How To Make Sushi

Sushi refers to the short-grain rice, cooked and seasoned with sushi vinegar. With practice and simple ingredients, anyone can quickly produce delicious sushi at home.

In this guide, we explain how to make sushi in two different ways: simple maki sushi rolls, and 'inside out rolls' with rice on the outside of your homemade sushi.

We'll explain how to make sushi sticky rice, and how to make making sushi rolls with fillings. Plus the classic pairings for serving with sushi rolls; soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi.

Once the rice is seasoned, you can use it in maki rolls - see our simple step-by-step sushi rice recipe below for this delicious Japanese food.

Alternatively if you prefer to make temaki or hand rolls just follow the same recipe but instead of rolling the maki, scoop rice and some fillings onto a nori seaweed sheet, and roll into one large cone to eat with your hands.

Fillings might include raw or cooked fish, cooked egg omelette, herbs, avocado, cucumber, mayonnaise, chilli. Alternatively form into balls, and serve as part of a bento box lunch.

What ingredients do I need to make sushi?

There are just three key ingredients that you need to make a good recipe for any type of sushi:

1. Sushi rice - this is the short-grain rice that forms the backbone of any sushi that you make. You should always use ‘sushi rice’, as the grains are very short, and will hold together well to form your sushi. The rice is grown in both Japan and the USA, with great quality rice coming from both countries. The basic sushi rice is a great place to start, and as you become more of an expert at making your own sushi, you might like to try more premium sushi rice, prized for its flavour and texture.

2. Sushi seasoning or sushi vinegar is a pre-mixed blend of vinegar, salt and sugar. Rice vinegar is an essential component in this blend, giving the sushi its distinctive flavour.

3. Nori seaweed sheets are pressed sheets of seaweed that hold the sushi rice and fillings together.

Once you’ve assembled those ingredients, you just need to decide what to fill your sushi with! That might be egg, vegetables, fish or even meat.

If you’re new to making sushi, making this Sushi Making Kit has everything to start making authentic Japanese sushi - except the fish!

And if you’re looking to entertain friends then the Deluxe Sushi Set comes with chopsticks, sushi plates and dipping bowls for serving.

What equipment do I need to make sushi, including a sushi mat?

There are three basic pieces of equipment:

1. A saucepan for cooking your rice or a rice cooker.

2. A bamboo sushi rolling mat to help you make perfect maki rolls, that hold together well. 

3. Hangiri rice barrel - a hangiri is a large wide wooden container, with shallow sides and a very large surface area, for mixing your rice and cooling it. Of course you don't need one of these when you first start, but if you decide decided that sushi making is really for you, then you'll want to use one for the ultimate seasoned rice. The ultimate Japanese hangiri is made from cypress wood and held together with copper bands, and is like a piece of art in your kitchen. 

How long can I keep sushi after making it? 

Prepared sushi rice will harden if it is stored in a domestic refrigerator for long, so it is best to serve sushi rice the day it is made.

In fact, special sushi fridges in Japan are kept at a slightly higher temperature to make sure the perfect sushi rice retains its great texture. That’s why European supermarket sushi will never taste as good as homemade.

If you’re using smoked salmon or raw fish, make sure you make the sushi just before eating. Raw salmon or fish shouldn’t be kept out of the fridge for any period of time.

However, if you’re not using raw fish, most other fillings are fine to include in a lunchbox that might be kept out of the fridge for an hour while travelling to school or work.

The sushi rice seasoning (made from vinegar, salt and sugar) acts as a preservative once the sushi rice is cooled. However, you should still refrigerate your sushi as quickly as possible on arrival.

To serve sushi at a dinner party, it can be fun to slice all the fillings in advance and store those in the fridge, and then prepare the rice and lay out the seaweed when guests arrive.

Then each person can roll their own sushi, and perhaps slice the rolls to share with others.

Making your own sushi rolls at home allows you to choose your preferred ingredients and enjoy a fun, DIY project.

Homemade sushi

Easy maki rolls recipe

Follow our step-by-step recipe below to make simple maki rolls - a perfect introduction to how to make sushi.

Making homemade sushi rolls is not only cost-effective compared to dining out but also allows for creativity in choosing fillings and can be a fun activity to share with loved ones.

How to serve homemade sushi

If you’re keen on making homemade sushi rolls, one of the most important tips is to use a sharp knife to slice through your finished roll.

This ensures a nice clean cut, preserving the shape of the roll and making your homemade sushi look just as neat as in sushi restaurants.

Remember to slightly wet the knife between each cut to prevent the sticky rice from adhering to the blade.

Serve your homemade sushi with soy sauce, pickled ginger, wasabi paste, and a pair of chopsticks.

Homemade sushi platter

If you are serving multiple types of homemade sushi, start with the lighter, milder flavours of homemade sushi such as cucumber rolls roll sushi or simple nigiri, and move towards the richer or spicier varieties like spicy tuna or eel.

You might also choose how strong your soy sauce is, depending on the of your choice of delicious sushi fillings.

Traditionally, sushi is presented on a plate in groups of two to six pieces, depending on the type of sushi and the setting of the meal.

In more formal settings or in sushi restaurants, you might see each type of sushi served in pairs or up to five pieces, beautifully arranged.

For casual dining or larger groups, the servings might be more generous, with sushi chefs presenting several types of sushi displayed together on a platter. With soy sauce, wasabi paste and perhaps pickled ginger.

But the key to immaculately smart sushi rolls is to slice them with a very sharp knife.