Modest Beginnings, Tasty Legacy

From a fast-food dish to an art form delicacy, sushi has come a long way. Said to have originated in the 5th - 3rd century BCE in China as a means of fish preservation - where salted fish was placed in cooked rice and allowed to undergo fermentation. Sushi made its way to Japan around the 8th century AD as Narezushi (fermented rice and salted fish). After its introduction, the original sushi, Narezushi, was followed up with several variations in processing and preparation to reach our modern sushi. 

Inside the roll: What is sushi?

Sushi translates to “sour rice”, referring to the vinegared rice and not the raw fish. A variety of rolls containing raw protein, tempura rolls or plain-simple cucumber rolls - all of these make the cut for sushi as vinegared rice is involved.

Basic ingredients for sushi making

Rice – Sushi is only as good as its rice. The short-grain Japanese rice that has a sticky texture is a suitable choice. 

Rice vinegar – ready sushi vinegar can be availed while making sushi. It is a ready mix of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar, which provides the desired flavour.

Nori (seaweed) – To wrap the roll. Ensure to store the sheets in a dry place in the desiccant packet it came in or in a good quality zip lock bag.  

Topping/filling – of your choice, which includes vegetables and/or protein. 

These rice rolls are traditionally paired with pickled ginger, wasabi paste or soy sauce.

The pickled ginger is called gari in Japanese and is usually used as a palate cleanser in between different types of sushi.

Wasabi paste is prepared by freshly grating the rhizome into a paste, but since it is extremely expensive, an alternative is used in restaurants to save on the costs. This alternative is usually made using horseradish, sometimes mustard and green food colouring. Traditionally used to enhance the flavours of raw fish, wasabi delivers subtle flavours with slight sweetness along with the punch, just enough to balance and complement the sushi.

Soy sauce or shōyu in Japanese, best complements sushi, however, make sure not to drench the sushi in soy sauce. Dip the fish/corner of the roll, avoiding the rice, in order to prevent it from overpowering the sushi’s flavour.

Tools for sushi making 

Knife – A sharp comfortable knife is required for cutting the toppings/fillings followed by slicing the finished rolls.

Cutting board - usually made from hinoki, which is Japanese cypress wood. This wood has a medium-soft texture, providing a stable surface that is suitable for high-quality knives. However, they are expensive, hence, simple wood/PE boards at home are completely fine for beginners.

Rice cooker – makes the rice cooking process easier, however, its use may not be necessary.

Sushi oke – a circular, high-edged plate typically made from Japanese cypress wood. This plate is used to mix the cooked rice with vinegar and cool it down while absorbing the excess moisture from it. This needs specific maintenance and can be bought when sushi making becomes a routine at home.

Shamoji/rice paddle – made from wood or plastic, these paddles are used to mix the rice with the vinegar.

Makisu – the bamboo rolling mat used to roll any type of makizushi. The ones with slightly thicker sticks allow better support and tend to last longer. Plastic wrap is used to avoid sticking of rice to the makisu while preparing uramaki.

Moribashi – special chopsticks with metal tips for anything that requires precision and for work that is detail-oriented, such as plating, garnishing, etc. The metal tips help in keeping any odours away.

How to eat sushi?

Sushi is considered a finger food and can be eaten with a pair of wooden chopsticks or with hands.
    
Making sushi at home may be intimidating, but it is not that difficult. Kickstart your hobby of sushi making with The Art of Sushi Hands-on Workshop - a fun and engaging workshop with our expert chef to begin crafting classic sushi rolls and gain tips for sushi perfection!