# The "How To" Sushi Thread



## Timothy (Sep 4, 2011)

This thread is a tutorial of sorts for those who have always wanted to make thier own sushi or have made it and wish to share some of their techniques, styles and methods with others.

Sushi is neither a meat or vegetarian form of food, rather a combination of both. It can have meat that is raw, seafood or not, cooked, seared, or only moments from life.

Sushi can be anything from a quick snack of light vegetables and rice or a huge, extremely complicated meal of advanced methods and techniques to offer beautiful displays of food and blends of taste that send your taste buds to heaven!

For those who wish to learn how to make sushi, just ask any questions you have and one or more of the sushi pro's will jump in and provide answers.

This post is nothing more than an introduction to what follows; a guide to understanding what sushi is, where it came from and how to make it fit your specific likes and dislikes in food.

There are basically two types of sushi:

1. Traditional, Japanese sushi that has strict methods, eating etiquette and behavior.

2. Modern sushi that can be virtually anything that works. I've seen sushi that was so unique that it made me wonder at who could have thought of such a thing! Everything from raw beef to still moving fish. You name it and I can tell you a way to incorporate it into a sushi style meal.

For my first few posts, I'll list some of the basic equipment and methods used for sushi. This is much more involved than most people would think. 

I've known people who think sushi means, literally; a piece of raw fish slapped onto a ball of rice and eaten with soy sauce and that green wasabi stuff.

That form of sushi is only one of many thousands of ways to prepare and serve sushi. "Thousands"? Really? Yes. Thousands. As this thread progresses, I think everyone will see just how much they have missed about sushi.

Ok, on with the show. The first thing I'll cover is buying and using a sushi freezer. Why is it necessary and what exactly is the purpose?

The next post will explain.


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## Timothy (Sep 4, 2011)

*The Sushi Freezer*

Ok, here we go. For those who love having safe, flavorful and raw meats on their sushi, there is no better way than owning your own sushi freezer and learning how and why to use it.

The second that a living creature dies, the meat in it's body starts breaking down in a microbial process that is unavoidable. This process can be slowed to almost a stop by using a freezer that maintains a temperature lower than Minus Four Degrees Fahrenheit.

The freezer that I use is an Edge Star Medical Freezer that maintains a temperature of Minus Twenty Fahrenheit.

The American FDA has rules that state "All meat to be eaten in the raw state must be first harvested, stored and cleaned in precise ways and frozen at a minimum of Minus Four Degrees Fahrenheit for no less than 7 days prior to serving it.

What these rules do is allow the raw meat to be eaten without fear of becoming ill due to parasites that might be in the meat. The rules also keep the bacteria at a minimum during the cleaning and handling of the meat.

I have personally only handled the most common seafood and vegetable sushi. Having never used or even eaten beef sushi or some others like frogs, lizards, pork and livers from any of a dozen creatures, I can't tell anyone anything about those types of sushi. Perhaps we have other people here on DC who know about using those items. I'll stick to what I'm good at and know well.

Preparing your fish for the sushi freezer:

1. If using freshly caught fish, make sure that it is alive still, or very, very fresh. This will not include ANY fish from ANY supermarket unless you see it wiggling still.

2. Know how to buy fresh fish. We'll get into that later in this thread.

3. To clean the fish, first run a sink full of cold water. Have another sink ready for rinsing. Put one teaspoon of Clorox into two gallons of water in the sink. This makes a mild anti-bacterial that will eliminate almost all of the bacteria on the outside of the fish before cleaning it. 

Put the fish into the water and rapidly wash the fish from head to tail. Get all the "slime" off the fish, but do it quickly. We are not trying to soak the fish, just to wipe it clean.

Then rinse the fish under running water until you're sure you've removed all the Clorox water from it.

4. Wipe down your entire work area with a mixture of one teaspoon of Clorox to one gallon of water. Keep a bucket of this mix handy. Wash each tool you are to use and lay it on this nice clean counter. Have your favorite stretchy wrap handy also.

5. Fillet the fish first. With gloved hands, (I use the cheapo surgical gloves with no powder in or on them), take the fillet from side one. Then take side two. Lay both fillets so that the skin side is down and you've placed them on a clean spot on the counter.

Throw away the carcass and wipe that area with the bleach water.

Now take the skin from the fillets. As you do, lift them so that they do not touch the counter until you lay them on another clean spot.

Throw away the skins and wipe that area of the counter with the bleach water.

Now spread two pieces of stretch wrap on the counter. Pick up each fillet and dip it into the sink bleach water quickly and then rinse it under running, cold tap water. This will ensure that the fish has no bacteria on it now due to handling.

Lay the fish meat on the wrap and quickly wrap it with no air bubbles under the plastic. Smooth it out to make sure. Put the fish meat directly into the freezer now and let it come to a full frozen state.

I then put several frozen pieces into the same marked baggie and date it.

Do all of this with your gloves on. The process you just used will eliminate the bacteria that has gotten onto the fish during the handling and cleaning. The freezing for a minimum of 7 days at Minus Four Degrees Fahrenheit will eliminate any parasites in the meat and the combination of both methods will keep this fish from causing you any health concerns when you eat it raw.

Also, don't use the "Flavored" Bleaches. Plain bleach. Nothing with "Springtime Flowers" added or anything else.

Always use safe methods to pour and handle bleach. The stuff can really hurt you if used unsafely. Watch your eyes with the bleach and your fingers with the knives, they won't grow back.

Questions?


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 4, 2011)

This is absolutely AWESOME.

Thank you, Timothy


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## Timothy (Sep 4, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> This is absolutely AWESOME.
> 
> Thank you, Timothy


 
You're very welcome Luca! I really am a sushi addict, and I love helping people learn about how to make sushi. I've even thought about having a "sushi class" locally, and making it a 4-times-a-year thing that people can sign up for.

Going to a nice place that prepares top-notch sushi can become very expensive. My average payment for a sushi meal is about $50. There are some who charge much more than that.

This short video shows some very fresh amaebi pieces. See them twitching still? This is guaranteed freshness!
Moving Sushi - YouTube

This short video shows a fish that is still moving while people are taking pieces of it as sashimi, dipping and eating it.
Live Sushi - YouTube

Depending on the place, this type of sushi can cost up to $20 for each bite! Not a cost to take lightly! 

The type of sushi I like to teach about isn't moving, isn't alive still, but is as fresh as can be at the time it is frozen. This is a step down from absolute fresh, but satisfactory to most sushi addicts like myself.


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## Timothy (Sep 4, 2011)

*Size of Freezer sushi pieces.*

I didn't mention the size of each piece of meat that is frozen. Some fish are quite large, and others much smaller.

The amount of fish to wrap into each frozen piece is the amount it would take to make 4, one-ounce pieces. Thus, 4 ounces per/piece.

This size should be taken from larger pieces of fillet by carefully slicing it into pieces that will in turn be appealing when sliced into individual pieces.

Most fish is sliced by piece, so that the grain of the meat goes length-wise along the rice ball and over-hangs the rice ball by one-third of the length of the rice ball on each end. 

The size of the rice ball is dependant on who is eating it. For small children and some adults who have smaller mouths, a smaller rice ball is used so that they won't feel gagged by the amount of food in their mouths when the entire piece of sushi is taken into the mouth.

Each piece of sushi is intended to be eaten in it's entirety. Biting a piece of sushi in half or thirds is considered an insult to the chef, saying in essence that he doesn't know how to make sushi properly and has made it much too large. The melded flavors of all parts of each bite are to be balanced so that when eaten in one bite, the blended flavors within the mouth are perfect for that type of sushi piece.

When sushi chefs have a crowed sushi-bar, and one customer is loudly talking over-top of others and being impolite, the chef will sometimes make extra-large pieces for that customer. The intent of the chef is simply to fill that large mouth and give the other customers a break from hearing it too much.

Part of a sushi chef's job is to carefully watch his/her customers eat and to make their sushi individually perfect for each person.

For most establishments, a one-ounce piece of meat is used on each bite. This also makes pricing your sushi meat easy. One pound of fish will make 16 pieces of sushi. If the fish price is $10 per/pound, then each bite of sushi will cost 0.625 cents. (10 divided by 16).

The rice is seasoned either sweet or tart, depending on the time of year for some and just individual preferences for others.

The goal is to have the rice and meat blend into a mutually favorable flavor and neither should over-power the other while being chewed.

Here's a very well presented method description for the rice:
Mizkan Americas, Inc. - How to Make Sushi Rice

The widely known "Sushifaq" is an excellent way to learn about sushi also. Here is the page about making your rice:
http://www.sushifaq.com/homesushi/howtomakesushiathomesushirice.htm

.


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## Dawgluver (Sep 4, 2011)

Wow, Timothy, you sure know your stuff!  Very informative.


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## Timothy (Sep 4, 2011)

Dawgluver said:


> Wow, Timothy, you sure know your stuff! Very informative.


 
Thank you Dawgluver! I do love my sushi! I am also like a human sponge when it comes to leaning about things. Learning makes me feel good!

Sushi has a very interesting history also.

This is a very brief, but accurate account of it's history:

The History of Sushi



.


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## Timothy (Sep 5, 2011)

*Hako Sushi or Oshizushi*

Hako or Oshizushi is perhaps the easiest form of sushi to make. It's beautiful to look at and wonderful to taste!

Like nigiri and maki sushi, Oshizushi is a combination of meat, vegetables, seasonings and rice.

This video shows a very, very talented chef, making both shrimp and salmon based Hako/Oshi Sushi.
How To Make Box Sushi Or Hako Sushi Recipe (Japanese)

As you can see, using the "Oshibako", or the box used in making Oshizushi, makes this method almost foolproof!

By alternating the colors and types of meat and veggies, you can make the outside area of each piece look very, very appetizing and colorful.

The Oshibako, (the box), comes in many, many sizes and shapes. Round, Triangular, square, Oblong, you name it!

Here's just one of the many types available a few of the thousands of types that can be made this way:


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## LPBeier (Sep 5, 2011)

Thanks, Timothy for sharing your knowledge.


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## Timothy (Sep 5, 2011)

LPBeier said:


> Thanks, Timothy for sharing your knowledge.


 
It's my pleasure, LPBeier! Many people think of sushi as only raw fish on a little ball of rice. Because of this, if they are a person who doesn't ever wish to eat raw fish, they think that they *hate* sushi, when in fact, they've never even *seen* 99% of the types of sushi that exist.

I make some vegetarian sushi that is just awesome! It's easy when using the Oshizushi methods.

Here's one type I make:

1. Cut celery, green onions, cucumber, carrot and red bell pepper into pieces that are about 1/8th inch thick, (3mm).

2. Layer the veggies on the bottom of the Oshizushi box, carefully placing them so they just touch each other. Mix the colors and types into a nice pattern.

3. Place another thin layer of rice over that.

4. Sprinkle a layer of sesame seeds and your favorite seasonings over the rice, making sure that it is a solid layer around the outside of the box.

5. Place a last layer of rice gently over the seeds and seasonings.

6. Put a final layer of veggies on the top. Make it pretty! Some of the diced green parts of the spring onion can be put here too.

7. Press, Flip, Press and remove outer box. Then, remove the Oshizushi from the box entirely and slice it into bite sized rectangles if using a square or rectangular Oshibako.

8. Arrange the vegetarian Oshizushi on a plate that compliments the colors, and design the plate with sauces, larger veggie pieces and seeds of your choice.

This is just one of thousands of ways to make Oshizushi. Raw meat, cooked meat, no meat, cooked veggies, raw veggies, seeds, even flowers can be used in so many types of designs, colors and flavors.

*Hating* sushi is nothing but ignorance of the types that can be made. If one hates rice, a thick mashed potato mix can be used. Even cooked, shredded hash browns can be used instead of rice. I've also used thick sweet potato instead of rice.

The imagination can run wild with Oshizushi.


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 5, 2011)

I WANT that oshibako!!!

I don't know if I can find it in Italy, I'm gonna look on Amazon.com...


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 5, 2011)

42 dollars for an oshibako in Italy, holy cow...


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## Timothy (Sep 5, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> 42 dollars for an oshibako in Italy, holy cow...


 
They are pretty simple to make. If you have the means to cut wood in a small scale and glue it together, you can make one or several of different sizes. Some tofu presses are suitable for making Oshizushi.


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## Timothy (Sep 5, 2011)

*Sushi Knives*

If you are to make sushi only once in awhile, you probably don't want to spend the money on a really good sushi knife.

These chef quality knives can be priced anywhere from $30 to $500 per/knife, and even much more than that for knives with a history or being sold from an estate.

The sushi knife is considered an extension of the chef's hand and arm. The knives are almost always carbon steel and have extremely sharp edges.

Several factors are involved in which knife you would likely use on each type of sushi.

1. Beveled only on one side. This can be a left or right handed bevel and is designed to cut, leaving the uncut part exactly as is, while gently moving the cut piece slightly to the side away from the uncut piece. This type of sushi knife is the most common.

2. Filleting knifes. Made in a manner which makes filleting a fish easier to do correctly. Usually very thin with a very gentle bevel on both sides of the knife.

3. Paring knifes. These come in many sizes and shapes, and are designed to make specific types of cuts from within, without disturbing the outer parts of items being cut.

As seen in this link, there are literally hundreds of types of sushi knives.
Sushi Knives

The knives are treated as prized possessions by the chefs who own them. They are used and cared for in precise manners and are kept sometimes, for many generations and passed down to younger family members.

The ones that I own are one-side bevel, $50 price range. I find they do everything I need to do. The two I own are about 20 years old.


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## Claire (Sep 6, 2011)

Love sushi and, yes, sashimi.  When I first moved to the small-town-midwest .... nothing.  But a neighbor is a Japan-o-phile (there really is a word for that, but not at the tip of my fingers) and we had a sushi party that we hosted together.  It was all cooked fish so no one had to worry.  California rolls, cucumber rolls, etc.  It was a huge hit.  Now our town has progressed so that I can buy really good tuna.  Yumm.

I lived in Hawaii on and off for ten years, so I have an old sushi knife.  Seems to me I paid about $50 for it 25 years ago.  It has never been sharpened and is still the sharpest knife in the drawer.  Just have to be careful to wash and dry it, because it will rust.


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## Timothy (Sep 6, 2011)

Hi Claire,

When I read your posts, I always think of my Grammy. Her name was also Claire, and she was the nicest person I've ever known in my entire life.

You sound as nice as she did! 

When I looked up "A person who loves all things Japanese", I found:

Nippoanglophilus
Nippoanglophille
Anglonippophilus
Anglonippophile

A young Japanese women supplied those answers and said that each of them would work.

Do you recognise the one you're familiar with?

I always put a very light coat of vegetable oil on my sushi knives before storing it in a white cotton cloth. They seem to like it.


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## spork (Sep 6, 2011)

*omakase*

*"omakase (shimasu)"* – “I give up control/judgment/responsibility to you.”  

It’s not a declaration to be made lightly, but it will put you in the category of VIP customer.  The chef is left to his/her discretion for serving you the day’s best cuts.  It will almost always include at least one grilled dish.  You may personally order side dishes, such as miso soup, but if you declare “omakase,” never never never order a sushi dish.  This would be a severe insult to the chef.  At some restaurants, omakase might be menu-listed as a set prix fixe multiple course.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 6, 2011)

spork said:


> *"omakase (shimasu)"* – “I give up control/judgment/responsibility to you.”
> 
> It’s not a declaration to be made lightly, but it will put you in the category of VIP customer.  The chef is left to his/her discretion for serving you the day’s best cuts.  It will almost always include at least one grilled dish.  You may personally order side dishes, such as miso soup, but if you declare “omakase,” never never never order a sushi dish.  This would be a severe insult to the chef.  At some restaurants, omakase might be menu-listed as a set prix fixe multiple course.



arigato, spork-san, I included that into my lessons.


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## Timothy (Sep 6, 2011)

spork said:


> *"omakase (shimasu)"* – “I give up control/judgment/responsibility to you.”
> 
> It’s not a declaration to be made lightly, but it will put you in the category of VIP customer. The chef is left to his/her discretion for serving you the day’s best cuts. It will almost always include at least one grilled dish. You may personally order side dishes, such as miso soup, but if you declare “omakase,” never never never order a sushi dish. This would be a severe insult to the chef. At some restaurants, omakase might be menu-listed as a set prix fixe multiple course.


 
If not posted, it's wise to make sure you can afford the Omakase meal. In some establishments, it can be as much as $200+ USD per/person.

The charges for sushi vary tremendously, country by country and establishment by establishment. Never assume you have enough on you to pay. Check the menu first. I've been in a couple that made me do a "double-take" at the price.

Many have online menus now. I always look for a web page first.


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## spork (Sep 6, 2011)

*agari*

*agari* -- literally, "to stand." 

When you order green tea during a sushi restaurant meal, it is called _ocha_.  But, if you order "agari," this is an announcement that you are finished eating, that you intend to stop sitting and "stand up."  A final cup of green tea will be served.

During an omakase dining session, if you think the evening is close approaching your wallet or budget, it is perfectly appropriate to ask the chef for "agari."


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## qmax (Sep 6, 2011)

With due respect to American perceptions, sushi is predominantly about the rice.

In Japan, being a sushi apprentice means spending 8-10 years learning to prepare the rice properly. The topping, whether Chirashi, Nigiri, Maki, Inari, et al, is secondary to that. It's all about the rice.

That's the biggest reason why fast-food or grocery store sushi is so inferior to a high quality Japanese restaurant.


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## Timothy (Sep 6, 2011)

Before we get off-track into cultural philosophies and such, lets instead remain on-course and discuss the "How To" of making your own sushi.

All parts of the traditions of sushi can be respected by those who wish and the freedom to explore the zillions of ways of making Modern Sushi can coincide with the old traditions by merely allowing both to exist without argument between them.

While accepting that sushi tradition defines "sushi" as "seasoned rice", in the more modern sense, sushi is now defined as many, many things, including both the manner of its creation and the items which are now used to create it.

It's a true 180 degree clash of the old and new. I once saw something that would make most traditional sushi people cringe; jello combined with a sushi-like appearance using dessert items to represent traditional sushi ingredients. The dish was a real hit with the kids it was for, whose parents were Modern Sushi lovers.

The details and traditional methods used to create what we know as "sushi" today are still respected when appropriate, and at the places that are appropriate. It would indeed be a rude person who would barge into a nice sushi establishment and try to order a hot-dog with relish and onions.

Equally, I don't believe that it would be fair to hold everyone to a traditional form of sushi in a forum that is open to a wide range of modern cooking and food preparation.

Let's try to keep on track with "Making your own sushi" and the thousands of ways to make that happen.

Thanks everyone!


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 7, 2011)

Let's try it!
Now, I've never prepared sushi before, I live in the biggest rice producing area of Europe, Pavia province, so I have no issue about rice.
It lloks like I need that oshibako box and a good knife. That's ok.
Now, what's the first recipe I could try?

Thanks


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## Timothy (Sep 7, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Let's try it!
> Now, I've never prepared sushi before, I live in the biggest rice producing area of Europe, Pavia province, so I have no issue about rice.
> It lloks like I need that oshibako box and a good knife. That's ok.
> Now, what's the first recipe I could try?
> ...


 
Ok! Here is a way to make a type of sushi that is as easy as it gets!

It's called "Temari" sushi, or Temarizushi.

You simply make your seasoned sushi rice, place a piece of stretchy wrap on the counter, table or even on a plate. Then you put whatever you wish to be the "top" of the Temari Ball onto the plastic wrap and top it with a small amount of rice.

Then, gather the plastic wrap around the food and twist it into a ball! 

When you unwrap the plastic wrap, you'll have a perfect little ball of rice that is topped with your choice of food!

The food can be anything that will form to the rice ball. Even diced veggies work for this! Perhaps a thick puree of colorful veggies! 

You can even make it multiple layers by adding another layer of food in a complimentary color and taste, like avocado topped with smoked salmon.

The ideas are endless. That's one of the best parts of sushi. If you hate rice, then thick mashed potatoes or mashed sweet potato can be used instead. Even a bread cube could be used to do this!

If packing it into a bento or box-lunch, just leave the plastic wrap on the Temari ball and use items that keep well without refrigeration.

Here's a beautiful page showing some of the items that can be made into Temarizushi!

Enjoy!


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## Claire (Sep 7, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Hi Claire,
> 
> When I read your posts, I always think of my Grammy. Her name was also Claire, and she was the nicest person I've ever known in my entire life.
> 
> ...


How funny, my best friend's mom was one of a very few women I knew named Claire, and her little brother was Timothy.

that said, I  have a Vietnamese/American neighbor who we exchange stuff with and he brought me a package of nori of some sort.  I really don't know what it is (the brand name is Dongwon, so assume it is Korean).  But I think it is in little squares.  The next time I see good tuna I'll let you all know what I do with the stuff.  

Oh, I think I'll stick to saying, "a friend who likes all things Japanese!"  Heck, I'm still confused as to why Franco-American was canned spaghetti, when, in fact, I and many of my friends over the years are Franco-American, and that has nothing to do with Italian food!


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 7, 2011)

Timothy said:


> ...
> You simply make your seasoned sushi rice,
> ...



SIMPLY???

Poor me, now I need japanese rice, rice vinegar, a rice cooker (don't know what it is), a sushi-oke, a shamoj... 

Ok, I'm not giving up, but I think I'll try to prepare a sort of Pavese sushi using local food: the world famous Pavizushi!


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## Timothy (Sep 7, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> SIMPLY???
> 
> Poor me, now I need japanese rice, rice vinegar, a rice cooker (don't know what it is), a sushi-oke, a shamoj...
> 
> Ok, I'm not giving up, but I think I'll try to prepare a sort of Pavese sushi using local food: the world famous Pavizushi!


 
Any short grain rice will work. Any wooden bowl will work. any method of gently turning the rice will work.

No special tools are necessary. Rice vinegar is in any Asian food store. You can cook the rice in any way you want to as long as it's not over-done to the point of mush.

Yes, very, very simple. Please don't give up.


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## Claire (Sep 7, 2011)

I use Cal-Rose rice, simply because it was the most commonly used rice for just about all Asian food when I lived in Hawaii (except for the Jasmine for Thai and Basmati for Indian), but most of the people I knew were of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino background, and they bought Cal-Rose by the 40 or 50 lb bags, which you could get anywhere.  They all had huge rice cookers and filled them every morning before going to work.  I use it for most applications ... When I first moved here I couldn't get rice to make risotto with and it worked just fine.


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## Timothy (Sep 7, 2011)

Claire said:


> I use Cal-Rose rice, simply because it was the most commonly used rice for just about all Asian food when I lived in Hawaii (except for the Jasmine for Thai and Basmati for Indian), but most of the people I knew were of Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Filipino background, and they bought Cal-Rose by the 40 or 50 lb bags, which you could get anywhere. They all had huge rice cookers and filled them every morning before going to work. I use it for most applications ... When I first moved here I couldn't get rice to make risotto with and it worked just fine.


 
Thanks Claire! 

Years ago, when I made my very first sushi rice, I worried it to death before ever starting. "I'll mess it up....it'll be too sticky....it'll be not-sticky-enough....it'll be mush....it'll be too dry....it'll be too tart....it'll be too sweet", all of these thoughts went through my head.

It turned out perfectly and my very first homemade sushi was great!

Rice is very inexpensive. Try making your first sushi rice with only one-half cup of dry rice first. If it's no good, note what is wrong, throw it out and try again! After only a few tries, you'll have a perfect method down-pat and will never be intimidated by rice again!


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 7, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> SIMPLY???
> 
> Poor me, now I need japanese rice, rice vinegar, a rice cooker (don't know what it is), a sushi-oke, a shamoj...
> 
> Ok, I'm not giving up, but I think I'll try to prepare a sort of Pavese sushi using local food: the world famous Pavizushi!



Lucca, I use a wide, shallow ceramic bowl to cool my rice with a wooden spoon/paddle.  Works very well...even a lasagna pan would work to cool and season your rice.  You don't need the fancy things to get good sushi.


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## Andy M. (Sep 7, 2011)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> Lucca, I use a wide, shallow ceramic bowl to cool my rice with a wooden spoon/paddle.  Works very well...even a lasagna pan would work to cool and season your rice.  You don't need the fancy things to get good sushi.




Right on!  I use a 13x9 glass baking dish, a cheap bamboo paddle to toss it and a folding paper fan to cool it.


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## Timothy (Sep 7, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> Right on! I use a 13x9 glass baking dish, a cheap bamboo paddle to toss it and a folding paper fan to cool it.


 
I use a plastic spatula in a large stainless steel bowl with a 4" electric "clip-on" fan pointing at the bowl while I toss the rice.

It's called; "Whatever works". 

The little clip on fan was an idea I got when I saw the fan at the store. It works really good.


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## spork (Sep 7, 2011)

Luca Lazzari said:


> Ok, I'm not giving up, but I think I'll try to prepare a sort of Pavese sushi using local food: the world famous Pavizushi!



I look forward to your creation, Luca!  

You don't even really have to season the rice base, if your combination suggests it'd be better that way.  True sushi = vinegar rice, as qmax noted, but as long as its starch component can somehow hold its shape as finger-food, I get a kick out of new sushi inventions.

By the way, was it you who posted recent pics of a new set of cookie molds?  Sorry if I'm mistaken.  If so, I think they might improvise well as "oshibako"...


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## spork (Sep 7, 2011)

Timothy said:


> I use a plastic spatula in a large stainless steel bowl with a 4" electric "clip-on" fan pointing at the bowl while I toss the rice.
> 
> It's called; "Whatever works".
> 
> The little clip on fan was an idea I got when I saw the fan at the store. It works really good.



That's a great idea.  I think I'll ditch the sushi chef apprentice I've kept for the past seven years doing nothing but waving a giant paper fan while I scowl, "evaporation too fast, rice drying," and draw "cryptic magical glyphs" in the rice with my spatula...


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## qmax (Sep 7, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Before we get off-track into cultural philosophies and such, lets instead remain on-course and discuss the "How To" of making your own sushi.
> 
> All parts of the traditions of sushi can be respected by those who wish and the freedom to explore the zillions of ways of making Modern Sushi can coincide with the old traditions by merely allowing both to exist without argument between them.
> 
> ...



While I get that there are a million ways to make sushi, the rice is not a "cultural philosophy",  It is essential to sushi and certainly not off track.

It's like cooking pasta al dente, or incorporating a liquid properly in a risotto.

It make or breaks the dish. It is fundamental.

It doesn't matter what you put on it or how you slice it.  Crappy rice yields crappy sushi.

We can agree to disagree if you choose.


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## Timothy (Sep 7, 2011)

qmax said:


> While I get that there are a million ways to make sushi, the rice is not a "cultural philosophy", It is essential to sushi and certainly not off track.
> 
> It's like cooking pasta al dente, or incorporating a liquid properly in a risotto.
> 
> ...


 
Hey! No problem here! The rice is part of the whole. If any of the parts are seriously screwed up, it ruins the outcome.

It would be silly to argue over sushi rice. I'm good with anyone's methods. This thread is all about sharing them.

The only argument I would have is if someone were to say thier way is the only way to do something with sushi. Some traditionalists are that way.

Peace qmax. No disagreements here. Didn't mean for my comments to be interpreted as an attack or anything. In fact, I would appreciate it if you would share some of you knowledge and methods here in this thread.

I'll be quiet now and let others show their skills.


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## buckytom (Sep 8, 2011)

hey, don't be quiet now. this is a good thread, and i have a question.

how is the fish used for the most commonly known form of sushi determined to be sushi grade? who grades it, and how? there must be fresh sushi fish, or are all sushi grade fishes deep frozen to make sure it's free from parasites?


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## Luca Lazzari (Sep 8, 2011)

spork said:


> I look forward to your creation, Luca!
> 
> You don't even really have to season the rice base, if your combination suggests it'd be better that way.  True sushi = vinegar rice, as qmax noted, but as long as its starch component can somehow hold its shape as finger-food, I get a kick out of new sushi inventions.
> 
> By the way, was it you who posted recent pics of a new set of cookie molds?  Sorry if I'm mistaken.  If so, I think they might improvise well as "oshibako"...



Yes, it was me! Well, I will use those molds, pavese italian rice, italian white wine vinegar, local vegetables, some octopus, some other fish, and all the plain tools suggested by all of you.
Now, I need some human guinea-pig, maybe my old friend Stefano, he could eat stones, if needed...


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## Timothy (Sep 8, 2011)

buckytom said:


> hey, don't be quiet now. this is a good thread, and i have a question.
> 
> how is the fish used for the most commonly known form of sushi determined to be sushi grade? who grades it, and how? there must be fresh sushi fish, or are all sushi grade fishes deep frozen to make sure it's free from parasites?


 
I'll try to be as clear as possible. This is a "How-to-make-your-own-sushi-at-home" thread.

It's not a discussion about the legalities of sushi and what laws, rules, regulations and guidelines of those departments, branches, legal bodies or enforcement agencies that are in place throughout the world.

If you want to know all the legal stuff, it's out there on the Internet. Anyone who is in need of finding that information is just as capable of finding it as I am. I'm not being drawn into a legal argument about sushi.

Sorry.

In fact, the 2009 legal documents needed for a business in Seatle Washington, USA are outlined within this letter to a fish company there:

----
*Cannon Fish Company 1/26/09*
* 
Department of Health and Human Services Public Health Service
Food and Drug Administration 
  Seattle District
Pacific Region
22201 23rd Drive SE
Bothell, WA 98021-4421
Telephone: 425-486-8788
FAX: 425-483-4996 *



*January 26, 2009*
*
VIA CERTIFIED MAIL
RETURN RECEIPT REQUESTED
In reply refer to Warning Letter SEA 09-09
Peter A. Cannon, President
Cannon Fish Company
215 West Harrison Street, Suite 200
Seattle, Washington 98119

WARNING LETTER

Dear Mr. Cannon:
We inspected your seafood importer establishment, located at 215 West Harrison Street,Suite 200, Seattle, Washington, on August 12 and 13, 2008. We found that you have serious violations of the seafood Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) regulation, Title 21, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 123 (21 CFR Part 123). The specific requirements for imported fish and fishery products are set out in 21 CFR 123.12. As an importer of fish or fishery products, you must operate in accordance with the requirements of Part 123. In accordance with 21 CFR 123.12(d), there must be evidence that all fish and fishery products offered for entry into the United States have been processed under conditions that comply with 21 CFR Part 123. If assurances do not exist that the imported fish or fishery product has been processed under conditions that are equivalent to those required of domestic processors under 21 CFR Part 123, the fish or fishery products will appear to be adulterated under Section 402(a)(4) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), 21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4) and will be denied entry. Because our inspection identified serious violations of 21 CFR Part 123, your imported frozen, raw, sashimi grade swordfish fillets are adulterated under Section402(a)(4) of the Act (21 U.S.C. § 342(a)(4)), in that they have been prepared, packed, or held under insanitary conditions whereby they may have been rendered injurious to health. You may find the Act, the seafood HACCP regulation, and the Fish and Fisheries Products Hazards & Controls Guidance through links in FDA's home page at www.fda.gov.1
Your significant violations were as follows:
You must implement an affirmative step designed to ensure that the fish and fishery products that you import into the United States were processed in accordance with the requirements of FDA's seafood HACCP regulations, to comply with 123.12(a)(2)(ii). However, your firm did not implement an affirmative step for the importation of frozen, raw, sashimi grade swordfish fillets from (b)(4).
We may take further action if you do not promptly correct these violations. For instance, we may take further action to refuse admission of your imported fish or fishery products under Section 801(a) of the Act (21 U.S.C. § 381(a)), including placing them on detention without physical examination; seize your product(s);and/or enjoin your firm from further violating the Act.
We acknowledge your letter of November 20, 2008, advising FDA that your verification plans for imported products have been completed. We also acknowledge your earlier letter of August 15, 2008, advising FDA that you had at that time begun work on verification plans for imported products with the assistance of a consultant. Neither letter, however, included documentation demonstrating that you have implemented an affirmative step or otherwise corrected the aforementioned violation. You should respond in writing within fifteen (15) working days from your. receipt of this letter. Your response should outline the specific things you are doing to correct these violations. You should include in your response documentation, such as HACCP and importer verification records and records that document the performance and results of your firm's affirmative steps, or other useful information that would assist us in evaluating your corrections. If you cannot complete all corrections before you respond, you should explain the reason for your delay and state when you will correct any remaining violations.
This letter may not list all the violations at your facility. You are responsible for ensuring that your seafood importer establishment operates in compliance with the Act and the seafood HACCP regulation (21 CFR Part 123). You also have a responsibility to use procedures to prevent further violations of the Act and all applicable regulations for the fish or fishery products that you import into the United States.
Please send your written reply to the Food and Drug Administration, Attention: Michael J. Donovan, Compliance Officer, 22201 23rd Drive SE, Bothell, WA 98021-4421. If you have any questions regarding this letter, please contact Mr. Donovan at (425) 483-4906

Sincerely,

/S/

Charles M. Breen
District Director*


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## Bolas De Fraile (Sep 8, 2011)

Thanks for this thread Timothy, it has inspired me.


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## Timothy (Sep 8, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> Thanks for this thread Timothy, it has inspired me.


 
I'm glad that you've gained interest in making your own sushi, Bolas De Fraile.

When I make it at home, I always eat much more than I would if I were paying for it by the bite in a restaurant. It seems to taste better to!


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## buckytom (Sep 8, 2011)

geez, timothy. i was only asking a question expecting a layman's answer. you could have just said that it's inspected by the government. i was hoping that you knew how it was inspected. silly me.

the reason i was asking was that i've seen a number of fisherman eat their catch raw right off their hook calling it sashimi, and i thought that might be a risky thing to do.

i won't darken your thread again.


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## Timothy (Sep 8, 2011)

buckytom said:


> geez, timothy. i was only asking a question expecting a layman's answer. you could have just said that it's inspected by the government. i was hoping that you knew how it was inspected. silly me.
> 
> the reason i was asking was that i've seen a number of fisherman eat their catch raw right off their hook calling it sashimi, and i thought that might be a risky thing to do.
> 
> i won't darken your thread again.


 
See? This is exactly why I don't want to get into this type of discussion.

You ask about legal stuff involving sushi, I insist on NOT becoming involved in what  ALWAYS turns out to be a peeing contest on forums and now you've felt insulted because I won't discuss that with you.

The short version of what you're looking for is; there are signs in every restaurant I've gone in that say; "There are health risks in eating underdone or raw foods. You accept the risk by eating them...yada yada yada...."

If someone were to eat raw fish from anywhere, they automatically accept the risks involved. Many types of fish are known to have parasites and have a history of parasitic infections to humans when not processed through a freezer at the proper temps and timings.

Eating raw fish that has not been frozen at Minus 4 degrees fahenheit for a minimum of 7 days has a risk of being infected by parasites. 

I'm sorry man, but I've already been there and done that with the arguments over legalities of sushi.

It's why I won't get involved with a discussion of that nature in a thread clearly titled to discuss the "How to" of sushi making.

Past arguments got heated, rude, angering, frustrating, idiotic and pointless.

I'm simply NOT doing it again.

Your question is innocent. Then my answer is innocent. THEN, someone else with a chip on thier shoulder gets in and starts an argument about the legalities being discussed.

I'm just not going there. Been there, done that. It's pointless.

My intention was not to insult you. It was only to make it clear that I won't get involved again in any type of legal argument or discussion about sushi.

I'm sorry you felt insulted.


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## Timothy (Sep 8, 2011)

spork said:


> That's a great idea. I think I'll ditch the sushi chef apprentice I've kept for the past seven years doing nothing but waving a giant paper fan while I scowl, "evaporation too fast, rice drying," and draw "cryptic magical glyphs" in the rice with my spatula...


 
It worked better than I had hoped. By simply raising or lowering the fan, standing closer to it or further away, it's easy to "adjust" the amount of air that is hitting the rice while you raise and sprinkle it back into the container.

The fan clips right to my cupboard door handle and plugs in on the counter.

Now what's your apprentice going to do?


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## spork (Sep 8, 2011)

Timothy said:


> Now what's your apprentice going to do?



I'm sure you know I was joking.  I don't have an apprentice.  He left me to devote to studying his true passion - to become a ninja assassin.  Sorry, joking again.

To cool and season my rice, I use giant plastic potluck tupperware and folded newspaper.  But, I do have great rice spatulas.

The thread title is not clear.  It simply says, "How to....."  I apologize if my first contributions were off topic, "....... eat it at a restaurant."  Even so, it's okay maybe even good to let discussions veer off-topic, and then come back.

This is a good thread.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Sep 8, 2011)

spork said:


> I'm sure you know I was joking.  I don't have an apprentice.  He left me to devote to studying his true passion - to become a ninja assassin.  Sorry, joking again.
> 
> To cool and season my rice, I use giant plastic potluck tupperware and folded newspaper.  But, I do have great rice spatulas.
> 
> ...



Dang, I was going to hire your apprentice.  Get him to make pickled veggies for me.


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## pacanis (Sep 8, 2011)

Everyone knows the real money is in Mall Ninjas...


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## Timothy (Sep 8, 2011)

spork said:


> The thread title is not clear. It simply says, "How to....." I apologize if my first contributions were off topic, "....... eat it at a restaurant." Even so, it's okay maybe even good to let discussions veer off-topic, and then come back.
> 
> This is a good thread.


 
No big deal to me spork. I'll go along with the flow. The topic can go to whatever it goes to. I'm just along for the ride.


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## spork (Sep 9, 2011)

Hang ten!  (that's surfer slang )


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