Sushi seems complicated until you make it yourself once. In reality, all the difficulty comes down to four things: good rice, a sharp knife, proper accessories, and a little patience with the first roll. This guide walks you through the entire process step by step — and if you want to explore any topic in more detail, each section includes a link to a separate article on that subject.
What You Really Need
Let's start with an honest answer: you don't need expensive equipment to make good sushi at home. You just need a few right things.
Ingredients. Sushi rice (short-grain, sticky — regular long-grain rice won't work), rice vinegar, nori sheets, and whatever you want to roll inside — from classic salmon to vegetables for a vegetarian version. A full list of ingredients with exact proportions and tips on what to look for when buying can be found in the article What you need for sushi — a complete list of ingredients.
Knife. A dull knife is the most common reason for failed sushi — it crushes the fish and rice instead of cutting them. If you plan to make sushi regularly, it's worth investing in one good Japanese knife. We discuss the differences between knife types and which one to choose for a start in Japanese knives — types, use, and care.
Serving dishes. Sushi is eaten with the eyes before it reaches the mouth. A simple black bowl or traditional sushi plate turns a home meal into something that looks like it came from a restaurant. An overview of options — from basic ceramics to lacquer sets — can be found in Bowls, plates, and sushi dinnerware — how to choose the right ceramics.
Step 1 — Preparing the rice
This is the stage where things most often go wrong, and yet it's the easiest to master with instructions in hand.
1. Rinse the rice in cold water until the water is no longer cloudy (usually 3-4 times) — this removes excess starch that makes the rice spongy instead of slightly sticky.
2. Cook the rice in a 1:1.2 ratio (rice:water) — covered, without lifting the lid during cooking.
3. When the rice is ready, transfer it to a wooden or glass bowl (never metal — it reacts with vinegar) and pour over a mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt.
4. Gently mix with a wooden spatula, fanning the rice at the same time — this gives it its characteristic shine and cools it to room temperature.
Step 2 — Preparing the ingredients
Cut all ingredients into thin, even strips before you start rolling — sushi is a dish where all the preparation happens before, not during.
Step 3 — Rolling the roll
Place a bamboo mat, and on it, a nori sheet with the shiny side down. Spread a thin layer of rice, leaving 2 cm of free edge at the top. Arrange the ingredients in a line closer together. Roll the mat, pressing lightly, until you get a compact cylinder. Moisten your fingers with water to prevent the rice from sticking.
Step 4 — Cutting
Here the topic of a sharp knife returns — cut the roll with one fluid motion, without sawing. Moisten the blade with water before each cut. A roll divided into 6-8 equal pieces is a standard serving.
Step 5 — Serving
Arrange the pieces on a plate, add soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger. This is where good dinnerware makes a difference — even the simplest homemade sushi looks different on a dedicated plate than on a regular one.
What's next
If you want to delve deeper into a specific topic, each article in this series elaborates on one thread in detail:
- What you need for sushi — a complete list of ingredients
- Bowls, plates, and sushi dinnerware — how to choose the right ceramics
- Japanese knives — types, use, and care
- Matcha and Japanese tea — the brewing ritual step by step
- Kimmidoll — the history of Japanese lucky dolls
If you prefer to start right away, without collecting individual elements — check out our ready-made sushi sets, which contain everything you need in one box.
