Making sushi is also considered an
art. Here are several types of sushi.
Maki Sushi is comprised of fish or
seafood wrapped in a roll of nori or seaweed. It has two
variations, Hosamaki and Futomaki. Hosomaki is a thin type of
maki that has only one kind of filling. It can be seafood, fish
or one type of vegetable. Futomaki is a fat type of maki that
has 2 or more kinds of fillings.
Nigiri Sushi is more popular.
It is shaped with the use of hands. It comprises slices of
seafood, tamago, raw fish or various other toppings. Then,
wasabi is placed in-between slices as well as a thumb-sized
chunk of vinegared rice or shari. In Japanese customs, you
present these to couples as a sign of harmony and peace.
Uramaki is similar to maki,
however, rice is placed on top of the nori instead of inside. It
consists of more than 2 fillings. Sometimes, it is topped with a
thin slice of avocado or fish. This is most popular in Western
Sushi Bars.
Making Sushi
Maki
Feel your nori sheet. One side is smooth and the other side is
rough. Nori should lie on your rolling mat with the rough side
facing upwards.
Wet your hands and get about a
handful of rice and roll it to a ball. Wet your hands so that
rice won't stick to your palms. Dry your hands when it's time to
work with the nori. Have a dry towel and bowl of water handy
beside your working place.
Carefully place and spread
equally the rice ball on your nori sheet. Make sure that your
layer of rice almost covers the entire sheet, excluding about
2cm from the upper margins. This should be left uncovered to
properly close your sushi roll.
Then, place one slice of fish
by the nori's edge. Add about 1 up to 3 "pre-cut" vegetables
slices such as cucumber, carrot, asparagus, green onion and the
like. Along your rolling mat's closer edge, close your nori.
Make it like a rectangular-shaped hill while tightening it from
the upper part.
Move forward by rolling it
continuously in rectangular-shaped hill steps. Make sure every
move or roll you make is tight until the end portion. Always
exert pressure on all 3 sides of your roll, especially along
stops. It allows tight rolling.
Cut your roll into small sushi
units with a sharp, wet knife.
Nigir Sushi
Wet your hands and get about 20 grams of vinegared rice or shari.
Shape it into long and ovalic forms. Use the rice as base with
the fish on top. The bottom should be flat and the top rounded.
Follow the measurements
carefully. If you plan to make fish nigiri sushi, get a slice of
fish. It should be 1cm thick and about 5cm x 3cm
rectangular-sized. If it is a bit smaller, you should try
slicing it at about 45 degrees. It maximizes fish surface. Then,
take some pea-sized portions of wasabi. Smear this in the midst
of your fish slices. Wasabi actually helps your fish slices
become glued into your shari.
Place the slice of fish, facing
down, along with the wasabi. Lay this gently on top of your
rice. Then, firmly press on it so that it will stick to the
rice. Using your other hand to hold your nigiri sushi's sides,
use the other to press it from the upper portion.
Uramaki
Your mat should be the "one side round and one side flat" type.
Wrap it with a stretch of nylon. You can start with the round
side but also ending with it. Create at least 2 up to 3 "full"
rounds of such wrapping. Afterwards, roll your mat in order to
squeeze out all the air locked inside. You can also use a
toothpick to poke it to let the air out.
Get one piece of nori sheet.
Break this down in the middle. If it does not easily break, it
is either not a good brand or it is already old. Put your nori
sheet on top of your rolling mat. This should be around 5cm from
its edge. The rough side of your nori sheet should face upward.
Wet your hands. Create a ball
of rice with one handful. Put the ball of rice inside your nori.
Spread it evenly, gently pressing downwards. It should be about
1cm high,with equal layers of rice. You can add more rice as
long as it is even, if necessary. Flip your nori over. The rice
should face your mat.
Place one slice of fish along
your nori's edge. Add about 1 up to 3 "pre-cut" slices of
vegetables. Close the filling, making a rectangular-shaped hill
with nori. Make sure to tighten it along the upper portion.
Move forward by rolling it
continuously in rectangular-shaped hill steps. Make sure every
move or roll you make is tight until its end portion. Always
exert pressure on all 3 sides of the roll, especially along
stops, for tight rolling.
Cut your roll into small sushi
units with a sharp, wet knife.
