It may not be the most exciting part of sushi, but the rice, known as sushimeshi (鮨飯) in Japanese, is what makes sushi, sushi. It's made by cooking Japanese short-grain rice, which is then seasoned with a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. It's worth noting that in the US, uncooked Japanese-style rice is sometimes labeled "sushi rice."
In Japan, where hundreds of varieties of fresh fish are available at local fish markets, the best sushi restaurants differentiate themselves based on their technique, not just the variety and quality of their fish. Sushi rice, in particular, separates the truly extraordinary restaurants from the merely good.
Excellent sushi rice teeters the line between tender and firm. Each grain of rice retains its original shape, and yet they magically stick together, without being gluey or gummy. The seasoning is a balancing act between sweet, sour and salt and the rice should be well seasoned, but not so much so that it detracts from the fish. Most importantly, each grain of sushi rice should sport a lustrous shine that would make a shampoo model jealous.
Sashimi (刺身) is the Japanese word for a dish made with sliced raw fish. Sushi takes many forms, and may or may not include raw fish, but the common thread is that sushi always includes sushi rice. Some examples of sushi include makisushi (sushi rolls), nigirisushi, chirashizushi(sushi bowl), temakisushi (handrolls), and gunkan(battleship).
By some accounts, the word sushi is a contraction of the words su, which means "vinegar" and meshi, which means "rice." One of sushi's earliest iterations in Japan is what's known as narezushi (馴れ寿司). Fish was salted and then buried in cooked rice and allowed to ferment. The ensuing lacto-fermentation would break down the rice, lowering the pH and preserving the fish. Eventually, someone figured out that adding vinegar to the mixture would shorten the fermentation time making the fish taste better.
The next step in the evolution of sushi happened near Osaka, where the fish was salted, vinegared, and pressed onto a bed of sushi rice using a wooden mold. The bar of sushi would then be cut into bite-size pieces. This style of sushi is known as oshizushi (押し寿司), or pressed sushi, and is still popular in the region, especially for bento since the vinegar helps preserve the fish.
The style of sushi we enjoy today wasn't developed until the Edo Period. Edo, the former name of Tokyo, was situated next to a bay which was teaming with seafood. Around 200 years ago, an enterprising chef started topping small balls of sushi rice with the fresh fish from Edo bay without curing it first. Never before had the preparation of sushi been so easy or fast, and so nigiri sushi was brought into this world as an early form of fast-food, sold out of stalls near the bay. 
Not all rice is not created equally. Long-grain rice, such as Basmati or Jasmine rice tends to have a dry fluffy texture and the grains don't stick together thanks to a high ratio of Amylose to Amylopectin, making it unsuitable for this sushi rice recipe. This also causes long-grain rice to get hard as it cools. Short grain rice, on the other hand, has a higher ratio of Amylopectin to Amylose. This not only makes the rice sticky, but it also helps keep the rice soft, even after cooling.
There are many different kinds of short-grain rice, but if you're planning on making sushi, I recommend looking for Japanese short grain rice. Even amongst Japanese rice, there are dozens of varieties. Each one with variations in texture, color, and shine that's affected by where it was grown, what the weather was like that season, how it was milled, and even how fresh it is. A pound of recently harvested premium rice can fetch upwards of $20 in Japan. Unfortunately, you won't find quite the selection of rice here in your local grocery store, but looking for rice labeled as "new crop" is a good start.
A lot of the Japanese-style rice sold in the US is from two cultivars, Calrose, and Kokuho Rose, which are actually medium-grain rice. While they can be used for sushi, they're not ideal, as medium grain rice has a lower Amylopectin content than short-grain rice.
Sushi rice is made with cooked Japanese short-grain rice, rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
Sushi vinegar is the seasoning used to flavor sushi rice. It's typically made with rice vinegar, sugar and salt, but it can also be purchased pre-blended in a bottle. That being said, making sushi vinegar is ridiculously easy, and I don't recommend buying the bottled kind because they are loaded with additives.
Cooling the rice as the seasoning is folded in, is a part of the process of making sushi rice. That being said, it does not need to be cooled to room temperature, and some sushi chefs like to use luke-warm rice.
The first step in making sushi rice is to wash the rice thoroughly under cold water. This removes any remnants of bran and extra starch that's still on the rice from the milling process. For the best texture, it's essential to let the rice soak in cold water for at least 30 minutes before you start cooking it. This allows the rice to rehydrate, preventing textural problems that can occur when dry rice is suddenly boiled.
Once the rice has soaked, it's cooked with a little lower water ratio than you would typically use for the quantity of rice. This keeps the rice from getting mushy when you mix it with the sushi vinegar. The rice then needs to be steamed to complete the cooking process. Though a rice cooker is easiest for cooking the rice, this sushi rice recipe also includes instructions for cooking on the stove in a small saucepan.
Finally, the hot cooked rice is folded together with sushi vinegar while being rapidly cooled. You want to do this in a container, like a sushi oke, with as much surface area as possible so the rice can be spread out and cooled with a fan. This helps evaporate the excess moisture, which not only gives the rice a glossy finish, it also keeps it from absorbing too much liquid and getting soggy. 
Sushi rice is delicious as is, or it can be used to make various kinds of sushi such as rolls, temaki, gunkan, Chirashizushi, or Nigiri sushi. Sometimes I like to mix it with ground sesame seeds, or minced Japanese pickles to pack into a bento box lunch. You can also make donburi or rice bowls with it by topping the sushi rice with your favorite seafood and vegetables such as crab, tuna, and avocado. I also love Poke over sushi rice.
This recipe makes about 700 grams (25 ounces) of sushi rice. It depends on the type of rolls you make and how thick you lay the rice, but it should make anywhere from 9 hosomaki (thin rolls with the nori on the outside), 8 uramaki (thin rolls with rice on the outside), or 4-5 thicker rolls (full-sheet of nori).
I usually make a large batch of sushi vinegar and store it in a bottle. As long as the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, this will keep in the refrigerator for months. Then you want to make sushi rice, you can use ⅓ US cup of sushi vinegar for every 2 rice cooker cups of uncooked rice after you've cooked it according to the directions in this recipe.
Sushi Recipes
- California Rolls
- Spicy Tuna Rolls (3 ways)
- Temaki Sushi
📖 Recipe
Units
Ingredients
- 310 grams Japanese short-grain rice (2 cooker cups)
- 1 ½ cups cold water
- 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Put the rice in a sieve(with holes small enough so the rice doesn't pass through) over a bowl and rinse the rice with cold tap water.
- Use your hands to remove the excess starch off each grain of rice by using a gentle rubbing motion. If you scrub too hard you will break the rice, so don't be too rough.
- When the water that runs off is mostly clear, drain the rice.
- If you're using a rice cooker, add the rice to the bowl of the rice cooker and add cold water to just under the 2 cup line (you want the rice to be on the firm side as you'll be adding the seasoned vinegar after the rice is cooked). If you're using the stove, add the rice to a small heavy bottomed non-stick pot, then add 1 ½ cups of cold water and cover it with a lid.
- Ideally you want to let the rice sit in the water for at least 30 minutes before you start cooking it. This allows the grains of rice to soak up some water before cooking, which results in shinier rice with a better texture.
- If you are using a rice cooker, turn it on and let it do it's thing. If you are doing this on the stovetop, turn the heat onto high and bring the rice to a boil (be careful not to let it boil over). Turn down the heat to low and set a timer for 15 minutes. Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
- While you wait for the rice to cook, combine the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small bowl. You can microwave it for a bit to help dissolve the sugar.
- After the rice has had a chance to steam, it should be firm, but the core should not be crunchy. It should be sticky, but each grain of rice should retain its own shape. If your rice was fresh, the surface of each grain should be glossy.
- Dump the rice out into a very large bowl or sushi oke (the wooden bowl in the photo). The key is that you want a container with a lot of surface area so you can spread the rice out to cool it rapidly. Gently flatten out the rice and then pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the hot rice.
- Use a shamoji (rice paddle), spatula or a flat wooden spoon to gently combine the rice and vinegar using a side-to-side cutting motion followed by a folding motion. You want to separate each grain of rice, so the vinegar penetrates every surface, but you don't want to break the grains of rice or mash them together.
- While you mix the rice, hold a fan or piece of cardboard, or a clean hairdryer set to cool and blow air on the rice. This cools the sushi rice and helps the excess liquid evaporate quickly, which gives your rice a nice shine and prevents it from getting mushy. It's a bit tricky mixing and fanning at the same time, so a second set of hands can be helpful here.
- The sushi rice is done when the surface is no longer wet and slippery, the rice is fluffy, and each grain is very shiny. It will still be a little warm, but it should not be hot.
- Mound up the rice, and cover with a damp towel until you're ready to use it.
Laura says
Love that you specified rice cooker cups! 🙂 my biggest pet peeve is rice cooker or Asian rice recipes that don't specify, and i am always wondering whether to you regular cups or rice cooker cups.
Laura says
Love that you specified rice cooker cups! 🙂 my biggest pet peeve is rice cooker or Asian rice recipes that don't specify, and i am always wondering whether to you regular cups or rice cooker cups.
Olen says
Rice cooker measures are 3/4 of a standard (8oz) cup...in other words, 6oz liquid measure.
Not True says
Typo spotted! Step number 9 in the recipe: "you're rice is fresh".
I'm not pointing it out maliciously. Figured you'd like to know, considering there's a certain quality to the writing on the site I've come to expect (in a good way).
Your site is great.
🙂
Not True says
There also may or may not be another apostrophe hiccup in the same area (step number 9).
Sorry!
daftasanything says
Would I use this same technique for rice for Onigiri(sp) ? Thanks! Love this blog!
Marc Matsumoto says
Rice for onigiri is not seasoned. You can follow the wash step and use the same proportion of water to rice, add a pinch of salt, then use the same cooking instructions, but you do not add the vinegar mixture and mix it like with sushi rice.
marina says
hey, i live in malaysia and i tried making sushi rice before but i can't find the rice vinegar. is there anything else that can replace the rice vinegar? thanks 🙂
Sandra H. Jordan says
I use a cup of white vinegar, cup of sugar, two of salt and simmer with shaved ginger. Once it cooks and thickens a bit, I remove the ginger for serving. Very yummy
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm not very familiar with what kinds of ingredients you can get in Malaysia, so I can't really suggest a substitute. That said, I'm a little surprised you can't find rice vinegar there as it's used widely in Asian cooking. If you have a market that sells Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Korean ingredients they should have it as it's used in all those cuisines. In the US it goes by a couple names including: white rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or simply rice vinegar.
Tree Lady says
Sushi rice is short grain rice. Shorter grain rice is starchier than long grain, and you need the starch to make the rice stick together in the sushi roll. Jasmine or Basmati would be long grain and would not have enough starch.
Mel says
Is it ok using cane vinegar instead of rice vinegar? Than for sharing this recipe. I always wonder why the rice in Japan is shinier. I know the technique now.
Marilia says
hi marc, i just want to ask if i can use ordinary vinegar, cane vinegar? thanks 🙂
Marc Matsumoto says
It's not going to have the same taste, but if you're okay with that I don't see why you couldn't use a different vinegar. Also, some vinegars are more acidic than others, so you may need to adjust the amount of vinegar based on the acidity. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with cane vinegar so can't really give you any guidance there.
Marilia says
I am trying your recipe now but i just realised that i accidentally bought sushi vinegar (with the sugar and salt already added) Could you suggest a total amount of liquid that i should be adding to my rice as i'm not sure how much the sugar in your recipe condenses down to?
omelette aux truffes says
What is the best ingredient used in making sushi?
Marc Matsumoto says
I'm not sure I understand your question, are you asking about the rice? vinegar?
Lindsey V says
Rice vinegar can be duplicated by taking white vinegar, salt and sugar and cooking them together in a pan over low heat until the sugar dissolves.
The portions should look like:
half cup of white vinegar
1 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of sugar
Add more salt, sugar or vinegar until it tastes "right". You need something acidic or the rice will fall flat.
I used to prepare the vinegar this way, and my family liked it sweeter, so I would add more sugar to the mix. Everyone enjoyed the rice thoroughly.
Marc Matsumoto says
Actually, rice vinegar does not include salt or sugar. I think you might be confusing it with sushi rice vinegar(sometimes known as seasoned rice vinegar), which is what this recipe is for.
Gintama says
Hey, I'm in Malaysia too. Quick question: are you living somewhere out in the woods? (I very much doubt it, else you shouldn't be on the internet.) Anyway even if you're living where there is no sign of human life, see if you can find your way to a "kedai runcit" (Malay for grocery shop) or "chap hui tiam" (in Hokkien), and ask for "bee chor" (in case the old shopkeep doesn't speak English). It should cost only RM2.80 for a bottle the size of a large Tiger Beer. The brand I use is Narcissus, came all the way from Fujian China.
There's a lot of heated talk lately in my country, about the Islamic ruling party tagging Malaysia-born Chinese like me as "Pendatang" (immigrants), and that we deserve to get kicked back to China. I brought this point up because, well, if it weren't for the pendatang, how are Malaysians supposed to get common, everyday kitchen stuff such as rice vinegar? Desho?
Tammie Smith says
California Rolls may be a bit tricky but I took away a great deal of information from your post that gives me the confidence to try making them now. Thanks so much, I'll let you know how I do!
Ezal says
There's rice vinegar in Malaysia too.. Im from Brunei and rice vinegar is not rare. I use it often. I believe thay are sold in most local markets. Just search for it.
camilio4u2 says
Thank you Marc .
Vernon Chan says
Tried a couple of times but came out a little lumpy and soft. Will need to keep an eye out on the amount of water. Also I used 3 heaped teaspoons of sugar instead of tablespoons.
Marc Matsumoto says
The lower amount of sugar you used probably had an impact, the shine on the rice needs a higher sugar content. Also, it's important that the water is measured precisely. Lastly it's possible that the type and age of the rice your using will require some adjustments to the amount if water. The newer rice is, the higher the water content.— Sent from Mailbox for iPad
Vernon Chan says
Thanks Marc. Will continue testing and experimenting 🙂
Kayla says
Could you give an estimated US cup measuremnet for the rice? I have no way of measuring by weight and im going to try to make California rolls for the first time for Valentines and i really don't want to mess this up.. Thank you to anyone who can help
peggynames says
Hello Marc... I wold love to use your recipe for sushi rice using brown rice...is it possible? What adjustments would I need to make? Thank you
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Kayla, a rice cooker cup is 180ml, which is 0.760816 US Cups. Or roughly 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon.
lovesirbecky says
Hi Marc,
I am planning on halving all ingredients that this recipe states as I only need a small quantity. Would I need to reduce the cooking time of the rice as I am using a saucepan?
Thanks,
From Emily.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Emily, I'm not sure about what will happen in a sauce pan, but rice cookers don't handle making 1 cup of rice very well. The rice ends up more crumbly than sticky. As for cooking times, since you have less water, it will take less time to bring to a boil, but the 15 minutes of cooking and 10 minutes of steaming remain the same.
shaqura says
hi marc bye marc
from sahqura elias
Michelle says
Marc, thanks so much for this recipe - its perfect xx
Breanna Sumner says
In the sushi restaurant I worked at we never added salt or sugar to the vinegar. It was already a perfect sweet and tangy flavor. Why does the recipe require those two ingredients?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Breanna, the sushi restaurant you worked at was probably using premixed “sushi seasoning” meant for making sushi rice. If you read the ingredients these usually include corn syrup, salt and MSG in addition to the rice vinegar, which is why I prefer to make my own sushi seasoning. —
Sent from Mailbox
Breanna Sumner says
Yes! You're so right. I was saddened to read that High Fructose Corn Syrup was of of the top two ingredients. Anyways, I tried your recipe and I must say the taste is so much better without all those unnatural ingredients. Thank you for the recipe 🙂
Eva says
hey since 2 x 180 ml rice cooker cups is 1 1/2 American cups (plus 2 tablespoons if you really want to get picky), same as the water required, why not just say so? Pretty simple to use the same amount of water and rice.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi guest, while what you've said is accurate, I've started listing all non-liquids as a weight rather than volume because volumetric measurements are not precise for non-liquids. You can read more on this here: https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/five-reasons-to-use-a-kitchen-scale/
Leo says
Don’t try to do it in rice cooker ot other – it will be not so beautiful. If u wanna to get and tasty and good
looking rice, use multicooker like me (Redmond 4502) – it can do it faster is
much better, also it do it n the time I come to home after work. Perfect sushi!
Rasslin Good says
Hey Marc! Great guide, easy yet it makes the quality sushi rice one wants. Cudos!
One question though, could I substitute the grain sugar for some other kind of sweetener? I'm thinking of using ginger syrup, something I use for many dishes (sweet/sour tomato soup, coleslaw salad, etc.). You get the same sweetness, but also that very slight ginger taste. Would this work for sushi, or would it ruin the intended taste?
Greetz,
Jan
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rasslin, while adding ginger to the sushi rice isn’t very traditional I think it could taste quite good. I say go for it!
—
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Islam says
Hi Marc ... can I use light soya sauce instead of salt
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Islam, if you’re asking if using soy sauce in sushi rice is traditional then no it’s not. If you’re asking for my permission to try it then sure go for it. One thing to keep in mind is that soy sauce is not as salty as salt, so you’ll probably need to add more to the mixture, which may cause problems with the total amount of liquid.
—
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Jenell says
Would doubling the recipe be ok?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jenell, doubling is fine, but you'll want to use a bowl that's big enough that you can spread the rice into a fairly thin layer on. You want a lot of the liquid from the vinegar mixture to evaporate rather than soak into the rice. That's why it's important to use a bowl with as much surface area as possible.
deee says
Can you use thai sticky rice instead
Marc Matsumoto says
You could, but the texture will not be right. Thai sticky rice is closer to Japanese mochi rice than sushi rice. Sushi rice is stickier than most long-grain rices but doesn't have the chewy glutinous texture of a sticky rice.
FairSkiesSailing says
Can the rice be made a day ahead, refrigerated, then allowed to come to room temperature before using?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi FairSkiesSailing, you could certainly do that, but the texture of the rice will not be good once it's been refrigerated (even after coming up to room temperature).
Riza says
Can I use sticky rice?
Jason Gastaud says
Hi Marc, this blog is awesome, I got almost all of my sushi knowledge from here ! I've been making a lot of sushi rice lately and getting tired of having to make the rice and wait for it to cool each time, I started making bigger batches now in order to use again the day after. I've read a couple alarming things about storing rice, and I wondered what's your take on that. Do you store cooked sushi rice ? What's the best way to do so ? I kept it in a deep plate covered in plastic film at room temperature over night, and it was pretty ok. Thanks !
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Jason, I can't really recommend storing sushi rice at room temperature for more than a few hours for food safety reasons. That said, in theory the pH and salt content of the rice should in theory preserve it for longer than plain rice. Putting it in the fridge will ruin the texture, but reheating it in the microwave will kind of of fix it.
Gonar says
Dear Marc, is it against the law to add vinegar before cooking the rice?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Gonar, as far as I'm aware of there is no law that says you can't but I would not recommend it. First off changing the pH of the water will probably do bad things to the rice and will screw with the sensors on rice cookers. The sugar in in the mixture will burn. And I don't think you're going to end up with rice that has the shine and stickiness you are looking for in sushi rice because that is achieved by coating each grain of rice with the vinegar mixture and then quickly evaporating it (by fanning).
Gonar says
Thank you for the detailed explanation Mr. Matsumoto. Sounds like it would make a good law anyway!
Benjamin Zuckerman says
Using an electric hair dryer (on cool if possible, or at least warm) is a great time saver, and it makes it possible to mix with one hand and (blow) dry with the other. I learned this from my girlfriend when I lived in Japan, and it works GREAT!
Marc Matsumoto says
That's a great tip Benjamin, thanks!
Gelai says
Hi Marc, can I use mayonaise instead of Vinegar? Thanks
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Gelai, you can use whatever you want in your kitchen, but using mayo obviously isn't going to make it taste like sushi rice.
Rani GS Silva says
Your blog Rocks mate ! i have a question for the rice recipe, is the amount of water here in american cups ( 1.5 cup = 354 ml ) ? or is it also the cup from the rice cooker ?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Rani, thanks! Unless otherwise specified all "cup" measurements on this site are in US cups. There's a drop down in the recipe to change the measurement system to metric.
@nime says
Tnx for the wonderful info marc.. but im just wondering if is it really necessary to add the salt? Few years ago I worked at a japanese restaurant here in the philippines and as far as I remember, the sushi master was not adding salt to the vinegar mixture..and also, I dont think he cook the vinegar either..he just kept on stirring the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar melts..any advice marc?tnx!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi @nime, I responded to a similar comment a while ago, but many sushi restaurants use a premixed vinegar that already has corn syrup and salt mixed in (along with MSG and preservatives). This is probably why they did not add salt. If you're going to be making sushi rice at home I'd suggest buying rice vinegar (it shouldn't have any salt or sugar or anything else in the ingredient list other than rice vinegar and water).
Tammy says
Used this to make sushi tonight! It was perfect!
Benjamin Zuckerman says
Hi Tammy: be very careful! Once you realize how easy it is to make great sushi rice, making sushi at home will quickly become quite addictive, and you may find yourself with a houseful of hungry friends more than just one a week.....
Marife Basi says
Hi! you're so intelligent. thanks for teaching us. i am fun of sushi. but now i'm going to make for my own. i've got all the ingredients from oriental supermarket here in bahrain. i'm so inLOVE of sushi....aaaaah! Thanks! 🙂
Lisa says
I want to keep salt and sugar out of my diet. Would using rice vinegar (with nothing else in it) an sushi rice be good enough? What would you suggest?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Lisa, I respect the fact that you're thinking about your diet, but making sushi rice without sugar and salt is like making a strawberry milkshake without milk or sugar. How you make it is up to you but since it sounds like you're asking my opinion I don't think it will taste very good.
udo says
yes you can also i add a bit of vodka and rum sissolve with vinegar, you just have to try it, it worked for me
snowpoke says
Try to not use a metal bowl as shown in the picture as there's a natural chemical reaction between metal and vinegar which can cause discoloration or a 'metallic' taste.
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Snowpoke, ideally you'd use a wooden tub called a hangiri as it provides the largest surface area to spread the rice and absorbs some of the excess moisture, but since most people don't have one, any large bowl will due provided it is non reactive (glass or stainless steel). The bowl in the photo is stainless.
Gerda Bryan says
My son no is diabetic can I use Splenda instead ?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Gerda, I hate the taste of Splenda, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask, but you could certainly try it. Also, I'm sure you're aware of this, but white rice has a very high glycemic index, so maybe use brown rice?
Katie @ Produce on Parade says
Hi Marc! I have two questions: 1. About how many rolls (logs) of sushi will this supply? 2. I know this question is kind of crazy but I'm curious...in a pinch, could one use Arborio rice as a substitute for short white sushi rice? Or, would Jasmine be better? I confess those are the only two rice varieties I have on hand, other than red rice. Thanks so much for your help!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Katie, so the number of rolls this makes will depend on the type of roll you make (hosomaki vs futomaki vs uramaki) as well as how thick you make the layer of rice. I guess if I had to make a ballpark estimate I'd say 6-8. As for arborio, I've never tried cooking it like japanese rice so I'm not sure. That said, I have gone the other way around and used sushi rice for risotto(it works well), so it's possible it could work. As for jasmine, it will not work. It's a long grain rice and will not stick together enough to make a roll.
httr says
Gerda, Splenda is more harmful than helpful to anyone no matter what health issues they may or may not have (I wish they would ban it). Simply put Spenda is poison. Please try to find a healthy alternative, I say this out of respect b/c I care. Stay away from synthetic junk & try to stay as close to nature as possible.
Barbara Cooke says
Used this for a guideline. My rice was done to perfection in about 10 mins. I did use Splenda instead of sugar. The taste was out of this world
Diana says
Hi Marc! Can I use brown rice vinegar instead? I live in Korea and that’s all I can find at the grocery store. Thanks!
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Diana, that should be fine.
Asako says
Great sushi rice tutorial. Have made it twice now. It made about 6 or 7 futomaki. Great for a dinner of 4 people (with some other sides too)
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Asako, I'm glad to hear you found this helpful! Thanks for stopping by to let me know.
Loris Ayoub says
How many rolls can I do with this recipe? How many sheets?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi Loris, it depends on the type of roll you're making (hosomaki, uramaki, futomaki, gunkan maki, temaki, etc). Please check the specific roll recipe which will tell you how many rolls you can make. For example, California Rolls are here: https://norecipes.com/california-roll-recipe/ and it makes 6 rolls.
R. says
What size tablespoon do you use? I'm in Australia and ours are 20ml. I followed the recipe but the rice ended up a tad heavily seasoned.
Marc Matsumoto says
I knew the cups were different between countries, but I had no idea tablespoons were defined differently as well, thank you for bringing this to my attention. All volumetric measurements on this site are based off US imperial measures (1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 15 ml, 1 cup = 236ml).
John says
How long can I leave the rice out after it's all mixed together?
Marc Matsumoto says
Hi John, both the vinegar and salt should help preserve the sushi rice longer than plain rice. I usually leave the rice covered with a clean damp towel for up to 3 hours, but I'm not a food safety expert so proceed at your own risk.
Raemin Bronte says
This recipe is perfect! I made a batch tonight and the sushi rice was perfectly flavoured, shiny and sticky. Highly recommend, - but follow all the directions!
Marc says
Hi Raemin, I'm so happy to hear you found this helpful! Thanks for dropping by to let me know how it went 😃