Ingredients

• 3 cups (540 cc) rice
• 3 cups (540 cc) water
• 4-5 tbsp rice vinegar
• 3-5 tbsp sugar
• 2/3-1 tbsp salt

Preparation

Step 1: Fill a wooden sushi barrel with water and let stand for 30 minutes. Drain. Swab the interior with a cloth dipped in vinegar.

Step 2: Measure the rice into the pan of the rice cooker. Have a large bowl of water nearby.

Step 3: Pour the water from the bowl into the rice. (Do not use water from the tap- the slow filling allows the rice to sit in its particles too long before rinsing. The particles give the rice a raw flavour.)

Step 4: Swirl the rice quickly, 3-4 times. Refill the water bowl while stirring.

Step 5: Quickly pour off the cloudy water.

Step 6: Rub the rice between your fingertips as if to polish them, moving around the pan.

Step 7: Rinse the rice 4-5 times until the water stays clear. Drain one last time.

Step 8: Add the 3 cups of water. Let stand for 20-30 minutes, Place the pan in the rice cooker and start it. After the cooker stops, complete the streaming by leaving the rice in the cooker, unopened for 20-30 minutes.

Step 9: While the rice cooks, boil a saucepan with the rice vinegar, salt and sugar.

Step 10: Heat the vinegar mixture, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt.

Step 11: Empty the steamed rice all at once into the sushi barrel. (If you do not have one, simply use a big microwavable container.) If the steaming period was too short, there will be hard cores inside the rice grains. If it was too long, the rice will be soggy.

Step 12: Holding a rice paddle against the edge of the pot, pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the rice. The rice paddle usually comes with the rice cooker. It has the shape of a spatula and is usually white.

Step 13: First, gently push apart the rice with the back of the rice paddle.

Step 14: Next, holding the rice paddle as you use a knife, spread the rice out to cover the bottom of the sushi barrel, turning as you go.

Step 15: Push the rice over to one side of the barrel.

Step 16: With a cutting motion, spread the rice out again.

Step 17: Push the rice over to one side of the barrel once more.

Step 18: Again, spread the rice out with a cutting motion. These movements ensure that the vinegar mixture is evenly absorbed by the rice.

Step 19: Fanning as you go, turn the rice over in paddlefuls. The air helps the rice absorb the vinegar and gives the rice a polished look. After all the rice has been turned once, repeat the process.

Step 20: Gather the rice on one side. Use a vinegar-dipped cloth to gather up the strays of the rice on the paddle in the barrel.

Step 21: Rinse the cloth with water and squeeze well. Cover the rice with the cloth, letting it rest until it reaches skin temperature. If the rice is too hot when rolling, the filling may be bruised; if it is too cold, it is difficult the spread and the nori will not seal.

Okay, if you followed these steps, you would have wonderful sushi rice.

I am going to write some articles on rolling sushi soon, make sure to read those as well.

Have a good day, and may the rice be with you.