How To Roll Sushi

Ever wanted to roll a perfect makizushi? Now you can with these simple steps!

Step 1  

Cover your sushi mat or breadboard with plastic wrap or some other type of covering.

Step 2  

Place a sheet of Nori seaweed on the plastic wrap and spread a cup of sushi rice (short grain) on top. It should evenly cover from the near edge to 2/3 of the way to the far edge of the sheet.

Step 3  

Place a thin row of filling ingredients across the middle of the rectangular rice patch. Recommended ingredients include: fine strips of cucumber or carrot, avocado, smoked salmon, crab sticks and various types of prepared caviar like Tobiko. Various types of seafood are popular fillings, but if raw fish is to be used, it is important to use only expertly prepared fish to avoid food poisoning and tapeworm parasites.

Step 4  

Hold the edge of the mat with your thumbs, then lift the Nori and roll the sushi away from you. Make sure to keep the ingredients in place and that the rice sticks together.

Step 5  

Press several single grains of rice into the bare end of the Nori; these will act as "glue" as the sushi forms a roll.

Step 6  

Remember to tighten the roll with your sushi mat often, but not too tightly.

Step 7  

Allow the roll to sit for a minute before cutting it. You can use this time to make your next roll. This waiting period allows the Nori to slightly moisten from the rice, which makes it less likely to tear.

Step 8  

Using a sharp, wet knife, cut the roll into sixths.

Step 9  

There you have it: a perfect roll of cut Maki. (Maki is a way of sushi, whatever you put into it changes the name. For example, if you put Tuna in, it is Tekka Maki. Cucumber roll is called Kappa Maki).

Tips

• For best results, use only a high grade sushi rice and cook according to instructions in a rice cooker.
• Experiment with ingredients, particularly fish. Use harder types of vegetables, nothing like tomatoes will do.
• Serve with Wasabi (Japanese horseradish), soy sauce, and pickled ginger.
• Wasabi is usually sold in powder form. Mix 1 Tbs. with a few drops of water, add drops and continue to mix until desired consistency is reached.
• A light Japanese soy sauce is preferable with sushi, such as Kikkoman, or Kikkoman low sodium. A heavy Chinese cooking soy sauce will overpower the delicate flavors of the sushi.
• You may choose to use cooked fish or to avoid health hazards. Many types of cooked fish are popular in sushi, including shrimp, eel, and octopus. Smoked salmon is technically not raw.
• If you wish to spread the rice with your hands, wet them with a tiny bit of rice vinegar to keep the Nori from sticking to them. You can alternatively use a non-stick rice paddle to spread the rice.
• Do make sure you´re careful about the fish you buy, but remember that it´s not hard to find the right sort if you look, and ask, and don´t chicken out and use something cooked just because raw food sounds scary. Food hygiene is hugely important, but I think the litigation culture in the US has lead to paranoia over raw foods themselves, rather than remembering that it´s human error in handling food that causes most danger. Just buy properly prepared fish from someone reputable, take care in your preparation, and there should be nothing to worry about. But if you´ve read this far, maybe you´re chilled about that - good work! Enjoy the sushi!
• Be sure to use a sharp knife when you cut your sushi, or it may tear.

Warnings

• Be careful when rolling and cutting.
• Sushi rice is a special kind of rice that is sticky when cooked. It is essential to use the right kind of rice! Sushi rice is available at most Japanese, Chinese and Korean markets.
• Use caution when handling raw fish; wash your hands often.
• Crab meat and other shellfish are very dangerous to eat raw. Raw fish used in sushi must be properly prepared to avoid dangers of parasites and bacteria. You can buy properly prepared sushi grade fish at Japanese markets, where it should be clearly marked "for sushi." Be safe, do your research.
• Use the highest quality, freshest* ingredients you can find. Don't be cheap if you're eating raw fish!
• Note that fresh raw fish for sushi should be read as "fresh fish that was properly prepared and quickly frozen." Deep freezing is one of a number of steps taken for food safety's sake. Deep freezing kills tapeworm spores.
• When cooking your rice, make sure to use shorter grains of rice, and don't use oil, as the rice is supposed to be sticky.

Things You'll Need

• A (bamboo) sushi mat or breadboard.
• A sheet of Nori seaweed
• 1 cup of sushi rice
• Assorted vegetables and fish or crabmeat. (see warnings)