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Unlike common belief among those in North America, sushi cannot be made with the typical white rice found in most grocery stores. Due to the nature of sushi, sushi rice must be prepared a very specific way or it will not have the sticky quality required to keep its shape when molded into sushi. The typical sushi rice is created from a short grain Japanese rice that is blended with other ingredients to enhance its flavor and preserve its sticky quality.

As the sushi rice is very vital to the overall quality of the sushi dish, it is not uncommon for the sushi chef to spend a great deal of time mastering sushi rice. If you attempt to make sushi at home, the sushi rice is often the hardest part, as it requires patience, skill and time to properly make.

In addition to using high quality sushi rice, you must be intimately familiar with fish. As fish is typically the main star of good sushi, a sushi chef must know the signs of good fish and be able to identify when a piece of fish is not fit for consumption when raw. This skill can take many years to learn. As sushi restaurants have a strong reputation of being safe, the health of customers and reputation are both on the line for the sushi chef. Because those who cook at home are not typically knowledgeable on what makes fish good for consumption when raw, it is very easy to make a mistake when trying to make sushi at home.

Because of this, it is strongly suggested that those trying to make sushi at home focus on dishes such as futomaki. Unlike other types of sushi, futomaki is vegetarian, so it can be made safely at home. In futomaki, the focus is on the sushi rice and vegetable ingredients. However, futomaki is often topped with non vegetarian ingredients such as roe and fish.

In addition to the sushi rice, the nori must be properly selected for the dish. Nori that is flavored with teriyaki or other sauces is considered inferior and should not be used with sushi. Both high quality nori and sushi rice are required in order for a dish to be considered better than ume, the lowest quality sushi.

Unfortunately, the popular types of sushi in North America that are found in grocery stores or non specialty locations are considered to be ume quality. While the sushi rice may be of good quality, many of the individuals who make vegetarian sushi for stands and restaurants lack the training that sushi masters in Japan have.

There is an art to rolling sushi that can take many years to master. With the need to be able to make a tight roll without damaging the grains of rice, rolling sushi is a skill that requires a great deal of practice in order to master without the use of a sushi maker. While a sushi maker can significantly lower the learning curve of making sushi rolls, knowing how to roll your own sushi can help you make even better sushi.

While rolling sushi with a sushi maker is quick and easy, it is often more difficult to get the exact artistic look you desire using a sushi maker rather than a bamboo mat. Using a bamboo mat for rolling sushi is the traditional method of rolling sushi, which is preferred by sushi master chefs across the world. As sushi is a dish heavy with traditions, many connoisseurs do not view the use of sushi makers as a proper way of making sushi.

The first step to rolling sushi is making your sushi rice properly. Sushi rice needs to have a sticky quality in order to maintain its shape in the roll. If you add too much vinegar to the sushi rice, it will not stick together properly or may be too sour and overwhelm the other ingredients in the sushi. On the other hand, if you do not add enough vinegar, or you do not properly allow it to soak, the Japanese rice will be too sticky, and the grains will be unsuitable for rolling sushi. Because of this, it is suggested that you focus on the sushi rice as your primary focus, as rolling sushi is considered easier than properly making the sushi rice.

While rolling sushi takes skill, you also need to know how to balance your flavors when you make sushi. Sushi has two primary factors: visual appeal and flavor. A true sushi chef views both equally, making their food an art. The ingredients you add to your sushi roll should blend flavor and color, providing a visual balance to excellent taste. Many sushi chefs will use roe and sesame to add additional flavor, color and texture to their sushi.

While many forms of sushi require rolling skills, sashimi and nigiri are two types of sushi that do not require rolling. These styles of sushi focus on the fish and sushi rice, and are often tried by beginners who are intimidated by rolling sushi for the first time.