Fun Summer Project: Making Sushi

Summer is a great time relax and have some "me" time (or in your case, "you" time). But after a while, your down time needs spicing up. In my Summer Projects series, I will introduce fun and different things for you to try and do during your summer break!

For my first project, it involves one of my favorite things: sushi! Sushi making seems like such a fun summer idea, and if you love sushi, even better! A friend and I were going to take a sushi making class, but I think this could be more fun trying it out for myself (or it could be disastrous, but it will be fun anyway!). Helping me with this post is makemysushi.com, where pretty much all of the information came from.

Note: I have not included the recipe or how to make it in this post. I will be doing a post on that after I make the sushi and have my results. These are just the basics.



Different types of Sushi

Maki sushi- a roll of fish or sea food with rice that is wrapped in seaweed.
Nigiri sushi- a slice of raw fish, seafood, tamago, or other toppings on a "thumb size" chunk of rice, with a small amount of wasabi between them, and shaped by hand.
Uramaki (inside out sushi)- similar to Maki, except the rice is on the outside of the seaweed and usually made with more than two fillings. Sometimes topped with a slice of fish or seafood or avacado.

Tools you may need

Although I'm sure you can find a way to make sushi without these, they are very helpful (so I read at least).

Hangiri- this is basically a wooden rice bowl, made out of cypress. It has a unique shape and moist absorption ability. This bowl can be pretty expensive (from $20-$50, while professional ones sell for hundreds), but you can use any non-metallic bowl to use while your rice cools.
Makisu (sushi rolling mat)- used to maintain even pressure from all sides of the sushi roll while rolling. Tip: when buying, buy a mat with one side flat and one side rounded, not both sides rounded.
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Once I buy a rolling mat and all the ingredients, I am going to make California rolls for my first sushi-making experience. This is a good "starter" sushi-it was the first sushi I ever had (and it was delicious), and there is nothing scary in them. Rice, cucumber, avocado, and crab sticks. There is no raw fish, so it's good if you are a first-timer.

If you don't want to buy a mat, I would recommend making Temaki sushi (cone sushi), which is shaped by hand and does not require a rolling mat. All you would need are your nori sheets (papery edible seaweed), vinegared rice, and fish (the website recommends tuna, salmon, yellow tail, etc.).


Photo credit- 1, 2.

So, I'll be posting my results as soon as I try it out, you should try it out too! "Redbull" your summer as my friend would say, spice it up, give it a kick. Let me know what you think! Do you like sushi? Are you going to have a make-your-own-sushi night with the girls (or guys)?