Expert Level Sushi Rice | The Most Difficult Rice To Make

The most important part of sushi is not the fish but the rice. This is how to make the perfect sushi rice.

Recipe
For cooking: 10parts uncooked rice to 9parts water
-Dry rice, 10min - soak rice 10min - high heat 10min - simmer 10min - rest 10min
For mixing vinegar into rice: 3parts uncooked rice to 1part sushi vinegar
-Vinegar must be mixed in while the rice is still hot!!

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[mul.official]

My cousin bought a sushi restaurant last year and said the rice was the hardest part of making sushi. Every step from cleaning the rice to forming the rice for the nigiri was important and anyone who understands sushi can tell a bad batch vs good batch. Thanks for sharing the video!🍣🍣

[johnsmith]

when making rice for myself i just polish each grain by hand 1 time until it shines and no problem

[thatshirleylee]

while i know some viewers want the "outdoor" content of this channel, i am actually glad that i am learning more sushi chef stuff here. show us all of your skills for omakase taku, we will watch them all

[SuperSushidog]

Good job on the video. The only thing I would add is it helps to cool it with a fan. And after it is ready, transfer it to a separate non-metal container while slightly warm and cover with a moist cloth for use immediately. There are two schools of thought. I subscribe to the warm rice, cool (not cold) fish school. Never refrigerate sushi rice. This is why prepackaged, refrigerated sushi tastes so bad.

Remember folks, as complicated as this seems, this is a very basic sushi meshi making lesson. It is actually much more complicated than you could ever believe. I was a sushi chef for over 20 years - now retired. It took me two years to learn to make rice just to get to the basic minimum competency level - one year to go through the seasons of rice, and another to practice what I learned the first and achieve consistency. A student of sushi studies this their entire life.

As such it is impossible to condense and impart the knowledge learned over many years into a video, and everyone should be aware of that. But just to give you an idea of what needs to be learned, I'll describe the process. First, one needs to learn about rice, which can be a lifetime study on its own. Next the water used for washing and cooking, the correct temperature, Ph and the minerals in it and match it to the variety of rice being cooked, (just as one matched the sharpening stone to the knife being sharpened) as this not only influences the texture of the rice, by the rate of penetration of the grain but also the taste. Then one must determine the moisture and starch content of the rice. This is determined by the season, the storage conditions, etc. as this determines how the rice will be prepared and cooked. Master chefs have also been known to blend their rice to get the exact taste and texture they are looking for. Of course his is also influenced by the season, as well as many factors. Truly making sushi rice is an artform.

For example, the season of rice goes like this. Rice is harvested in the summer to fall, depending on location. Freshly harvested rice is called shinmai, which is is exceptionally sweet and delicious, but is entirely unsuitable for sushi, though it may be blended (15-20%) with komai (older rice) depending on the chef. But rice changes throughout the year. A rice labeled shinmai in December has entirely different moisture and starch content than one in February. Even two bags of identically labeled rice may cook differently depending on where it was stored and how it was handled and milled. Some finer restaurants with a high reputation either have their rice custom milled or mill it themselves. This is how much detail is required to make perfect rice every time, as consistency is the goal.

And I have not even mentioned the sushi su (which varies by restaurant, but with edomaezushi always uses a special red vinegar, akazu (made from sake lees), which often blended with rice vinegar. The best is not available here, as it is aged for over 10 years and has a limited production. In fact it's not even available to lower level Japanese sushi bars. There are a few brands that are imported here, like Yokoi) that are close, and a little less expensive too. Anyway, I could bore you for days with the intricate details and precision that is required. Though actually cooking the rice has gotten much easier than using an old gas commercial Rinnai rice cooker (that I used for many years), now that modern, fuzzy logic, computerized rice cookers are available that actually learn and get better as they cook, making a home sushi chef's job much easier.

[garrettisley]

i just sat here and watched a 13 minute video about something i'll probably never make, and i enjoyed every second of it. what a great start to the day

[floki]

Rice to water ratio : 10:9
Wash the rice 6-7times.
After that let the rice dry for 10min.
Them leave it soak in the water (10:9) 10min.
High heat- 10min ; Center heat-10min. ;Let it rest-10min.
After mix with the vinegar - let it cool down few min.; flip and let cool down few min.

[whoisewe]

I've been making sushi rice for years just like this.
It takes some time and patience to get to this level.
Thank you so much for the sushi vinegar recipe.

[jdraze]

glad to finally find a video that breaks down all the micro steps, always see videos that make it seem like they're showing you but I can tell they're skipping steps. thanks for contributing this

[Caarcher]

Thank you, Taku! This is the best and most thorough "how to" sushi rice video I have ever come across. You have a great and natural teaching style that is easy to follow.

[lucalionakis]

I've literally watched all of these videos in like 3 days. no regrets this is where its at

[andrewmcwilliam]

I feel like I'm getting the real deal here on this subject and I feel privileged (and usually ravenous) watching you and Hiro when it comes to anything sushi. When lockdown is lifted here in South Africa I will definitely be trying your rice and vinegar recipes. Can't wait to get out on the kayak and try for a tuna to go with it!

[sobelowtriplefo]

Been making sushi for 10 years but its always nice to see other chefs make it their own way their own way, I feel every chef has something they can teach you if your not an arrogant douche like many chefs are. I've taught dozens of chefs on how to make sushi but I feel I'm always learning something new when I meet another chef with the same passion. great vid brotha!

[silentaiy]

this guy has the most calmest vibe and soothing voice

[-IVXII]

I really appreciate your content man. It’s been super clutch right now. A few weeks ago I was a little bummed out being cooped up/missing the little things like going out for sushi and I thought “you know what I’m gonna teach myself”(not only sushi but relearn cooking entirely) I started watching every sushi video I could find on here, learned a lot and got decently good. I watched a lot of Hiro and then your video with him got suggested, been watching all your stuff now. Love the foraging and catch and cooks (I do a lot of mushroom foraging), and I really enjoy these at home videos. It shows through that you’re a super genuine dude and I appreciate that, thanks for sharing your passion. All the best to you and Jocelyn, y’all be safe. 🙏💚

[tapeglue]

Awesome SIP video. I appreciate your creative and interesting content during these challenging times. Being the nerd I am, a few other items for newbie sushi makers : rice accounts for many of the illnesses attributed to sushi. Adding vinegar is for safety reasons. Sushi rice is at room temperature and the acidification inhibits bacteria growth in the RICE. Per the FDA - "Proper preparation of acidified rice is important to ensure the rice is safe to use. Rice acidified to a pH of less than 4.6 will inhibit the growth of pathogenic bacteria. Acidification of rice should occur as soon as possible after cooking."

[michaelscofield]

I've been watching Sushi Rice recipes on and off for probably over a decade now just to see how it has evolved over the years and how people make it differently. One thing that I've noticed mostly is the Seasoned Vinegar to Rice ratio. I know that Sushi basically means "it's sour, " and your ratio of 3:1 is pretty sour! I personally don't like mine that sour, and that much Seasoned Vinegar comes with a very hefty amount of sodium. I put about 2.5 Tbsp per 1.5C of Rice. That is perfect for me.

[trueboogaloo]

The person that quit while learning to cook sushi rice probably did your BOH a favor. Definitely don’t want someone with that kind of work ethic handling food.

Thanks for the vid, Taku! I’m about to hit up my Mitsua and stock up on okonomiyaki ingredients!

[douglassong]

I make sushi like this as well in my restaurant I work at as a apprentice. Even after making it for 3 years I still learning and enjoying my time with it. Thank you for the videos, they help me get through!

[traktorworks]

the man is all about enjoying his life and his food and omg he does it so well. a pleasure to watch so thanks for the experience.

[Galainthekitchen]

Thank you for the detailed directions on how to make rice for sushi! In cooking small details make a huge difference sometimes! I am a beginner at making sushi, usually, I buy it in a restaurant or local store. I get inspired to make sushi cake myself, like sushi layers in a square shape and then cut into small squares. I learned that my not-perfect rice for the first time (I haven't used your recipe yet) was much better than the sushi I bought to compare. The quality of rice itself makes a big difference! I made my first sushi cake, need to learn more and maybe someday will be brave enough to make sushi rolls:)