Do Your Sushi Set a Favor – Prepare Your Sushi Correctly! 
The steps involved in rolling up a delicious sushi roll are surprisingly straightforward even for the uninitiated. Although you might balk a bit at the idea of getting your hands dirty with a seaweed wrap and fresh seafood, I assure you that anyone can do this with just a little practice. With that said, let’s dig in to some simple steps that you can take to create a great sushi to pair with any number of available sushi sets: Perhaps the most important element in a quality sushi is the rice, itself. Rice is highly-regarded in Japanese culture as a result of historical food shortages and other factors. As a result, an authentic sushi experience requires that you treat the rice with respect, preparing it well. You’ll want to run the rice through a cold water wash about 5 or 6 times in order to reduce the starch content, making it much easier to work with later on. The next step is to cook the rice, and once you’re done with this it’s time to transfer it to a wooden container, ideally using a wooden spoon. Wood is a great material to use because of its interaction with moisture content in the rice. Speaking of moisture content, be sure to wrap a damp cloth over the top of the bowl in order to retain some of that all-important water! The next important element is the “Nori,” or seaweed wrap that eventually will contain all the delicious fillings in your sushi rolls. Toasting the Nori for a few minutes over a small flame will really bring out the aroma in the seaweed as well as making it easier to serve on a typical sushi set without leaving a sticky mess. Roll out the toasted Nori, pop in your fillings, and seal it around in a completed roll. Leaving an extra half inch will really help create a tight seal on the roll. Last, create a light layer outside of the seaweed with the cooked rice. It will be a little sticky at this point, which is perfect for getting it to remain attached to the Nori. The last step is to simply cut the sushi into rolls. Although you can cut the sushi into any size roll you like, please be sure to use a very sharp knife at this stage. This will cut down on any “sawing” motion that you need to use on the roll. The less sawing you have to do, the less chance there is of totally ruining the roll as it comes apart on your cutting board! There you have it, a few simple steps to creating a wonderful sushi to pair with that new sushi making set!
