Author: Allison

Categories
Other Sushi Randomness

Preparing the Rolling Mat


A bamboo sushi mat on a blue cutting board

The sushi rolling mat is a small mat made of bamboo which is used to roll and squeeze maki sushi into tight rolls. Preparing it will help keep the mat clean, so you don’t have to try to clean all of the rice off of it (which believe me, is quite a pain!)

Preparing the Sushi Rolling Mat

Lay out a piece of plastic wrap twice the length of the bamboo mat. The plastic wrap should be oriented so that the short side is near you. Lay the bamboo mat on the center of the plastic wrap, oriented the little bamboo sticks that make up the mat are parallel to the short end of the plastic wrap.


A bamboo sushi mat on top of a sheet of plastic wrap

Fold the bottom end of the plastic wrap over the bamboo mat.


Folding the plastic wrap over the bamboo mat

Fold the top end of the plastic wrap over the bamboo mat, pressing to make sure it sticks to the part that has already been folded over.


Bamboo mat with top and bottom plastic wrap folded over it

Fold the corners in little triangles, so they don’t stick out.


Corners of the plastic wrap folded over

Fold the two sides in, making sure they stick to the plastic wrap that has already been folded in.


Folding the sides of the plastic wrap in

Turn over so the folded parts are down, and start rolling your sushi!


Finished rolling mat - you are ready to make sushi!

Categories
Other Recipes

Sumeshi


Sushi rice in a wooden hangiri (a large, flat, round container)

Sumeshi, also known as sushi-meshi, is the Japanese term for the sushi rice. Sumeshi is used in sushi, giving it a light but distinct flavor.

Makes 3 cups of sumeshi.

Ingredients
  • 1.5 cups uncooked short grain rice
  • 1.5 cups water
  • 6 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 5 tbsp sugar
Cooking Directions
  1. Cook the rice, using equal parts rice and water. I use a rice cooker, but you can also cook it on the stove if you don’t have a rice cooker.
  2. Put the rice vinegar and sugar in a small pot over medium heat.
  3. Stir until the sugar has melted into the rice vinegar.
  4. Once the rice is finished cooking, take the rice out of the pot and put it in the hangiri, or a large bowl if you don’t have a hangiri.
  5. Cool the rice and rice vinegar mix, then slowly pour the rice vinegar mix over the rice, using a cutting motion to mix it into the rice with the rice paddle (Thanks to Will and Jim for their tips!).
  6. Make sushi!
Categories
Other Sushi Randomness

What is Sushi?


Salmon and avocado maki rolls on a black plate

Sushi [soo-shee] – cold boiled rice moistened with rice vinegar, usually shaped into bite-size pieces and topped with raw seafood (nigiri-zushi) or formed into a long seaweed-wrapped roll, often around strips of vegetable or raw fish, and sliced into bite-size pieces (maki-zushi). (Dictionary.com)

When people think of the Japanese culture, sushi often automatically comes to mind, and for good reason. Sushi began as a method for preserving fish in Japan. Rice was used in the fermentation process, as both fish and rice are in abundant supply in Japan. Over the years, the preparation changed and evolved into the sushi we know today, which looks and tastes much better and uses many ingredients aside from fish. Now, sushi is a very popular dish which is often served as a quick, cheap meal at stands all over Japan.

In the United States, sushi can range from cheaper, typical types such as the California roll and Inari-zushi, to more expensive rolls seen at fusion restaurants and nicer restaurants all across America. Many people shy away from the thought of eating raw fish, but most come back for more when they find that not only is most sushi made from ingredients other than raw fish, but that it is actually delicious!

I personally think sushi is wonderful – a little bite of heaven. Many of the recipes I provide won’t be completely traditional, but hey… they’re still tasty!

So if you’ve never had sushi, go out and try some! I promise you can find a type of sushi you like. And when you do decide you love sushi, come back and try making some with me!

Sources:
“sushi.” Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.0.1). Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, ©Random House, Inc. 2006. 07 Sep. 2006.