# How to make Sushi?



## mrs.mom (Jan 10, 2011)

I have read so much articles about suchi. I think I would never eat raw fish but then my husband tried it in a japanese restaurant and he found it great. The problem is he is always asking for it and I have no clue how to do it. Does anyone know how to make suchi?


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## GB (Jan 10, 2011)

Sushi actually does not even have to have fish in it. Sushi refers to the rice. Sushi rice is a short grain rice that is sweetened and also had vinegar in it. often times there is raw (or cooked) fish involved, but that is not a requirement. You can use veggies or even fruit as well. I do not have any specific recipes as there are so many, but search around and you are sure to fine tons.


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## 4meandthem (Jan 10, 2011)

You cannot just use raw fish from the supermarket.It would be dangerous to do so.Sushi restaurants freeze the portions for several days at low temp to kill any parasites and then thaw.

http://www.sushifaq.com/ffaq.htm


Tuna can sometimes be found as sushi or sashimi grade but you will pay a price still have only one kind of fish.

We make alot of sushi at home but none of it is raw.

make your rice according to a sushi rice recipe.

We roll our sushi on a quart size zip=lock baggie since I don't have a mat and it works just fine.

See you-tube videos for technique and rice quantity.

http://video.about.com/japanesefood/Prepare-Perfect-Sushi-Rice.htm


Some ofthe ingredients we mix for home sushi are;
(for spicy roll)
Cooked shrimp chopped with some sri hacha chili sauce.
(for creamy roll)
Cooked shrimp chopped fine add a little mayo,splenda,soy
(cali roll)
Fake crab legs,avacado, cucumber,sesame seeds.
(cut cucumber to same length as nori wrapper)
(can roll on either side of nori with rice applied)
(philly roll)
smoked salmon and a little cream cheese can add a green onion too.

Other ingredients to try too.
sweet omelette
whole cooked shrimp
lemon 
sprouts
cooked salmon or any fish
julienne carrot,green onion,daikon

Anything really!

I always make these mussles with sushi dinner too.
Frozen on the half shell mussles.(green lip)thawed.
(for the sauce)
mayo,soy,splenda,little sri hacha chili sauce.

Mix and put about 3/4 tsp on each mussle and then 1 drop sri hacha on top for garnish.

broil until bubbly and brown.


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## Janet H (Jan 10, 2011)

I make sushi regularly. You can buy a rolling mat for about a buck at an oriental grocery - perhaps even at your local food market.  Get one or get two or three and invite your friends over for a sushi making party..

The most commonly found sushi is a roll.  Seasoned rice rolled up in a laver (seaweed) sheet and stuffed with some interesting goodies in the center.  Sushi can also be made without rolling.  Sushi Rice can be patted out into a layer with layers of interesting fillings added and then topped with more rice and cut into bite sized squares. You can make sushi into all kinds of shapes - it's fun to do.

The rice is the most important part of the sushi process.  You need a short grain rice (like calrose) and smaller grains are better that larger ones.  Products labeled Sushi Rice are usually very small short grained (smaller than calrose) varieties.  The rice is cooked so that it still has some 'tooth' to it when you bite and then once cooked, dumped into a bowl to cool and flavor.  Drizzle seasoning mix over the rice and fold and sir it in until the seasoning is absorbed and coats every grain.  Don't crush or mash the rice.  This mixture must be cool-ish to make sushi.

Here's my rice recipe:

Cook in rice cooker:2 cups rinsed sushi rice
2 cups Water​Make seasoning and add after rice is cooked:4 T Rice Vinegar
3 T  Sugar
1/2 (maybe a bit more) tsp Salt​


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## NAchef (Jan 10, 2011)

You can put other stuff in it if you do not like the idea of raw fish.
http://southernfoodcrew.com/2010/08/13/bbq-sushi/


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## Rocklobster (Jan 10, 2011)

For me it is all about the Wasabi, pickled ginger and soy.


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## Andy M. (Jan 10, 2011)

Rocklobster said:


> For me it is all about the Wasabi, pickled ginger and soy.




No sushi, just condiments?


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## Mimizkitchen (Jan 10, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> No sushi, just condiments?



Haha my thoughts exactly!!!


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## mrs.mom (Jan 10, 2011)

Janet H said:


> I make sushi regularly. You can buy a rolling mat for about a buck at an oriental grocery - perhaps even at your local food market. Get one or get two or three and invite your friends over for a sushi making party..
> 
> The most commonly found sushi is a roll. Seasoned rice rolled up in a laver (seaweed) sheet and stuffed with some interesting goodies in the center. Sushi can also be made without rolling. Sushi Rice can be patted out into a layer with layers of interesting fillings added and then topped with more rice and cut into bite sized squares. You can make sushi into all kinds of shapes - it's fun to do.
> 
> ...


 Thank you Janet. I'm going to try your recipe and tell you how it turned out.


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## Rocklobster (Jan 11, 2011)

Andy M. said:


> No sushi, just condiments?


 
Oh yeah, the sushi is under there somewhere


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## Claire (Jan 11, 2011)

I use Botan Calrose Rice and it works just fine.  As others have already said, do not bother with raw fish until you really know what you're doing.  I haven't bothered to make it since a sushi restaurant opened up near me that has reasonable prices.  But over the many moons I've introduced a lot of people to sushi, always starting with cooked ingredients or vegetable sushi (cucumber, green onion, and avocado, in combination or individual are classic).  Most have loved it and eventually moved on to being more adventurous.  Our local place actually has something I'd recommended to restaurateurs over the years, that is to say a beginner's menu.  They don't call it that, just a "no raw fish" section.  

BTW, my dad, who has held strong to his opinion that he hates rice, LOVES sushi.  Go Figger.


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## flpaintmaster (Jan 11, 2011)

This is a great thread, very helpful & informative.  This is a dipping sauce I use with tuna coated with sesame seeds & cracked pepper, but you could use it with sushi applications.

Tim Abbott

[FONT=&quot]Short ¼ cup Ponzu Sauce by Kikkoman
[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]4-5 dash of Worchester sauce & balsamic vinegar[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1-2 tblspn toasted sesame oil[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]1 big clove minced garlic[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]zest & juice of ½ lime[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]wasibi paste to taste[/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Optional:  fresh basil, lemon basil or tarragon[/FONT]


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## FrankZ (Jan 11, 2011)

Rocklobster said:


> For me it is all about the Wasabi, pickled ginger and soy.




I am the opposite.  I like my fish naked.  Though if I can get some of the rice vinegar dressing they use for sunomono I don't mind a dip in that.


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## roadfix (Jan 11, 2011)

For me, it's sitting at the sushi bar and bs'ing with the sushi chef.  
Eating sushi at home just isn't the same.


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## Andy M. (Jan 11, 2011)

roadfix said:


> For me, it's sitting at the sushi bar and bs'ing with the sushi chef.
> Eating sushi at home just isn't the same.




I agree.


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## 70chevelle (Jan 11, 2011)

My kids and I enjoy sushi in and out.  When we make it at home, we'll take a tuna steak and sear it quickly and get about 1/8" cooked around the entire steak cooked and the rest is rare/raw.  I'll cut that up into strips, add red pepper and cucumber and roll with rice and nori.  My youngest likes the fake crab, so I'll roll those and if I run out of tuna, I'll roll with just the veges.  I'm also a big fan of the pickled ginger, soy, and wasabi.  (I mix in some siracha with my soy).


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## CharlieD (Jan 11, 2011)

Plenty of good advis here. But what I wonder is where do you live? Becaus esushi seems to be a staple in many American homes nowadays. The way you asked the question, it seems that your husband only now/recently have tried sushi or am I mistaken?


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## Ravich (Jan 11, 2011)

So I've been wanting to start making sushi, and I stumbled across this page

The Sushi FAQ - How to Make Sushi Rice at Home


It specifies rice *wine* vinegar, and I found another page explaining the difference. Anyone know why this is important? My local asian markets dont have very good selections, and all I could find was rice vinegar.


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## 4meandthem (Jan 11, 2011)

Ravich said:


> So I've been wanting to start making sushi, and I stumbled across this page
> 
> The Sushi FAQ - How to Make Sushi Rice at Home
> 
> ...


 
They are the same thing


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## GB (Jan 11, 2011)

4meandthem said:


> They are the same thing


I disagree. Rice vinegars are made from fermented rice. Rice wine vinegars are generally made from the lees (dregs) of wine.


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## 4meandthem (Jan 11, 2011)

GB said:


> I disagree. Rice vinegars are made from fermented rice. Rice wine vinegars are generally made from the lees (dregs) of wine.


 
Aware me!

Everything I read says they are the same and the same Kikomann bottle comes up for both.I'd like to know more.


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## GB (Jan 11, 2011)

Sorry I think I may be wrong. I think I was thinking of rice wine vs rice wine vinegar.


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## Ravich (Jan 11, 2011)

This is what I was going off of:

Rice Vinegar and Rice Wine Vinegar


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## Janet H (Jan 12, 2011)

I often don't have any rice wine vinegar and instead use a blend of white wine and white vinegar as a substitute.  Rice wine vinegar is less acidic than white vinegar and so the white wine provides a pretty good facsimile.


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## Bolas De Fraile (Jan 12, 2011)

I like sushi, I have also made it. My problem is its nearly impossible here to get sushi grade tuna so like others here I like to eat sushi in a restaurant.
I also like eating "raw" fish that has been "cooked" in lime juice


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## Ravich (Jan 12, 2011)

I've done a bit more research and it's looking like they're probably the same thing. It wouldnt make sense for stores to only carry rice vinegar but not rice wine vinegar. Here are some links

rice vinegar vs. rice wine vinegar - Home Cooking - Chowhound

Difference between Rice Wine and Rice Wine Vinegar? - Yahoo! Answers



It's confusing still to me...


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## roadfix (Jan 12, 2011)

Bolas De Fraile said:


> I also like eating "raw" fish that has been "cooked" in lime juice


Ceviche! ........plentifully served here in LA...


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## taxlady (Jan 12, 2011)

It seems likely to me that they would be the same. What do you get when you ferment rice? Don't you get rice wine? Though I'm not clear on why it is wine when it is made from a grain. Why isn't it rice beer?


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## CraigC (Jan 28, 2011)

When we make spicey tuna rolls, we spend the money on quality sushi grade tuna from Fresh Market or Whole Foods. We prefer a loin cut, using left overs for tataki or seared. IMO, freezing destroys the texture. Kimchi base is used instead of wasabi in the rolls as well.

For the sushi rice we use a combination of mirin, rice vinegar and sugar. The "fanning" work-out to cool the rice can be quite intense.

Craig


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## GB (Jan 28, 2011)

CraigC said:


> IMO, freezing destroys the texture.


If I am not mistaken, it is a requirement that restaurants freeze certain fish (tuna and salmon are among those I think) at a certain temp for a certain time before it can be served raw to the public.


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## CraigC (Jan 28, 2011)

GB said:


> If I am not mistaken, it is a requirement that restaurants freeze certain fish (tuna and salmon are among those I think) at a certain temp for a certain time before it can be served raw to the public.


 
In most seafood markets I've been in, they generally state, on a sign if an item has been previously frozen. As an example with shrimp I see "Farm raised, previously frozen" vs " Wild caught, never frozen". What about oysters or clams? If what you say about restaurants is true with seafood markets, then I've been duped for years!

Craig


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## GB (Jan 28, 2011)

I just did a quick Google and what I read is second hand from the FDA, but what it basically says is that freezing is recommended. So I think I may have been wrong that it is law, although it could be law for restaurants and just recommended for fish mongers to the public.



> The only concern any inspectors have is referred to as the parasite destruction guarantee, which is accomplished by 'freezing and storing seafood at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 7 days (total time), or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -31°F (-35°C) or below for 15 hours, or freezing at -31°F (-35°C) or below until solid and storing at -4°F (-20°C) or below for 24 hours' which is sufficient to kill parasites. The FDA's Food Code recommends these freezing conditions to retailers who provide fish intended for raw consumption (for further information, please visit the FDA website).


.

I got that quote from here and they supposedly got it from the FDA website.


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## CraigC (Jan 28, 2011)

I'd really hate to think that what I have been buying as "fresh" was actually thawed out and put in the case. 

Craig


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## sparrowgrass (Jan 29, 2011)

Ask at your market.  Lots of fish is flash frozen right on the boat to ensure that it is fresh.


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## cmarchibald (Jan 29, 2011)

roadfix said:


> For me, it's sitting at the sushi bar and bs'ing with the sushi chef.
> Eating sushi at home just isn't the same.


I don't begrudge anyone at all for wanting to attempt it at home, but I consider it over my head and I've been eating sushi for 10 years.  Sushi is what we eat when we want to go out and relax and enjoy some saki.


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## BigAL (Jan 29, 2011)

If it looks and tastes good, who cares if it was frozen?  The best, most fresh, fish you can get is one you catch and fillet yourself.


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