Chef Ando's Sushi Tips

Chef Ando Presents: An ongoing series to further your knowledge of all things sushi.

Sushi rice, what makes it taste so good? Rice is to sushi as pasta is to Itarian food. Preparation of the rice is the most important aspect to good sushi.  In Japan it takes at least 3 years of training for an apprentice to learn the art of cooking and preparing sushi rice.   Short grain rice is used for sushi preparation due to its glutinous properties.  cooking the perfect batch of sushi rice is dependent on various conditions such as: Species of rice,  Time and conditions,  Storage conditions,  Water content.

Taking all these conditions into consideration, the amount of water used to cook the rice is not too soft or too dry. With all the factor to take into consideration you can see why it can take years to master the art of cooking rice.

Here at Benkay we are currently using the species of rice " KOSHIHIKARI " grown in California.

After cooking the rice is mixed with " Sushi Vinegar " consisting of rice vinegar, salt, sugar and konbu (dried kelp). Each restaurant has its own recipe.

Sushi is best served when the rice is lukewarm. When the warmth of the sushi rice and touch of soy sauce, wasabi harmonizes best and brings out the most flavor.

Now, when you visit us next time, take pleasure in your sushi experience at Benkay where " Rice Is The Stuff Of Life ".