Making Maki Zushi

As one would expect, sushi of all types is very easy to come by around here. Whether you want nigiri-zushi, chirashi-zushi or, my personal favourite, maki-zushi, we can always find it already made at our local supermarket. It's fairly fresh and affordable, and takes no time at all (for me) to prepare. So why bother making our own maki-zushi? That was the question I always posed to myself, so, even after ten years in Japan, I had never made my own sushi.

Last weekend, though, I felt inspired, and I bought my first makisu (bamboo sushi rolling mat). Like sushi itself, these can be found at just about any shop or supermarket and cost less than $2. Then last night I bought the ingredients - some sashimi quality tuna, a few shiso leaves, and nori sheets. I already had cucumbers, soy sauce, and wasabi on hand.

I made my sushi rice (by adding a bit of rice vinegar and sugar to the cooked rice), then tried my first sushi roll:



The rolls were not perfect, but the sushi was really good. The shiso really added a special flavour, and we both felt that it tasted better than the store-bought sushi: probably fresher, and at the right temperature.