It may not be the most exciting part of sushi, but the vinegared rice or sushimeshi (鮨飯) is what makes sushi sushi. By some accounts, the word sushi is a contraction of the words su which means "vinegar" and meshi which means "rice". Another creation legend is that the kanji character for sushi "鮨" resembles the Chinese character for salted fish "鮓" and so perhaps the origins of sushi lay somewhere in southern China. In any case, raw fish without the rice is just sashimi.In Japan, where hundreds of varieties of fresh sashimi-grade fish are flown in from around the world to local fish markets, the best sushi restaurants differentiate themselves based on their technique, not just the variety and freshness of their fish. The rice in particular is what separates the truly extraordinary sushi restaurants from the merely good, and how they make it is a closely guarded secret.Great sushi rice teeters the line between tender and hard. 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, well seasoned, but not so much so that it detracts from the fish. Most importantly the grains sport a lustrous shine that would make a shampoo model jealous.While it may surprise some, not all rice is not created equally. Even amongst short-grain rices there are huge variations in texture, color and shine based on the species, where it was made, what the weather was like, 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 we don't have quite the selection of rice here in the US, but lookng for rice labelled as "new crop" is a good start. How the rice is washed, cooked, and seasoned are equally important, so here's my technique for getting the best sushi meshi out of the rice you have available to you.Lastly, if you're looking for great quality fish thats safe to eat raw, Luxe Gourmets has a good selection of salmon, hamachi and tuna that's the best I've seen in the US.

Since the fish they carry is intended to be eaten raw, and handled by experts who know how the fish is going to be used, the fish is better quality and safer to eat than most stores outside Japan.Recommended products Previous Next4 servings Based on your location, units have been adjusted to Metric measuring system. StepsNOTE: A rice cooker cup does not equal 1 US cup. yo sushi dubai cooking classesIf you don't have a rice cooker, use the weight measure.food delivery london nandosIf 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). sushi tei jakarta telp

If you don't have a rice cooker, add the rice to a large heavy bottomed non-stick pot, then add 1 1/2 cups of cold water.Let the rice sit in the water for at least 30 minutes. 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. sushi tei bali halalIf you are doing this on the stove, turn the heat onto high and bring the rice to a boil (be careful not to let it boil over). games memasak sushi restoranTurn down the heat to low and cover with a lid. food delivery ottawa nepeanSet a timer for 15 minutes. yo sushi dubai festival city

Once the rice is done, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.The 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. Spread the rice out over the surface of your bowl, and cover with a damp towel until you're ready to use it.Allegedly, it began in San Francisco a few years ago as a joke between two lazy eaters desiring a large, quick, sushilike food to eat on the go. But the “sushi burrito” — also called the “sushirrito” — has stuck around and proliferated, probably because it makes sense: just a larger version of the sushi hand-roll, the filling possibilities are endless.“It’s a new way to have sushi,” food-entrepreneur Chris Wu says, “and it brings the healthy and fast together.”That’s because rice-slicked sheets of nori are just as neutral a shell as tortillas — so they can be loaded up with anything from veggies to fruit to lean proteins.

Think jicama, purple potatoes, homemade crispy lotus root chips, plump cubes of sushi-grade tuna and salmon, even “meat floss,” a dried, sweetened pork popular in Chinese cuisine, which looks a lot like a smaller, brown version of the pink carnival food.Rolltation, Wu’s new shop, offers Chinese and Korean-inspired rolls, such as one with Kimchi Beef ($12.99). And, patrons can customize, filling their roll with anything from wasabi-tobiko to curry sauce and tangerine wedges ($8.99 to $14.99).In this multicultural city, Wu says, Rolltation is all about diverse ingredients. But he says the most popular is the Classic Salmon ($13.99) — a fat seaweed tube of fish, kale, avocado, red onion and crispy, purple tempura bits “for crunch.” Staff have been rolling about 100 of those a day, Wu says. They’re developing quite a following, he says, in fitness buffs who stop by post-workout, still in spandex. But on a recent weekday, the tiny storefront at 207 Dundas St. W. was slammed with an ever-growing lineup of all kind of patrons in all kinds of garb.

Rolltation’s journey began earlier this year when Wu, a graphic design entrepreneur, was searching the Internet one February morning and found a video of an artisan making a sushi-burrito. Already on the hunt for a new business idea, he ran with it — and quickly. Believing this giant, seaweed roll might be the next big trend, he booked a trip to San Francisco and New York, where it’s popular. He also journeyed to Singapore, where locals eat their version of a big sushi roll, and to Taiwan. There, the “seaweed wrap,” he says, is filled with meat, rice and veggies and has been wooing locals for some time.But in that far-flung country, they don’t put fish between the nori, Wu says. A short while later, he found out another sushirrito vendor started hawking the goods from a food truck in this city, which just strengthened Wu’s resolve to forge ahead. After crash courses in sushi rolling and finding the perfect location — Rolltation is near the courthouses and hospitals near University Ave. and Dundas St. — he opened in the summer.