Homegrown Sushi

Sushi Preparation Tools

Preparing sushi can be done with the barest of tools. Or if one desires, a large set of tools can be acquired to aide in the preparation. A sushi set geared towards sushi preparation contains an entirely different batch of utensils than one meant for dining. A basic sushi set will contain at minimum a sushi rolling mat and a rice paddle, and may also include special sushi knives, a rice cooker or steamer, or rice molds.

The sushi rolling mat is also called a makisu, and is generally made of bamboo bound together with string. The makisu is used to form makizushi rolls, as well as drain off wet foods like tofu.

The sushi rice paddle, or shamoji, is an almost completely flat paddle used to fix and serve rice. Shamoji are normally constructed of wood or plastic. Good plastic paddles will have a non-stick surfaces to prevent rice from adhering to it.

There are just about as many styles of sushi knives as types of fish. Thus, no sushi set will include more than a bare sampling at best. Sushi sets most typically furnish a small vegetable knife called a nakiri bocho, which can be used to slice the sushi as well.

A functional kitchen sushi set can be assembled for as little as little as $5 for a simple sushi rolling mat and rice paddle all the way to many hundreds - or even thousands - of dollars for a kit that includes a set of exquisite knives, a rice cooker , and a whole array of additional specialty tools.