Sushi – Dry Ingredients You Will Want on Hand When Making Sushi at Home 
When making sushi at home you need at certain amount of dry ingredients on hand to use in almost all sushi recipes. Unless otherwise noted, you will need to use these items within approximately 6 months and store them in a cool, dry, dark place, such as a pantry or cupboard. The following is a list of some of the more common dry ingredients you will need. The Rice White short or medium grain rice is best. Long grain white rice will not do. It cooks up dry and fluffy, you need your sushi rice to be moist and sticky so it clings together when making your sushi rolls. If possible try to shop in a local asian market or go online to find Japanese short grain rice. Some good brands include Koshihikari and Akita Komachi. Dried kelp (Dashi Konbu) Added to the rice while cooking, it adds a faint sea taste to the rice that is desirable in most finished sushi rolls. It resembles a broad, leathery, wrinkly ribbon. The darker green the better, reddish brown Dashi Konbu is usually old and less tasteful. Dried Bonito Flakes (Katsuobushi) Katsuobushi are shaved flakes of steamed or boiled, smoked and then dried Bonito (Tuna). Used in soups mainly, it needs to be stored in the freezer if not used within a month of first opening. Powdered Green Tea (Matcha) Matcha is used in the Japanese tea ceremony, but when purchased for sushi making it is usually combined with sugar or salt to use as a seasoning in certain recipes. Store opened packages in the freezer. Sheets of Dried Seaweed (Nori) Nori is dried sheets of seaweed used in the making of most of the sushi recipes for rolls. The best tasting Nori is dark green verging on black. Common sizes are 7 inches by 8 inches. It can be cut or broken (depending on how crisp it is) into smaller sizes for use in different sized rolls. Store in a tightly sealed bag in the freezer, then heat it in the oven at 350 degrees for 30 seconds before use. That is some of the more common dry items you will need to make your sushi at home. Check any recipes you are going to use to see if you need any additional ingredients before beginning your sushi making.
