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Home ► Recipes ► Sushi

Perfect Sushi Rice

Updated: 06.18.25 | Marc Matsumoto | 97 Comments

4.64 from 36 votes
I'm a Japanese-American chef who now lives in Tokyo, and this is my authentic sushi rice recipe. In this step-by-step guide, I'll show you how to cook it, make seasoned sushi vinegar, and combine the components to make the best sushi rice, just like sushi restaurants here in Japan.
Recipe Video
Make this sushi rice that has the right balance between salt, sweet and tart tastes and a glossy sheen.

What Is Sushi Rice?

Sushi rice, or sushimeshi (鮨飯) in Japanese, is steamed short-grain rice seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. It's the common component that all sushi recipes share; you could even say it defines the dish. 

Here in Japan, good fish is a given, so the best sushi restaurants differentiate themselves based on the quality of their sushi rice recipe. The best sushi rice teeters the line between tender and firm, and the individual grains of rice stick together without being gluey or gummy. The seasoning gives the rice a balance of tangy, sweet, and savory tastes without distracting from the other ingredients in the sushi. Most importantly, each grain of sushi rice should sport a lustrous shine that would make a shampoo model jealous.

Jump to:
  • What Is Sushi Rice?
  • Why This Recipe Works
  • Sushi Rice Ingredients
  • How to Make Sushi Rice
  • Ways to Use Sushi Rice
  • FAQs
  • 📖 Recipe
  • Comments

Why This Recipe Works

  • Good sushi rice starts with the right type of rice, which is why it's important to use Japanese short-grain rice, known as uruchimai in Japanese. 
  • How you wash and cook the rice affects its texture, and this authentic sushi rice recipe will teach you the techniques you need to make rice that's not mushy or hard. 
  • Properly seasoned sushi rice will elevate your homemade sushi, and it's not just about the ratio of ingredients. How you mix the sushi rice seasoning into the rice is just as important. 

Sushi Rice Ingredients

  • Japanese short-grain rice: This type of rice has a high ratio of amylopectin to amylose, giving it a sticky texture; this is how to make sushi rice hold its shape when formed into sushi. Although stickier than long-grain rice, it is not as sticky as glutinous rice (a.k.a. "sticky rice"). Read my post about Japanese short-grain rice for everything you need to know about selecting the right kind for sushi. It's also important to use white rice, as the bran that covers each grain of brown rice prevents the grains from sticking to each other. To give your sushi rice extra umami, you can cook it with a small piece of kombu (kelp).
  • Water: Washing and soaking your rice in cold water is important. This allows it to absorb the water gradually and evenly, resulting in perfectly cooked rice with a consistent texture throughout. 
  • Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar has a mild acidity and sweet, nutty flavor, making it the perfect base for sushi rice seasoning, without overwhelming the other ingredients. When selecting rice vinegar, buy unseasoned rice vinegar (it should not contain any salt or sugar). If you can't find it, other mild vinegar or citrus juice, like apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, will work, but keep in mind that this will alter the flavor of your sushi rice.
  • Sugar: Sugar balances out the rice vinegar's tartness and is an essential component of the seasoned vinegar for sushi. I like evaporated cane sugar because it has a caramel flavor, but white sugar or other relatively neutral sweeteners will work.
  • Salt: Salt enhances the natural umami in sushi rice while balancing out the sweet and tangy notes of the sushi rice seasoning. I like to use an umami-rich sea salt, but any type of salt will work. Be sure to keep in mind that the 1 teaspoon measurement is for sea salt, so you will need to adjust the amount for flakier varieties like kosher salt. 
Good sushi rice should have distinct whole grains that are glossy and sticky.

How to Make Sushi Rice

How to Cook Sushi Rice

Place the rice in a sieve over a bowl and rinse it under cold tap water. This initial rinse removes any remaining bran left over from when the grain was milled. Gentle rubbing of the grains during rinsing helps this process while removing any powdered starch from the surface. When the water runs mostly clear, drain the rice.

To cook it, you can opt for a rice cooker or the stove-top method. If using a rice cooker, transfer the washed rice to the cooker bowl and add cold water just under the 2-cup line. Reducing the amount of water prevents the grains from getting mushy after adding the seasoning vinegar. Let it soak for 30 minutes before turning the rice cooker on. This soaking time allows the grains to absorb water, leading to shinier and better-textured rice upon cooking.

If you are cooking your short-grain rice on the stove, add the washed rice and 1 ½ cups of cold water to a heavy-bottomed non-stick pot with high sides and cover with a lid. Before cooking, let it soak in the water for at least 30 minutes. When it's done soaking, bring the pot to a boil over high heat. Then reduce the heat to low and cook until there's no water left in the pan (this will take 12-15 minutes). Turn off the heat and continue steaming for ten minutes. This controlled cooking method ensures each grain is cooked evenly, resulting in firm yet tender rice, where each grain retains its shape and has a glossy appearance.

Make Sushi Seasoning

While the rice cooks, prepare the seasoned vinegar by whisking the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt together until the solids are dissolved. If you're having trouble getting the salt and sugar to dissolve, you can heat the mixture until it's warm (I usually do this in the microwave oven), but don't let it boil.

How to Season Sushi Rice

Once the rice is cooked and steamed, transfer it to a large bowl or sushi oke. Gently break it up to fluff it, and then pour the seasoned vinegar over the hot rice and fold it in with a rice paddle or spatula. You want to use a gentle cutting motion with the side of your rice paddle, followed by a folding motion to distribute the vinegar mixture evenly without crushing the grains. Once the vinegar is evenly distributed, use a fan or clean hairdryer (set to cool) while mixing to rapidly cool the sushimeshi while evaporating any excess vinegar. This will enhance the sheen of your sushi rice while preventing it from getting mushy. 

The rice is ready when it's no longer wet or slippery and has a fluffy, sticky texture with a shiny glow. Cover your perfect sushi rice with a damp towel to keep it from drying out until you're ready to use it. 

Savory, sweet, and sour seasoned sushi vinegar flows from a squeeze bottle onto a mound of Japanese sushi rice.

Ways to Use Sushi Rice

Now that you have my best sushi rice recipe prepared, you're ready to explore all the ways you can use it. With its tangy, sweet, savory taste and chewy texture, sushi rice is a versatile foundation on which you can build a variety of dishes. One popular option is to craft homemade sushi rolls, like California Rolls, Cucumber Rolls, Oshinko Rolls, or Caterpillar Rolls. If rolling sushi seems too daunting, temaki sushi or hand rolls are fun ways to make a cone of sushi rice and nori with your hands and stuff them with your favorite fillings such as avocado, tempura shrimp, or ikura.

Shrimp Tempura roll with avocado, lettuce and spicy mustard mayo.

A more traditional use is to make nigiri sushi, small balls of sushimeshi topped with a slice of sashimi or other seafood. Gunkan maki is another popular style of sushi with a small ball of sushi rice surrounded by a cup of nori that holds another filling, like spicy tuna. I also stuff sushi rice seasoned with sesame seeds and pickled ginger in my Inari Sushi, fried tofu pouches seasoned with a sweet and savory glaze. For a more casual presentation, consider chirashi sushi, a sushi bowl with a bed of sushi rice artfully topped with a mix of sashimi, vegetables, and garnishes. Sushi rice also makes an excellent base for poke bowls, a Hawaiian-inspired dish topped with marinated ahi tuna. Whatever you decide to make with my best sushi rice recipe will be a success.

FAQs

What kind of rice for sushi?

The best types of rice suitable for making sushi are Japanese short-grain rice cultivars such as Koshihikari, Akitakomachi, Sasanishiki, or Hitomebore. Japonica rice is highly prized for its stickiness, mellow sweetness, and slight chewiness, which makes it an ideal choice for making sushi rice.

Can you use jasmine rice for sushi?

Long-grain rice, such as Basmati rice or Jasmine rice, has a dry, fluffy texture, and the grains don't stick together due to a higher ratio of Amylose to Amylopectin. This also causes long-grain rice to get hard as it cools. These traits make long-grain rice unsuitable for making sushi rice.

Is Calrose sushi rice?

Calrose rice and Kokuho Rose are a medium-grain rice cultivars that were originally hybridized to grow in the dry climate of California. Although they're commonly labeled as "sushi rice," they are not used in Japan to make sushi because they contain a lower ratio of amylopectin when compared to Japonica rice. 
That being said, these medium grain cultivars are widely available in many parts of the world, making it a more convenient option for sushi making if you cannot get Japanese rice where you live.

What is the history of Sushi Rice?

By some accounts, the word sushi is a contraction of the words su, which means "vinegar," and meshi, which means "rice." One of sushi's earliest iterations in Japan is what's known as narezushi (馴れ寿司). Fish was salted and then buried in cooked rice and allowed to ferment. The ensuing lacto-fermentation would break down the rice, lowering the pH and preserving the fish. Eventually, someone figured out that adding vinegar to the mixture would shorten the fermentation time, making the fish taste better.
The next step in the evolution of sushi happened near Osaka, where the fish was salted, vinegared, and pressed onto a bed of sushi rice using a wooden mold. The bar of sushi would then be cut into bite-size pieces. This style of sushi is known as oshizushi (押し寿司), or pressed sushi, and is still popular in the region, especially for bento since the vinegar helps preserve the fish. The style of sushi we enjoy today wasn't developed until the Edo Period. Edo, the former name of Tokyo, was situated next to a bay teaming with seafood.
Around 200 years ago, an enterprising chef started topping small balls of sushi rice with fresh fish from Edo Bay without curing it first. Never before had sushi preparation been so easy or fast, so nigiri sushi was brought into this world as an early form of fast food, sold out of stalls near the bay.

Is sushi rice served warm?

Cooling the sushimeshi as the seasoning is folded in is a part of the process of making sushi rice. That said, it does not need to be cooled to room temperature, and some sushi chefs like lukewarm rice.

How many rolls does this make?

This recipe makes about 700 grams (25 ounces) of sushi rice. It depends on the type of rolls you make and how thick you lay the sushimeshi, but it should make anywhere from 9 hosomaki (thin rolls with the nori on the outside), 8 uramaki, or 4-5 thicker rolls (full-sheet of nori).

What's the ratio of sushi vinegar to rice?

I usually make a large batch of sushi vinegar and store it in a bottle. As long as the sugar and salt are fully dissolved, this will keep in the refrigerator for months. Then, if you want to make sushi rice, you can use ⅓ US cup of sushi vinegar for every two rice cooker cups of uncooked rice after you've cooked it according to the directions in this recipe.

📖 Recipe

Sushi rice covered in a damp pink dishcloth to prevent it from getting dried out.

Perfect Sushi Rice

By: Marc Matsumoto
4.64 from 36 votes
Print Pin
Prep Time 5 minutes mins
Cook Time 25 minutes mins
Total Time 30 minutes mins
Yield 6 serving
YouTube video

Equipment

sushi oke
rice paddle
Medium Glass Bowl
Medium Glass Bowl
Strainer
Strainer

Units

Ingredients 

  • 310 grams Japanese short-grain rice (2 cooker cups, see note)
  • 1 ½ cups cold water
  • 4 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Put 310 grams Japanese short-grain rice in a sieve over a bowl and rinse it with cold tap water.
    Washing sushi rice in cold water.
  • Use your hands to remove the excess starch from each grain by using a gentle rubbing motion.
    Scrubbing sushi rice with hands.
  • When the water that runs off is mostly clear, drain the rice.
    Clear water draining off clean sushi rice.
  • If you're using a rice cooker, add the washed rice to the cooker's bowl and add cold water to just under the 2-cup line. If you're using the stove, add the washed rice to a small heavy-bottomed non-stick pot, then add 1 ½ cups cold water and cover it with a lid.
    Soaking the rice in water before cooking.
  • Let this soak for at least 30 minutes before you start cooking it. This allows the grains to soak up water before cooking, resulting in shinier rice with a better texture.
    Sushi rice soaking in a covered pot.
  • If you use a rice cooker, turn it on and let it do its thing. If you are doing this on the stovetop, turn the heat to high and bring the water to a boil (be careful not to let it boil over). Turn down the heat to low and set a timer for 15 minutes. Once no liquid remains in the pot, turn off the heat and let the rice steam for 10 minutes.
    Sushi rice coming to a boil in a covered pot.
  • While you wait, combine 4 tablespoons rice vinegar, 3 tablespoons granulated sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small bowl. You can microwave it for a bit to help dissolve the sugar.
    Mixing rice vinegar, sugar and salt together to make sushi vinegar.
  • When the rice is done, dump it into a large bowl or sushi oke (the wooden bowl in the photo). The key is that you want a container with a lot of surface area to spread the rice out to cool it rapidly. Gently break up any clumps, then pour the vinegar mixture evenly over the hot rice.
    Cooked rice in a wooden sushi oke.
  • Use a shamoji (rice paddle), spatula, or a flat wooden spoon to gently combine the rice and vinegar using a side-to-side cutting motion followed by a folding motion. You want to separate each grain so seasoned vinegar coats every surface, but you don't want to break the rice grains or mash them together.
    Sushi vinegar being poured over hot rice.
  • While mixing, use a fan or a clean hairdryer set to cool and blow air on the rice. This cools the sushimeshi and helps the excess liquid evaporate quickly, giving it a nice sheen while keeping it from getting mushy. It's a bit tricky mixing and fanning simultaneously, so a second set of hands can be helpful here.
    Using a fan to rapidly cool sushi rice.
  • The sushi rice is done when the surface is no longer wet and slippery, and each grain is shiny. It will still be lukewarm, but it should not be hot.
    Folding sushi vinegar into rice.
  • Mound up the sushimeshi and cover it with a damp towel until you're ready to use it.
    Keeping sushi rice covered with a damp towel prevents it from drying out.
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Notes

A rice cooker cup does not equal 1 US cup. If you don't have a rice cooker, use the weight measure.

Nutrition Facts

Calories • 210kcalCarbohydrates • 47gProtein • 3gFat • 0.3gSaturated Fat • 0.1gPolyunsaturated Fat • 0.1gMonounsaturated Fat • 0.1gSodium • 391mgPotassium • 40mgFiber • 1gSugar • 6gCalcium • 4mgIron • 2mg

Comments

    4.64 from 36 votes (32 ratings without comment)

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    Recipe Rating




  1. Lo says

    May 25, 2025 at 9:24 am

    Hello! Wondering how close it would be to use seasoned rice vinegar instead of seasoning the vinegar yourself with this ratio!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 25, 2025 at 10:28 am

      It depends on the brand as they all use different formulations but I don't like using premixed vinegars because 1) They use cheap vinegar that tends to have a sharper acidity 2) They often include "flavor enhancers" 3) They don't have the balance of acidity/sweetness/salt that I like.

      Reply
      • Lo says

        May 25, 2025 at 12:15 pm

        Thanks for the tips! I will try this recipe next time!

        Reply
  2. Teleport Qokka says

    March 17, 2025 at 6:14 am

    5 stars
    Thank you! This is perfect!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      March 17, 2025 at 9:16 am

      I'm happy it was helpful!

      Reply
  3. Connie Oh says

    August 08, 2024 at 10:35 pm

    5 stars
    Very carefully presented.
    Thank you Mr. Marc Matsumoto.
    Now I can make my own sushi rice.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      August 12, 2024 at 2:54 pm

      You're welcome! I'm happy to hear this was helpful!

      Reply
  4. Jimmywam says

    February 26, 2024 at 7:06 am

    Good luck 🙂

    Reply
  5. Raemin Bronte says

    September 03, 2023 at 11:59 am

    5 stars
    This recipe is perfect! I made a batch tonight and the sushi rice was perfectly flavoured, shiny and sticky. Highly recommend, - but follow all the directions!

    Reply
    • Marc says

      September 03, 2023 at 11:40 pm

      Hi Raemin, I'm so happy to hear you found this helpful! Thanks for dropping by to let me know how it went 😃

      Reply
  6. John says

    May 19, 2022 at 4:35 am

    How long can I leave the rice out after it's all mixed together?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      May 19, 2022 at 3:15 pm

      Hi John, both the vinegar and salt should help preserve the sushi rice longer than plain rice. I usually leave the rice covered with a clean damp towel for up to 3 hours, but I'm not a food safety expert so proceed at your own risk.

      Reply
  7. R. says

    April 24, 2022 at 6:22 pm

    What size tablespoon do you use? I'm in Australia and ours are 20ml. I followed the recipe but the rice ended up a tad heavily seasoned.

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      April 24, 2022 at 8:54 pm

      I knew the cups were different between countries, but I had no idea tablespoons were defined differently as well, thank you for bringing this to my attention. All volumetric measurements on this site are based off US imperial measures (1 teaspoon = 5 ml, 1 tablespoon = 15 ml, 1 cup = 236ml).

      Reply
  8. Loris Ayoub says

    August 14, 2021 at 6:14 pm

    How many rolls can I do with this recipe? How many sheets?

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      August 14, 2021 at 6:39 pm

      Hi Loris, it depends on the type of roll you're making (hosomaki, uramaki, futomaki, gunkan maki, temaki, etc). Please check the specific roll recipe which will tell you how many rolls you can make. For example, California Rolls are here: https://norecipes.com/california-roll-recipe/ and it makes 6 rolls.

      Reply
  9. Asako says

    October 25, 2020 at 9:24 am

    5 stars
    Great sushi rice tutorial. Have made it twice now. It made about 6 or 7 futomaki. Great for a dinner of 4 people (with some other sides too)

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      October 25, 2020 at 11:44 am

      Hi Asako, I'm glad to hear you found this helpful! Thanks for stopping by to let me know.

      Reply
  10. Diana says

    January 30, 2020 at 6:32 pm

    Hi Marc! Can I use brown rice vinegar instead? I live in Korea and that’s all I can find at the grocery store. Thanks!

    Reply
    • Marc Matsumoto says

      January 31, 2020 at 9:29 am

      Hi Diana, that should be fine.

      Reply
  11. Barbara Cooke says

    January 02, 2016 at 9:09 pm

    Used this for a guideline. My rice was done to perfection in about 10 mins. I did use Splenda instead of sugar. The taste was out of this world

    Reply
  12. httr says

    November 01, 2015 at 6:26 pm

    Gerda, Splenda is more harmful than helpful to anyone no matter what health issues they may or may not have (I wish they would ban it). Simply put Spenda is poison. Please try to find a healthy alternative, I say this out of respect b/c I care. Stay away from synthetic junk & try to stay as close to nature as possible.

    Reply
  13. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 09, 2015 at 1:34 am

    Hi Katie, so the number of rolls this makes will depend on the type of roll you make (hosomaki vs futomaki vs uramaki) as well as how thick you make the layer of rice. I guess if I had to make a ballpark estimate I'd say 6-8. As for arborio, I've never tried cooking it like japanese rice so I'm not sure. That said, I have gone the other way around and used sushi rice for risotto(it works well), so it's possible it could work. As for jasmine, it will not work. It's a long grain rice and will not stick together enough to make a roll.

    Reply
  14. Katie @ Produce on Parade says

    October 08, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    Hi Marc! I have two questions: 1. About how many rolls (logs) of sushi will this supply? 2. I know this question is kind of crazy but I'm curious...in a pinch, could one use Arborio rice as a substitute for short white sushi rice? Or, would Jasmine be better? I confess those are the only two rice varieties I have on hand, other than red rice. Thanks so much for your help!

    Reply
  15. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 06, 2015 at 12:26 am

    Hi Gerda, I hate the taste of Splenda, so I'm probably the wrong person to ask, but you could certainly try it. Also, I'm sure you're aware of this, but white rice has a very high glycemic index, so maybe use brown rice?

    Reply
  16. Gerda Bryan says

    October 05, 2015 at 10:16 pm

    My son no is diabetic can I use Splenda instead ?

    Reply
  17. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 18, 2015 at 1:27 am

    Hi Snowpoke, ideally you'd use a wooden tub called a hangiri as it provides the largest surface area to spread the rice and absorbs some of the excess moisture, but since most people don't have one, any large bowl will due provided it is non reactive (glass or stainless steel). The bowl in the photo is stainless.

    Reply
  18. snowpoke says

    September 17, 2015 at 11:49 pm

    Try to not use a metal bowl as shown in the picture as there's a natural chemical reaction between metal and vinegar which can cause discoloration or a 'metallic' taste.

    Reply
  19. udo says

    August 20, 2015 at 6:44 am

    yes you can also i add a bit of vodka and rum sissolve with vinegar, you just have to try it, it worked for me

    Reply
  20. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 07, 2015 at 1:57 am

    Hi Lisa, I respect the fact that you're thinking about your diet, but making sushi rice without sugar and salt is like making a strawberry milkshake without milk or sugar. How you make it is up to you but since it sounds like you're asking my opinion I don't think it will taste very good.

    Reply
  21. Lisa says

    July 06, 2015 at 5:39 pm

    I want to keep salt and sugar out of my diet. Would using rice vinegar (with nothing else in it) an sushi rice be good enough? What would you suggest?

    Reply
  22. Marife Basi says

    June 09, 2015 at 3:32 pm

    Hi! you're so intelligent. thanks for teaching us. i am fun of sushi. but now i'm going to make for my own. i've got all the ingredients from oriental supermarket here in bahrain. i'm so inLOVE of sushi....aaaaah! Thanks! 🙂

    Reply
  23. Benjamin Zuckerman says

    June 08, 2015 at 3:11 pm

    Hi Tammy: be very careful! Once you realize how easy it is to make great sushi rice, making sushi at home will quickly become quite addictive, and you may find yourself with a houseful of hungry friends more than just one a week.....

    Reply
  24. Tammy says

    June 01, 2015 at 12:48 am

    Used this to make sushi tonight! It was perfect!

    Reply
  25. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 26, 2015 at 4:17 pm

    Hi @nime, I responded to a similar comment a while ago, but many sushi restaurants use a premixed vinegar that already has corn syrup and salt mixed in (along with MSG and preservatives). This is probably why they did not add salt. If you're going to be making sushi rice at home I'd suggest buying rice vinegar (it shouldn't have any salt or sugar or anything else in the ingredient list other than rice vinegar and water).

    Reply
  26. @nime says

    May 26, 2015 at 4:04 pm

    Tnx for the wonderful info marc.. but im just wondering if is it really necessary to add the salt? Few years ago I worked at a japanese restaurant here in the philippines and as far as I remember, the sushi master was not adding salt to the vinegar mixture..and also, I dont think he cook the vinegar either..he just kept on stirring the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar melts..any advice marc?tnx!

    Reply
  27. Marc Matsumoto says

    May 26, 2015 at 7:47 am

    Hi Rani, thanks! Unless otherwise specified all "cup" measurements on this site are in US cups. There's a drop down in the recipe to change the measurement system to metric.

    Reply
  28. Rani GS Silva says

    May 25, 2015 at 8:45 pm

    Your blog Rocks mate ! i have a question for the rice recipe, is the amount of water here in american cups ( 1.5 cup = 354 ml ) ? or is it also the cup from the rice cooker ?

    Reply
  29. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 21, 2015 at 5:30 pm

    Hi Gelai, you can use whatever you want in your kitchen, but using mayo obviously isn't going to make it taste like sushi rice.

    Reply
  30. Gelai says

    April 21, 2015 at 9:56 am

    Hi Marc, can I use mayonaise instead of Vinegar? Thanks

    Reply
  31. Marc Matsumoto says

    April 12, 2015 at 1:26 pm

    That's a great tip Benjamin, thanks!

    Reply
  32. Benjamin Zuckerman says

    April 12, 2015 at 3:49 am

    Using an electric hair dryer (on cool if possible, or at least warm) is a great time saver, and it makes it possible to mix with one hand and (blow) dry with the other. I learned this from my girlfriend when I lived in Japan, and it works GREAT!

    Reply
  33. Gonar says

    March 10, 2015 at 3:39 am

    Thank you for the detailed explanation Mr. Matsumoto. Sounds like it would make a good law anyway!

    Reply
  34. Marc Matsumoto says

    March 10, 2015 at 3:19 am

    Hi Gonar, as far as I'm aware of there is no law that says you can't but I would not recommend it. First off changing the pH of the water will probably do bad things to the rice and will screw with the sensors on rice cookers. The sugar in in the mixture will burn. And I don't think you're going to end up with rice that has the shine and stickiness you are looking for in sushi rice because that is achieved by coating each grain of rice with the vinegar mixture and then quickly evaporating it (by fanning).

    Reply
  35. Gonar says

    March 09, 2015 at 9:45 pm

    Dear Marc, is it against the law to add vinegar before cooking the rice?

    Reply
  36. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 19, 2015 at 11:45 am

    Hi Jason, I can't really recommend storing sushi rice at room temperature for more than a few hours for food safety reasons. That said, in theory the pH and salt content of the rice should in theory preserve it for longer than plain rice. Putting it in the fridge will ruin the texture, but reheating it in the microwave will kind of of fix it.

    Reply
  37. Jason Gastaud says

    February 19, 2015 at 3:30 am

    Hi Marc, this blog is awesome, I got almost all of my sushi knowledge from here ! I've been making a lot of sushi rice lately and getting tired of having to make the rice and wait for it to cool each time, I started making bigger batches now in order to use again the day after. I've read a couple alarming things about storing rice, and I wondered what's your take on that. Do you store cooked sushi rice ? What's the best way to do so ? I kept it in a deep plate covered in plastic film at room temperature over night, and it was pretty ok. Thanks !

    Reply
  38. Riza says

    February 14, 2015 at 12:59 am

    Can I use sticky rice?

    Reply
  39. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 13, 2015 at 1:51 pm

    Hi FairSkiesSailing, you could certainly do that, but the texture of the rice will not be good once it's been refrigerated (even after coming up to room temperature).

    Reply
  40. FairSkiesSailing says

    February 13, 2015 at 1:47 pm

    Can the rice be made a day ahead, refrigerated, then allowed to come to room temperature before using?

    Reply
  41. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 13, 2015 at 12:54 am

    You could, but the texture will not be right. Thai sticky rice is closer to Japanese mochi rice than sushi rice. Sushi rice is stickier than most long-grain rices but doesn't have the chewy glutinous texture of a sticky rice.

    Reply
  42. deee says

    February 12, 2015 at 10:32 pm

    Can you use thai sticky rice instead

    Reply
  43. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 26, 2015 at 2:01 am

    Hi Jenell, doubling is fine, but you'll want to use a bowl that's big enough that you can spread the rice into a fairly thin layer on. You want a lot of the liquid from the vinegar mixture to evaporate rather than soak into the rice. That's why it's important to use a bowl with as much surface area as possible.

    Reply
  44. Jenell says

    January 26, 2015 at 12:14 am

    Would doubling the recipe be ok?

    Reply
  45. Marc Matsumoto says

    November 24, 2014 at 6:36 am

    Hi Islam, if you’re asking if using soy sauce in sushi rice is traditional then no it’s not. If you’re asking for my permission to try it then sure go for it. One thing to keep in mind is that soy sauce is not as salty as salt, so you’ll probably need to add more to the mixture, which may cause problems with the total amount of liquid.

    —
    Sent from Mailbox

    Reply
  46. Islam says

    November 24, 2014 at 6:13 am

    Hi Marc ... can I use light soya sauce instead of salt

    Reply
  47. Marc Matsumoto says

    October 12, 2014 at 1:55 pm

    Hi Rasslin, while adding ginger to the sushi rice isn’t very traditional I think it could taste quite good. I say go for it!

    —
    Sent from Mailbox

    Reply
  48. Rasslin Good says

    October 12, 2014 at 12:05 pm

    Hey Marc! Great guide, easy yet it makes the quality sushi rice one wants. Cudos!

    One question though, could I substitute the grain sugar for some other kind of sweetener? I'm thinking of using ginger syrup, something I use for many dishes (sweet/sour tomato soup, coleslaw salad, etc.). You get the same sweetness, but also that very slight ginger taste. Would this work for sushi, or would it ruin the intended taste?

    Greetz,
    Jan

    Reply
  49. Leo says

    September 24, 2014 at 10:40 am

    Don’t try to do it in rice cooker ot other – it will be not so beautiful. If u wanna to get and tasty and good
    looking rice, use multicooker like me (Redmond 4502) – it can do it faster is
    much better, also it do it n the time I come to home after work. Perfect sushi!

    Reply
  50. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 19, 2014 at 12:54 am

    Hi guest, while what you've said is accurate, I've started listing all non-liquids as a weight rather than volume because volumetric measurements are not precise for non-liquids. You can read more on this here: https://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/five-reasons-to-use-a-kitchen-scale/

    Reply
  51. Eva says

    September 18, 2014 at 3:42 pm

    hey since 2 x 180 ml rice cooker cups is 1 1/2 American cups (plus 2 tablespoons if you really want to get picky), same as the water required, why not just say so? Pretty simple to use the same amount of water and rice.

    Reply
  52. Breanna Sumner says

    September 12, 2014 at 7:41 am

    Yes! You're so right. I was saddened to read that High Fructose Corn Syrup was of of the top two ingredients. Anyways, I tried your recipe and I must say the taste is so much better without all those unnatural ingredients. Thank you for the recipe 🙂

    Reply
  53. Marc Matsumoto says

    September 09, 2014 at 4:13 am

    Hi Breanna, the sushi restaurant you worked at was probably using premixed “sushi seasoning” meant for making sushi rice. If you read the ingredients these usually include corn syrup, salt and MSG in addition to the rice vinegar, which is why I prefer to make my own sushi seasoning. —
    Sent from Mailbox

    Reply
  54. Breanna Sumner says

    September 08, 2014 at 11:17 pm

    In the sushi restaurant I worked at we never added salt or sugar to the vinegar. It was already a perfect sweet and tangy flavor. Why does the recipe require those two ingredients?

    Reply
  55. Michelle says

    July 23, 2014 at 11:52 pm

    Marc, thanks so much for this recipe - its perfect xx

    Reply
  56. shaqura says

    April 25, 2014 at 9:19 pm

    hi marc bye marc
    from sahqura elias

    Reply
  57. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 11, 2014 at 2:49 pm

    Hi Emily, I'm not sure about what will happen in a sauce pan, but rice cookers don't handle making 1 cup of rice very well. The rice ends up more crumbly than sticky. As for cooking times, since you have less water, it will take less time to bring to a boil, but the 15 minutes of cooking and 10 minutes of steaming remain the same.

    Reply
  58. lovesirbecky says

    February 11, 2014 at 12:41 pm

    Hi Marc,
    I am planning on halving all ingredients that this recipe states as I only need a small quantity. Would I need to reduce the cooking time of the rice as I am using a saucepan?
    Thanks,
    From Emily.

    Reply
  59. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 06, 2014 at 11:54 pm

    Hi Kayla, a rice cooker cup is 180ml, which is 0.760816 US Cups. Or roughly 3/4 cups + 1 tablespoon.

    Reply
  60. peggynames says

    February 06, 2014 at 11:28 pm

    Hello Marc... I wold love to use your recipe for sushi rice using brown rice...is it possible? What adjustments would I need to make? Thank you

    Reply
  61. Kayla says

    February 06, 2014 at 3:29 pm

    Could you give an estimated US cup measuremnet for the rice? I have no way of measuring by weight and im going to try to make California rolls for the first time for Valentines and i really don't want to mess this up.. Thank you to anyone who can help

    Reply
  62. Vernon Chan says

    January 06, 2014 at 6:04 pm

    Thanks Marc. Will continue testing and experimenting 🙂

    Reply
  63. Marc Matsumoto says

    January 05, 2014 at 2:55 am

    The lower amount of sugar you used probably had an impact, the shine on the rice needs a higher sugar content. Also, it's important that the water is measured precisely. Lastly it's possible that the type and age of the rice your using will require some adjustments to the amount if water. The newer rice is, the higher the water content.— Sent from Mailbox for iPad

    Reply
  64. Vernon Chan says

    January 04, 2014 at 2:40 am

    Tried a couple of times but came out a little lumpy and soft. Will need to keep an eye out on the amount of water. Also I used 3 heaped teaspoons of sugar instead of tablespoons.

    Reply
  65. camilio4u2 says

    May 24, 2013 at 4:51 pm

    Thank you Marc .

    Reply
  66. Ezal says

    May 07, 2013 at 5:08 pm

    There's rice vinegar in Malaysia too.. Im from Brunei and rice vinegar is not rare. I use it often. I believe thay are sold in most local markets. Just search for it.

    Reply
  67. Tammie Smith says

    April 01, 2013 at 3:24 am

    California Rolls may be a bit tricky but I took away a great deal of information from your post that gives me the confidence to try making them now. Thanks so much, I'll let you know how I do!

    Reply
  68. Gintama says

    March 24, 2013 at 1:30 pm

    Hey, I'm in Malaysia too. Quick question: are you living somewhere out in the woods? (I very much doubt it, else you shouldn't be on the internet.) Anyway even if you're living where there is no sign of human life, see if you can find your way to a "kedai runcit" (Malay for grocery shop) or "chap hui tiam" (in Hokkien), and ask for "bee chor" (in case the old shopkeep doesn't speak English). It should cost only RM2.80 for a bottle the size of a large Tiger Beer. The brand I use is Narcissus, came all the way from Fujian China.

    There's a lot of heated talk lately in my country, about the Islamic ruling party tagging Malaysia-born Chinese like me as "Pendatang" (immigrants), and that we deserve to get kicked back to China. I brought this point up because, well, if it weren't for the pendatang, how are Malaysians supposed to get common, everyday kitchen stuff such as rice vinegar? Desho?

    Reply
  69. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 18, 2013 at 11:27 pm

    Actually, rice vinegar does not include salt or sugar. I think you might be confusing it with sushi rice vinegar(sometimes known as seasoned rice vinegar), which is what this recipe is for.

    Reply
  70. Lindsey V says

    February 18, 2013 at 8:12 pm

    Rice vinegar can be duplicated by taking white vinegar, salt and sugar and cooking them together in a pan over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

    The portions should look like:

    half cup of white vinegar

    1 tsp of salt

    1 tbsp of sugar

    Add more salt, sugar or vinegar until it tastes "right". You need something acidic or the rice will fall flat.

    I used to prepare the vinegar this way, and my family liked it sweeter, so I would add more sugar to the mix. Everyone enjoyed the rice thoroughly.

    Reply
  71. Marc Matsumoto says

    February 01, 2013 at 5:16 am

    I'm not sure I understand your question, are you asking about the rice? vinegar?

    Reply
  72. omelette aux truffes says

    February 01, 2013 at 1:11 am

    What is the best ingredient used in making sushi?

    Reply
  73. Marilia says

    January 09, 2013 at 6:24 am

    I am trying your recipe now but i just realised that i accidentally bought sushi vinegar (with the sugar and salt already added) Could you suggest a total amount of liquid that i should be adding to my rice as i'm not sure how much the sugar in your recipe condenses down to?

    Reply
  74. Marc Matsumoto says

    December 04, 2012 at 7:09 am

    It's not going to have the same taste, but if you're okay with that I don't see why you couldn't use a different vinegar. Also, some vinegars are more acidic than others, so you may need to adjust the amount of vinegar based on the acidity. Unfortunately I'm not familiar with cane vinegar so can't really give you any guidance there.

    Reply
  75. Marilia says

    December 04, 2012 at 1:07 am

    hi marc, i just want to ask if i can use ordinary vinegar, cane vinegar? thanks 🙂

    Reply
  76. Mel says

    October 23, 2012 at 5:16 am

    Is it ok using cane vinegar instead of rice vinegar? Than for sharing this recipe. I always wonder why the rice in Japan is shinier. I know the technique now.

    Reply
  77. Tree Lady says

    October 13, 2012 at 12:35 am

    Sushi rice is short grain rice. Shorter grain rice is starchier than long grain, and you need the starch to make the rice stick together in the sushi roll. Jasmine or Basmati would be long grain and would not have enough starch.

    Reply
  78. Marc Matsumoto says

    August 02, 2012 at 8:55 pm

    I'm not very familiar with what kinds of ingredients you can get in Malaysia, so I can't really suggest a substitute. That said, I'm a little surprised you can't find rice vinegar there as it's used widely in Asian cooking. If you have a market that sells Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, or Korean ingredients they should have it as it's used in all those cuisines. In the US it goes by a couple names including: white rice vinegar, rice wine vinegar, or simply rice vinegar.

    Reply
  79. marina says

    August 02, 2012 at 2:14 am

    hey, i live in malaysia and i tried making sushi rice before but i can't find the rice vinegar. is there anything else that can replace the rice vinegar? thanks 🙂

    Reply
    • Sandra H. Jordan says

      June 15, 2019 at 10:52 am

      I use a cup of white vinegar, cup of sugar, two of salt and simmer with shaved ginger. Once it cooks and thickens a bit, I remove the ginger for serving. Very yummy

      Reply
  80. Marc Matsumoto says

    July 29, 2012 at 3:16 am

    Rice for onigiri is not seasoned. You can follow the wash step and use the same proportion of water to rice, add a pinch of salt, then use the same cooking instructions, but you do not add the vinegar mixture and mix it like with sushi rice.

    Reply
  81. daftasanything says

    July 28, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    Would I use this same technique for rice for Onigiri(sp) ? Thanks! Love this blog!

    Reply
  82. Not True says

    July 27, 2012 at 12:56 pm

    There also may or may not be another apostrophe hiccup in the same area (step number 9).
    Sorry!

    Reply
  83. Not True says

    July 27, 2012 at 8:54 am

    Typo spotted! Step number 9 in the recipe: "you're rice is fresh".
    I'm not pointing it out maliciously. Figured you'd like to know, considering there's a certain quality to the writing on the site I've come to expect (in a good way).

    Your site is great.
    🙂

    Reply
  84. Laura says

    July 26, 2012 at 8:54 pm

    Love that you specified rice cooker cups! 🙂 my biggest pet peeve is rice cooker or Asian rice recipes that don't specify, and i am always wondering whether to you regular cups or rice cooker cups.

    Reply
    • Olen says

      February 05, 2019 at 5:56 am

      Rice cooker measures are 3/4 of a standard (8oz) cup...in other words, 6oz liquid measure.

      Reply
  85. Laura says

    July 26, 2012 at 4:54 pm

    Love that you specified rice cooker cups! 🙂 my biggest pet peeve is rice cooker or Asian rice recipes that don't specify, and i am always wondering whether to you regular cups or rice cooker cups.

    Reply
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