How to Make Perfect Sushi Rice (in a pot or rice cooker)

Featured Comment:

“Thank you, this rice turned out perfect!”

– Tamara (from Pinterest)

What is Sushi Rice? (Sumeshi/Vinegared Rice)

You might be wondering what makes sushi rice different from regular rice. Meet Su-meshi (酢飯) or Sushi-meshi (寿司飯) – the flavored rice that is a hidden star in sushi making!

It’s not just rice; it’s cooked and then flavored with vinegar, salt, and sugar. You’ll find it in traditional Tokyo sushi or Edo-mae sushi. When you hear “shari (シャリ)” in sushi restaurants, it’s this special rice!

And it’s not simply a ball of rice placed under fish; it’s, in fact, as important as the sushi ingredients themselves. Each sushi chef adds their own unique touch, making their sushi rice as distinctive as the sushi as a whole.

What Kind of Rice Is Used?

Let’s start with the most important element first, the rice. Sushi is always made with Japanese short-grain white rice. That’s why uncooked Japanese rice is sometimes also called “sushi rice” in some countries.

The key feature of Japanese rice is that it is sticky, which allows it to hold its shape when molded. We can use this rice to make things like sushi and onigiri because they don’t fall apart. But we don’t only use it for shaped rice. We eat this rice with pretty much everything because the texture is firm and mildly sticky, it’s easy to pick up with chopsticks.

Before you ask, you can’t substitute Japanese short-grain white rice for anything else when it comes to making sushi. Using Jasmine rice, brown rice, etc will not work and will fall apart, unfortunately. I have heard of people having some success with making sushi with risotto rice, but I haven’t tried it myself, so I can’t recommend it.

Recommended Rice Brands

There are all kinds of rice varieties in Japan. In 2019, it was recorded that there were 900 types available all across Japan, and each variation has its own unique characteristics. In other words, some varieties have certain qualities that are preferable for sushi rice.

In general, rice with the following characteristics is considered suitable for sushi.

• Small, hard, round, and uniform grains.
• White in color, transparent, and shiny.
• Weight (fullness)
• The germ should be small.
• Good dryness

Below is a list of recommended types of rice for making sushi rice:

• Koshihikari (コシヒカリ) – Some might say this is the king of Japanese rice brand in general. Since the rice is served either cold or at body temperature for sushi, many sushi restaurants consider Koshihikari rice, which has the characteristic of being delicious even when cold, to be appropriate.
• Sasanishiki (ササニシキ) – Sasanishiki has a higher amylose content than Koshihikari, so it is relatively light and does not become sticky even when sushi vinegar is added. Some sushi restaurants advertise using Sasanishiki as a selling point because of the good sensation of each grain of rice falling apart in your mouth.
• Akita-Komachi (あきたこまち) – It is known as an all-around brand that is easy to pair with any dish and goes well with sushi. The rice grains are large and round, with an excellent aroma, slightly less stickiness, and a fresh texture. It does not harden easily when cold and goes well with sushi and rice bowl dishes.

I have listed three types here, but many other varieties of rice are available in Japan that go well with sushi. Also, names like Koshihikari or Akita-Komachi are varieties of rice rather than a single brand, so farmers in different regions grow the same types in different ways and environments.

Tools & Equipment

To make delicious sushi rice at home, you will need some equipment. In this section, we will discuss some of the most important ones.

Pot

Need to cook rice but don’t have a rice cooker? No worries, a pot will do. But what kind is optimal for cooking rice? There are many to choose from hagama, earthen, aluminum, enamel, stainless steel, and ceramic. Traditionally, Japanese people used to cook rice on a wooden stove called a kamado, and they used hagama pots. Hagama pots are made with cast iron and have a wooden lid. However, these aren’t practical for home use in modern days.

Earthen pots are one of the best choices. They heat up gently, help the rice cook evenly create a fluffy texture, and can make your rice taste and smell even better.

Enamel pots are another good choice. They have a tight seal on the lid, which keeps the steam in and helps the rice stay fresh. Plus, they look great!

Aluminum and stainless steel pots are lightweight and easy to use. They heat up quickly, so your rice cooks relatively faster. Plus, they’re pretty inexpensive. Finally, ceramic-type pots are characterized by their water absorbency.

I used an earthen pot with metal in it to make this sushi rice post.

A “sushi oke” (すし桶) or hangiri (飯切) is a large wooden container that is used to cool sushi rice. They’re very big so that you can spread a thin layer of rice, and it will cool down very quickly, saving you time once again! (You can find it here on Amazon.)

Because it’s wooden, you need to wet the surface to stop the rice from sticking to the container. I usually add a little water, swill it around, then pour the excess away.

I don’t expect many people to have a sushi oke at home, so using a large bowl or plate is also okay. Wooden is ideal so you can dampen it without water droplets touching the rice, but not essential.

Making sushi rice involves a unique step – mixing in sushi vinegar while the rice is hot and fanning it with an uchiwa.

Why do this? First, to keep it from sticking together. The vinegar mixes with the water in the rice; if we don’t fan it, the rice becomes too sticky. Second, to keep the vinegar flavor. Cooling the rice quickly to our body temperature is crucial – too cool and the flavor falls flat.

You may ask, why not cool the rice before adding the vinegar? Without heat, the vinegar won’t soak into the rice well, leaving it dull, and not shiny. While any fan will work, if you’re looking for authenticity, try the Japanese uchiwa!

Bamboo Rolling Mat

Sushi can be made by simply forming the shape with your hands, but if you want to make beautiful makizushi (巻きずし) or “rolled sushi” then you should get a bamboo rolling mat. They’re cheap to buy, easy to keep clean, and reusable!

If you don’t have a bamboo mat, you can also roll sushi using clingfilm (plastic wrap), but it’s a bit more difficult to get a consistent shape.

Rice Cooker (if you want to invest)

If you plan to make sushi regularly, I recommend investing in a rice cooker. Making rice on the stove is not difficult, but you need to keep an eye on it and change the temperature manually.

With a rice cooker, you can make perfect sushi rice with a single button and then do something else. It’s a great time saver and ensures the perfect texture if you add the right amount of water.

I’m currently using Zojirushi’s rice cooker, which can be purchased on Amazon US for the English version of the same model. This is a higher-end model with many features since I cook rice nearly every day, so be sure to research rice cookers and find one to suit your needs.

Rice cookers also come with a rice cup that makes it easy to measure out, and then the inside of the pot is usually marked with water indicators so there’s less chance of error. Generally, Japanese rice cups will hold 150g of rice equivalent to 3/4 US cup or about 175ml of liquid.

Finally, they have other nifty features such as timers and warming functions so you can set your rice to be cooked and ready for when you get home from work or school, and it will still be warm!

How to Store

Have you ever asked yourself, “How long can I keep my sushi rice? Let’s talk about sushi rice storage and shelf life.

While vinegar has a sterilizing effect, it doesn’t necessarily extend the life of sushi rice beyond that of regular rice. The key? Don’t store it at room temperature or it will have a risk of spoiling. Store it properly and you’ll always have perfect sushi rice ready to roll! Let’s look at the best ways to store cooked sushi rice.

Refrigerate it if you plan to eat it the next day

Got leftover sushi rice? Put it in the fridge, but eat it the next day. Why? Sushi rice can lose its moisture and become hard. This happens because the starch in the rice ages. To keep it fresh, put it in a container, cover it with damp paper towel, and seal it.

However, because sushi rice contains sugar, which prevents the starch from aging to some extent, it is said to be less likely to become hard over time than plain white rice. Nevertheless, it does not keep for very long, so if you keep it in the refrigerator, it is best to eat it by the next day.

Freeze it if you don’t use it the next day

If you want to store your sushi rice for longer than 24 hours, then freezing it is the best method. Divide it into portions and lightly pack it into a Ziploc bag or sealable container, alternatively, you could also wrap each portion with plastic wrap, just like white rice.

But beware if it has raw ingredients like in chirashi-sushi. Don’t freeze sushi rice with raw fish – it won’t have a pleasant texture when defrosted. Take the fish out first. Frozen sushi rice can last for about a month.

However, when freezing sushi rice, the flavor of vinegar will fade, and it’ll taste like regular rice. To enjoy it as sushi rice again, warm it in a microwave and mix in some extra vinegar.

Nevertheless, the best solution is to make sushi rice by calculating the amount that can be used up on the same day, since the taste and texture will be significantly deteriorated when refrigerated or frozen.

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