It's a long time since my Japanese student lived with me and showed me how to make sushi "correctly". I thought I'd do it from memory today. Bad mistake! I consulted a book that said to soak the yaki nori in the rice water as it soaked 30mins in prep of the "sticky rice" before cooking. I don't remember doing that when I produced good sushi that rolled and held together perfectly before. I couldn't handle the wet squares, they just turned into blobs of seaweed. I believe I did everything else right, including washing rice x7, made perfect tamago and other ingreds were salmon strips and avocado and I used a bamboo roll mat. Any help from sushi makers would be appreciated.
245sam,
Feb 19, 9:14pm
zuggle, the nori does not need to be soaked! so I sure can understand your difficulty in handling "the wet squares".The nori is not usually difficult to handle at all- I have never heard of it being or needing to be soaked.
Good luck next time, but just remember to keep that nori dry - no water needed except maybe for a little on the edge of the nori sheet to help seal the roll.:-))
craig04,
Feb 19, 9:19pm
Like poster #2, I have never soaked nori, I can't imagine why you would need to unless they are referring to another variety. I just use a little water on one edge after spreading my rice, to get it to stick to itself after rolling
harpnote,
Feb 20, 4:19pm
Echoing the prev posters, I never soak nori. At most I just dab a wee bit of water to make it stick at the edge. I'm pretty sure you don't need to wash the rice 7 times. 2 times is plenty enough otherwise you lose all the stickyness and the nutrients. :)
valentino,
Feb 20, 5:56pm
Actually if using "Sticky Rice" method, just dabble the tip of your finger into the sticky rice then run your finger along the edge of the Nori sheet where one wants it to stick to complete the roll. Sort of creates that sticky part of a letter envelope flap. Hopes this makes sense.
zuggle,
Feb 20, 11:49pm
Thanks everyone, that's pretty much what I thought the problem was as I definitely didn't recall soaking the nori. The sticky rice was actually really good and I shall stick to the 7 washes as it is culturally correct (I was taught by Japanese and consulted a Japanese chef since) and I really have fun imagining that I am doing things properly, lol! (It's my artistic streak that likes to see a good presentation.) You are all great! Many thanks.
zuggle,
Feb 20, 11:49pm
Thanks everyone, that's pretty much what I thought the problem was as I definitely didn't recall soaking the nori on previous occasions. The sticky rice was actually really good and I shall stick to the 7 washes as it is culturally correct (I was taught by Japanese and consulted a Japanese chef since) and I really have fun imagining that I am doing things properly, lol! (It's my artistic streak that likes to see a good presentation.) You are all great! Many thanks.
uli,
Feb 21, 12:12am
Good god! You never soak the nori at all - and most Japanese have NO idea how to make sushi - they all tell me "oh no - we do NOT make - we buy."
So they are very interested to learn from me how to make it- one even phoned her mother to tell her how easy it was LOL - very entertaining.
Myself - I learned it from some USA wwoofers . haha!
korbo,
Feb 21, 12:25am
Zuggle, I and another trader you know (puddycats),we both have a sushi little plastic gadget that makes perfect sushi. Perhaps we should have a sushi making session.
vashti,
Feb 21, 3:21am
I use that gadget too, you can buy it on here. Yes I know it's cheating, but so easy, perfect little sushi pieces every time, that holds together.
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