Homemade Sushi: Everything You Should Know Before You Start

When we think homemade food, we usually think of bread, scrambled eggs, or maybe even a pad Thai if we’re feeling inspired. One thing’s for sure: we never really think we can make sushi at home. This traditional Japanese dish seems so complicated to make we tend to just eat it at restaurants or order take-out. But what if we told you sushi can definitely be made at home and even amateurs can do it?

First of all, make sure you have all the ingredients you’ll need: seaweed (it has to be the thicker type or it will be too flimsy to roll sushi), sushi rice, and fillings. Before you can roll your sushi, you need to prepare the rice. To do that, combine it with water in a rice cooker and let the machine do its thing. While it cooks, prepare your seasoning by dissolving vinegar, salt and sugar together. Then simply pour your mixture into the rice and toss it around to evenly distribute it.

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The next step is simple: place your seaweed on top of a bamboo mat and spread some rice on top of it. Flatten the rice with a rice paddle making sure not to smash it. Then, it’s time to add your fillings. You can use salmon, cucumber, carrot, avocado, or even beef, for example. Place them onto the rice and roll your sushi with the help of the bamboo mat. Using a sharp knife, cut the sushi into small pieces. Making sushi takes practice (which is why the best sushi chefs train for years and years), but it’s worth the effort.