish the grains of rice together when adding the vinegar mixture. You want to maintain the integrity of the rice grains.
3. Spreading out the rice makes it cool down faster. This stops the rice cooking in its own heat. To make sushi, the rice should be at about room temperature.
4. If you are not going to make the sushi right away, cover the seasoned rice with a damp cloth to ensure that it doesn't dry out.
5. Never refrigerate sushi rice, as it will get too hard to work with or eat.
More Sushi Rice Resources
- UKTV Food: Sushi Rice Recipe
- Beyond Salmon: How to make sushi rice (February 20, 2006)
- Howstuffworks: Making Sushi at Home: Preparing Rice
- Tim's Web Site 2.0: Homemade Sushi : Sushi Rice Recipe (September 10, 2005)
- SushiNow.com: Sushi Rice Recipe
- eHow: How to Make Sushi Rice
- Wikibooks: Sushi Rice Cookbook
- Sushi FAQ: How to Make Sushi Rice at Home
- YouTube Video: How To Make Sushi Rice by SushiMonsters.com (Time: 3:50)
- Mahalo Daily: Veronica Belmont Visits Sasabune
- Howcast: How To Make Sushi Rice
Now That You've Made Perfect Sushi Rice...
- Be sure to check out Mahalo's guide on How to Make Sushi!