Making Nigiri

Nigiri is hand-formed sushi. It usually has a piece of slice retangle fish pushed onto a small cylinder-like piece of sushi rice.(As show on the right) It also called Nigiri-Zushi. Zushi is Sushi. In Japanese, when two nouns (Nigiri and Sushi) combine to one phrase, the S sound become Z sound.

Moist your hands with water. Use two fingers to pick sliced fish. (Don't try to hold it with all your fingers. Because the fish is really easy to be warmed, even it is just your body temperature, and the outcome wouldn't be shining- and fresh-look if you are hold it in your palm.)

Take about half ounce of the sushi rice. Form the rice into cylinder-like shape.

Scoop up a dab of Wasabi with the forefinger. Put it in the center of the fish.

Place the rice on the fish. Press the rice with one or two fingers. This pressing is the most important in the whole processing. The pressure should be firm but not to crash the rice into rice cake.

Put the sushi (nigiri) onto your two finger. Cover it with four fingers of the other hand. The rice must stick with the fish.

Turn the hand which is holding the sushi (nigiri) over. Press the rice with one or two finger again. Notice the thumb's action in the picture. The thumb is pressing the tip of the rice at same. Repeat the processes from picture 4 to 6 for once or tiwce.

Turn the sushi (nigiri) fish side up. A professional sushi chef only use one hand to finish this action. But you can use the other hand to help the turning.

Holding the tip of the rice with your thumb. Press the sushi (nigiri) again.

** Reference: Sushi (The Delicate Flavor of Japan) By Masuo Yoshino     ISBN 4-05-151404-8

This has so much fun than roll-making, EH? In real life there are lots of way to making sushi. Almost all the chefs have their own ways to make sushi. A different hands movement more like the personal signature.The method I put here is one of the classic processing. A professional sushi chef will finish a whole processing  in 3 seconds. I certainly won't expect that you can make it in the first time. However, try to make it as fast as you can. This is the key to make a good sushi presentation. it's same to the sushi roll making. The fastest you finish, the freshest sushi you will have. If the stick rice troubles you during the sushi making, remember wash you hands , then start it over again. Moisting  your hands with the water is  always important. So, as I always say: Keep trying and Having fun. :)

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