Your Dining Room Can Be Your Restaurant

Why Make Your Own Sushi At Home?

Every time I go out for sushi I marvel at the skill of the itamae (sushi chef) making my sushi. He grabs a handful of rice, a piece of fish and in a flash I’ve got my nigiri sushi. He’s a professional and has years of practice and his rolls, sushi, and sashimi come out perfectly. And many people wonder if they can make sushi at home.

The answer is “yes.” It seems an impossible task to make such exquisite food, however you would be surprised, it is not as hard as you may think with a bit of practice. And while it’s great fun to go out to a restaurant, Sushi isn’t cheap. By making your own, you can save some money, impress your friends, and marvel at some of your own culinary creations.

Our “how to prepare for making sushi at home” page offers all the information you need. Your rolls may always be perfectly sized (though you’ll get better with practice) and your fish (neta) may be off center, but it will still taste great.

If you use high quality ingredients and remember a few simple rules, you too can make your own sushi that will satisfy your appetite just as much as going out does. In addition, you can even turn the process into a party with your friends, which I do on occasion.

So why not make sushi at home? In a nutshell, it’s cheaper than going out and can be quite fun. Plus, you have the opportunity to make combinations or items that may not be available in your local sushi restaurant. Be adventurous. Or not. Some people I know only want California rolls.

I, however will try just about anything and use my home sushi making as an opportunity to try things that I would never ask the itamae for. But when you make sushi at home you can tailor your dining to both your comfort level and your wallet. A large piece of hamachi (yellowtail) is actually pretty cheap at my local Japanese market and what would normally be an expensive meal can be fairly inexpensive when I buy the sushi ingredients myself.

Your First Attempts Will Be Learning Experiences

Remember, your first few attempts may be embarrassing. It’s not a breeze, but the more you make sushi at home the better you will get at it. Try not to get discouraged. Unless you are a professional your sushi will never be perfect, but it can still taste great. Just make your best attempt, relax, and follow our how-to and you will be on your way to enjoying sushi at home, and the satisfaction that will come with having made it yourself.

I suggest reading through the preparation and general tips sections before undertaking making sushi at home to familiarize yourself with what you will need and what to think about as you create your masterpieces.

Please keep in mind two very important and related things that may seem obvious, but I still feel the need to stress. If you plan on eating raw fish at home please make sure that you are buying sushi-quality seafood and that you eat no fresh-water fish raw. The risk of food borne pathogens in fresh-water fish is high whereas the risk is significantly less with fish from the ocean.

Also, make sure you are storing and preparing your fish in sanitary conditions to prevent contamination of the food prior to consumption. Wrapped up in the refrigerator on a bed of ice that can drain well is the perfect place. And remember to keep the fish chilled when not in use.

Our guide with all the tips you need to make sushi yourself is merely for people who choose to eat raw food (particularly seafood) at home and I cannot take any responsibility for issues that may result from eating raw fish, so be careful. It will take time to master your skills, but simply enjoy the experience, and the wonderful experience of being able to make it yourself.

Don’t take yourself too seriously, and you should have fun all along the way. In the menu above there are links to recipes for all the basic styles sushi you want to make, and the tips and tricks to making sushi at home will make sure you are properly prepared and includes both essential and interesting information. You may never be a true itamae, but you don’t have to be in order to enjoy good sushi.

Meshiagare!