Beginners guide to making sushi

Sushi can roughly be divided into the following types:

• nigiri; small hand-formed blocks of rice with a topping pressed onto it.
• maki; rolls of rice and filling rolled in a sheet of seaweed.
• temaki; cone-shaped rolls of seaweed filled with rice and topping.
• inari; filled pouches of fried tofu dough

These are the basic ingredients you need.

• sushi rice; This is a short-grained, sticky type of rice.
• rice vinegar; A yellow, mild type of vineger. Used for seasoning the rice.
• sugar and salt; For seasoning the rice
• nori; Sheets of roasted seaweed. Used for making sushi rolls or keeping the topping on nigiri sushi.
• wasabi; A green, spicy paste, made from roots of a kind of horse radish. Fresh wasabi is very hard to find and very expensive; wasabi powder can be used instead.
• soy sauce; For dipping the sushi in
• gari; pickled slices of ginger, served together with sushi
• kombu; Dried seaweed that's cooked totgether with the rice (optional)

Kitchen tools you will need:

• sharp knife
• bamboo rolling mat (for making rolls
• large non-metallic bowl
• large spoon

So, let's start by cooking the sushi rice. You will need:

• 4 cups rice;
• 4 cups water;
• 8 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 4 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• (optional) postcard-sized piece of kombu

Start by rinsing the rice until the water remains more or less clear. Many people omit this step, but I tried it once and the result turned out horrible. I suggest rinsing it anyway to avoid problems! Drain the rice, put it in a pot with the water and let it soak for an hour.
After an hour, put the kombu in the water if you use it, and slowly bring it to a boil. When it boils, remove the kombu, cover it and let it cook for fifteen minutes. Don't remove the lid while it cooks! After fifteen minutes, turn off the heat and let the rice stand for another fifteen minutes. Again, don't remove the lid.
Meanwhile, prepare the seasoning. Mix the vinegar, sugar and salt in a small pot and gently heat it while stirring to dissolve it. Don't heat it any more than necessary, since the vinegar will lose some flavor if heated too much.
When the rice is finished, spread it in a large non-metallic bowl. It needs to be cooled now; I use an electric fan on the lowest setting for this. Slowly pour the vinegar seasoning on the rice while using a spoon to mix it with a cutting motion and cooling the rice. It is very important to use a cutting motion, so you don't damage the rice grains. Keep mixing until all vinegar is added and the rice has cooled to room temperature. After that, I usually cover the rice with a moist towel and let it stand for another 30 minutes to make sure it has cooled enough and absorbed all the vinegar.

This is one of the easiest types of sushi; the Japanese name for this one is kappa maki. You will need:

• sushi rice
• thin strips of cucumber
• 1/2 sheet of nori
• wasabi
• (optional) roasted sesame seeds
• bowl of water with a bit of rice vinegar

Start by putting the nori on the rolling mat. Moisten your hands with the water/vinegar mixture, so the rice won't stick to your hands too much. Don't forget this, because it can be incredibly annoying! Spread a thin layer of rice on the nori. You should still see the color of the nori through the layer of rice. Leave a short strip of the nori clear on the side away from you.
Next, spread a thin strip of wasabi on the rice. Don't use too much, because wasabi is hot! If you use sesame seeds, sprinkle some on the rice. Next, put the strips of cucumber on it.
Here comes the tricky part. It may be a bit messy when you try it first, just be patient and restart if you think it doesn't feel right. Pick up the rolling mat on the side nearest to you and slowly roll the nori with the rice and the cucumber. Make sure the clear strip of nori seals the roll and gently press it so it becomes a firm, compact roll.
All you have to do now is cut the roll in pieces. Wet your knife with the water/vinegar mixture so it won't stick too much and start by cutting the roll in half. Each half is then cut into three pieces. There you go, you have just made your first sushi roll! Serve with soy sauce and gari.