Sushi 101: Your ultimate guide to sushi making at home

Sushi is among the most beloved Japanese foods around the world and is always a delightful treat. From the variety of flavourful bites to delicate, mesmerising specials, you’re sure to find your favourite sushi and discover new delights.

But you too, can master the art of sushi-making and create your own homemade flavours with the right ingredients and tools. Let’s begin by understanding the essential parts of any sushi!

The Sushi Rice

Short-grain rice is best for making sushi, and the Japonica cultivars unique to Japan are especially suited. Known locally as Uruchimai, Japanese short-grain rice is plump with a high starch and moisture content. When cooked, it has a subtle sweet taste, with a firm yet soft, sticky texture. It isn’t as sticky as glutinous rice, but is just the right stickiness for making sushi. Uruchimai is also the short-grain rice enjoyed in authentic Japanese meals, from Bento to Ichiju Sansai set meals. Outside of Japan, Uruchimai is typically packaged as ‘sushi rice’.

But there’s one more element that turns regular short-grain rice into actual sushi rice – the seasoning. A blend of rice wine vinegar, sugar and salt is heated until the sugar and salt dissolves, then mixed into the cooked rice.

This is traditionally done in a round, flat wooden tub called Hangiri that also cools the cooked rice, with a wooden rice paddle called Shamoji. But any wide plate or pan can do just as well for your homemade sushi rice. Check out our simple recipe!

The Sushi Seaweed / Yaki Nori

Yaki Nori, more commonly known as roasted seaweed, is made from pressing strands of edible red algae into ultra-thin sheets, then dried and roasted. This is the seaweed typically used when wrapping ‘Maki’, or rolled sushi. Yaki Nori is also enjoyed as a flavoured snack on its own.

Yaki Nori generally has a savoury, mild sea-salty taste and a subtle smoky aroma. But there are different grades of Yaki Nori to consider for your sushi as well. The grades are typically marked by colour on the packaging.

Gold or Grade A is the highest grade of Yaki Nori, made from the earliest harvests during the red algae’s peak seasons from autumn to spring. They have a glossy, jet-black colour and a rich, complex, savoury flavour, with a crisp yet flexible texture that stays firm to roll or wrap your sushi.

Silver or Grade B is good quality Yaki Nori, but lacks the glossy, supple sheen. Blue or Grade C typically have a dark green hue, while Green or Grade D have a bright green or brown colour, generally made with mixed material rather than red algae. The last two grades of Yaki Nori are also more brittle, thus less suitable for sushi-making.

The Sushi Topping/Filling

Shun is a core concept in Japanese cuisine that refers to cooking and savouring each ingredient at its peak freshness and flavour. This is absolutely essential in making sushi, and why the best-tasting sushi is always made of seasonal ingredients.

Want to have a homemade sushi summer feast? Here are some ingredients you can consider:

Eel – a traditional Japanese delicacy believed to boost your stamina during hot, humid months.

Prawns – naturally refreshing taste that’s perfect for summer sushi. Also, a prized shellfish during the summer in Japan.

Cucumber – crunchy, juicy and refreshing with a cooling effect. Most often enjoyed in Hosomaki and other light sushi rolls.

Lettuce – late spring to summer is peak lettuce season, when they’re most light and crisp. A must-have ingredient in Lettuce Maki Sushi with boiled shrimps. A speciality of the Miyazaki Prefecture in Japan.

Umeboshi – A sour-salty pickled plum that can instantly stimulate your appetite. Especially popular during the summer in Japan.

Generally, summer-inspired sushi features proteins with comforting flavours and fresh, seasonal vegetables. 

The Sushi Condiments

Last but not least are the condiments to enrich your sushi enjoyment – light soy sauce for a savoury boost, wasabi for a pinch of minty spiciness that perks up your sushi, and pickled ginger for a refreshing tangy zest to cleanse your palate between each piece of sushi you savour.

The Sushi-Making Utensils

All you need to make sushi at home is the plate and ladle to mix and season your sushi rice, a sharp knife to prepare your toppings, and a Makisu bamboo mat. The mat is designed in the precise size to ease your sushi-rolling process. Just rinse with soap after use to remove any food residue or grease patches, and make sure the mat is fully dried before storing.

Summer-Inspired Sushi Recipes

Ready to make your own sushi? Get started with these 2 recipes:

Inari and Veggie Sushi Rolls with Miso Mayo

This recipe features a savoury filling of Japanese Aburaage tofu skin (inari), crunchy cucumber and buttery avocado, all wrapped in crisp yaki nori and fluffy sushi rice. The combination gives a gentle contrast of textures and a clean, refreshing taste that’s ideal for hot days. Serve with an umami Miso Mayo dipping sauce. Go have a taste!

Tempura Prawn and Lettuce Sushi Rolls with Ponzu Sauce

Enjoy a yummy summer weekend with the famed and beloved Lettuce Maki sushi roll. Packed with a delicious filling of savoury, crispy tempura prawns and juicy lettuce. Layers of crunchy, soft and refreshing textures and delightful umami tastes in every bite. Serve with a sweet, savoury and tarty Ponzu sauce that accentuates the sushi’s complex flavours!

Also check out all the sushi types you can make!

Make Sushi at Home, Easy with Obento

Obento is the premier Japanese brand that provides a comprehensive range of authentic cooking products for your Japanese home-cooking pleasure.

For an easy sushi-making experience, get Obento’s Sushi Rice, Sushi Seasoning, Japanese Yaki Nori for Sushi, Japanese Sushi & Sashimi Soy Sauce, and Obento Sliced Pickled Ginger.

You can also get the Obento Sushi Kit that includes the sushi rice, seasoning powder, Yaki Nori, wasabi and soy sauce packs, as well as the Makisu bamboo mat.

All available at your local supermarkets! Also check out Obento’s complete range of the Japanese staple condiments including mirin seasoning, cooking sake, rice wine vinegar, teriyaki sauce, to other foodstuff and ingredients such as panko breadcrumbs, tempura mix, and a variety of noodles.