Dressing for rice rolls. How to Add Rice Vinegar to Cooked Rice

Japanese cuisine is very popular these days. Having lunch or dinner with sushi or rolls has become the order of the day. There is a joke that making sushi at home is not only a fun activity, but also “budget-saving” and “health-saving”, so let’s pay a little attention to an important component when making sushi - dressing for rice, rolls and sushi.

Why do you need rice dressing? It gives sushi not only necessary taste, but also increases stickiness, so it won’t fall apart.

Since no salt is added to rice during cooking, rice dressing for sushi contains both salt and sugar. Vinegar plays the main role in seasoning rice. Rice vinegar can be found in specialized departments of stores where they sell other sushi ingredients. But what to do if you still buy rice vinegar failed. What can replace it?

Rice vinegar is usually replaced with white wine vinegar. grape vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or, at worst, table vinegar. Here you need to choose the right proportions so as not to spoil the taste of the rice.

You can also try ready-made recipes, and then adjust the amount of ingredients to taste.

Rice Vinegar Dressing Recipe

Ingredients:

• rice vinegar – 100 ml;
• sugar – 3 teaspoons;
• salt – 1 teaspoon.

Apple Cider Vinegar Recipe

Ingredients:

• apple cider vinegar – 2 tbsp. spoons;
• water – 3 tbsp. spoons;
• sugar – 2 teaspoons
• salt – 1 teaspoon.

Recipe with grape vinegar

Ingredients:

• grape vinegar - 4 tbsp. spoons;
• sugar – 3 teaspoons;
• salt – 1 teaspoon.

Recipe with table vinegar

Ingredients:

• table vinegar 6% - 50 ml;
• soy sauce – 50 ml;
• sugar – 20 g.

Preparation

Boil everything and stir until completely dissolved. Add to rice while warm. And if you have prepared the dressing for future use, store it in the refrigerator and reheat it before use.

Rice vinegar recipe

You can make your own rice vinegar if you wish. If you have time and desire.

Ingredients:

• sugar;
• yeast;
• egg white.

Preparation

Pour water over the rice and leave to steep overnight. The next day we decant the water and add about 180 g sugar. Place the dishes on water bath and stir until the sugar dissolves, cook for about twenty minutes. Cool, pour into a jar and add a quarter tablespoon of yeast per liter of liquid. The fermentation process will take about a week. When the bubbles disappear completely, pour into clean jar. We insist for a month.

After a month, strain the mixture. Boil with whipped raw egg white(for cleaning), and filter again.

It's such a long way, but it's real rice vinegar homemade will always be at your service.

With this dressing you can prepare both classic and more complex ones.

After cooking the rice and dressing, they should be mixed. The rice is watered or sprinkled with vinegar dressing while stirring using only wooden utensils. The rice must be mixed carefully so that it does not turn into porridge. The dressing needs to be slightly cooled from the beginning, and the rice too. They need to be mixed warm. The seasoned rice is cooled. According to Japanese traditions, this is done using a fan. But in principle, the rice will cool down without this. It is believed that fanning the rice gives it a pearly shine. The rice needs to be cooled so that your hands are not hot. When forming sushi and rolls, it is recommended to constantly wet your hands with water and rice vinegar. That's all. Once you cook the rice, you can make any sushi and rolls to suit your taste! Surprise your loved ones!

Sushi rice dressing is usually made from sugar, salt, and rice vinegar. This is done very simply. 450 g of ready-made rice requires 2 tbsp. spoons of vinegar, 1 teaspoon each of salt and sugar. Sugar and salt are poured into rice vinegar, the mixture is heated until completely dissolved, and stirred over medium heat. Ready to fill sprinkle the rice, stirring it with sushi chopsticks or a wooden spoon. There are other ways to prepare the dressing. For example, noria is added to vinegar along with sugar and salt. In this case, seaweed is not added to the rice when it is cooked.

The rice dressing must be prepared in advance; first, it must cool until room temperature before use. secondly, it is stored for a long time and in finished form speeds up the process of cooking sushi rice. Required Products You can buy it at your nearest supermarket or specialty store.

In one of my previous articles, I told you about rice vinegar. In this article I will tell you how to prepare seasoning for rice. In Japan it is called "sushi-su" or "sushiza" in Russian, although this is not correct. It is prepared using rice vinegar. sugar, salt with or without kombu seaweed.

When preparing a dressing from other types of vinegar, you can rely on other recipes. For apple cider vinegar For one tablespoon, take a teaspoon of sugar and half the same spoon of salt, add one and a half tablespoons hot water and stir until all components are dissolved (you can heat it if necessary). To prepare a grape-based dressing, take four tablespoons of vinegar, three teaspoons of sugar and one of salt, mix everything and place on the fire until the solid ingredients dissolve. The most important thing is that such vinegar does not boil. You can use table vinegar that is always available in the household. For 50 milliliters of a six percent solution, take 20 grams of sugar and 50 milliliters of soy sauce. Stir until sugar and salt dissolve.

After which, the lid can be opened. If sushi rice is cooked correctly, it will be crumbly, completely cooked (it will not squeak on the teeth - this happens if little water was poured and there was not enough steam to cook the rice), and will not be overcooked (this happens when, on the contrary, a lot of water was poured ), and will not burn (this happens when you change the temperature at the wrong time). If you are not satisfied with the quality of rice cooked for sushi after trying it, you should not make sushi or rolls from it (it would be a shame to ruin a lot of expensive fish; the taste of sushi and rolls made from poorly cooked rice will be guaranteed to be disgusting). It’s easier to try cooking a new batch of rice again, adjusting the cooking process based on the first, unsuccessful experiment. If you like the cooked sushi rice, you can move on.

For a long time I bought expensive special rice for sushi, until one day I set out to make home cooking sushi and rolls are more budget-friendly. Then I decided to try to find a regular one round rice, and try to make sushi from it. The first (and last) variety on which I tested my idea (and which I finally settled on) was rice from the Mistral brand called “Kuban” (packed in 900 grams). As it turned out, my experiment was a success. I tell you in detail how to properly cook rice for making sushi and rolls, as well as how to prepare your own dressing for rice. Of course, you can cook special sushi rice in the following manner.

Continuing to gently stir the rice seasoned with vinegar dressing with a wooden spatula, loosen it for some time, breaking apart any stuck together lumps of rice. As soon as this procedure is completed, the rice is covered with a towel and left in this form to cool to room temperature (it is at this temperature that sushi and rolls can be made).

add a leaf to the rice dressing seaweed"Kombu." In general, I don’t see these same algae, so, in their absence, I add them to vinegar ordinary leaves"Nori." The use of seaweed in the dressing adds some color and, of course, a completely normal aroma to sushi rice.

Since no salt is added to rice during cooking, rice dressing for sushi contains both salt and sugar. Vinegar plays the main role in seasoning rice. Rice vinegar can be found in specialized departments of stores where they sell other sushi ingredients. But what to do if you still couldn’t buy rice vinegar. What can replace it?

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Sushi rice dressing is made from rice vinegar, sugar and salt, and it is extremely simple to do. For 450 g of cooked rice, approximately 2 tbsp is required. vinegar and 1 tsp. sugar and salt. Salt and sugar are poured into rice vinegar and the mixture is heated until completely dissolved, stirring, over medium heat. Sprinkle the finished dressing over the rice, stirring lightly with a wooden spoon or sushi chopsticks.

Whatever rice you use to make sushi: special or regular short-grain rice, you need to rinse it well with cold running water until it becomes transparent. All floating grains of rice must be removed - according to Japanese rules, only “bad” rice floats in the water and should be thrown away. Of course, when washing rice, you also need to remove all debris, all dark grains of rice.

First, let’s clarify right away: without certain products, it is impossible to prepare sushi rice. These products are, in addition to suitable rice, rice vinegar and kombu seaweed (nori), without which it is also impossible to make the rolls themselves. Today you can buy seaweed for sushi and rice vinegar in almost all major retail chains of any city: with the popularization of sushi and rolls, purchasing them has ceased to be a problem - you just have to look and you will definitely find necessary products. But you don’t have to buy special rice for sushi.

You can use any short-grain rice to make rolls and sushi. Often, what is sold in stores labeled “rice for making sushi” is regular short-grain rice, and not special Japanese rice at all. Using regular short-grain rice for sushi is possible not in theory, but in practice, tested by many chefs.

Soy sauce for sushi rice reduces the risk of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. It contains many vitamins, minerals and beneficial amino acids. Soy sauce helps improve blood circulation and improves immunity. There are several types of soy sauce: – teriyaki – classic dressing for sushi rice, to which sake, spices and honey are added. It can be used as a marinade; – soy sauce with “Tsuyu” is good sauce for sushi rice, suitable for meat dishes.

The preparation of rolls and sushi can be supplemented by the use of not only wasabi root, but also its stems and flowers. Wasabi for sushi is not only the most spicy seasoning in the world, a necessary attribute when preparing sushi, rolls, sashimi, but also required ingredient. Real honwasabi prevents the appearance of caries and tooth decay. The preparation of sushi is accompanied by the addition of wasabi, due to the fact that it has bactericidal properties and kills microbes in fresh fish.

Using this sauce, cooking sushi can change the taste. The mixture includes tuna, mirin, herring and classic soy sauce. – Okonomiyaki sushi rice sauce is soy sauce with the addition of starch, spices and powdered sugar; – sweet and sour sauce for sushi rice goes great with any fish dishes. It can be prepared from pineapples, ketchup, plums, and soy sauce. Wasabi for sushi Wasabi is a plant that is a type of horseradish.

Cooking sushi and rolls using ginger makes the dish more juicy and refined. Pickled ginger has not only good taste, but also necessary features. It contains vitamins A, B, B2, C, amino acids and various microelements. Preparing rolls and sushi involves using pickled ginger as a sauce for sushi rice.

Rice is the basis of sushi and rolls. How you cook it will depend not only appearance, but also the taste of the final product. It's no secret that a special type of rice with short grains is used to make sushi. Nowadays, buying such rice is not a problem; it is sold in large hypermarkets and specialized stores. So that you can succeed delicious rice it needs to be properly seasoned with vinegar, how to do it at home, read my recipe.

Step 10: After the rice is cooked, transfer it to a wooden or plastic container of a suitable size. It is important not to break the lump of rice until you have poured it. rice dressing. For 1 kg of finished rice you will need from 125 to 250 ml of rice dressing; in my case, I use the entire volume for 2 kg of finished rice, approximately 300 ml. Ready seasoning for rice.

Step 9: After the vinegar heats up, add 90 grams of salt. and sugar 210 gr. Stir until completely dissolved and cool to room temperature. You will get a fairly thick dressing with a consistency similar to vegetable oil. It is the dressing that gives rice its taste and the necessary stickiness for making sushi and rolls.

Step 5: Next we need rice vinegar. You can use vinegar from any manufacturer that you like best or have in stock; in no case can you replace rice vinegar with another, such as apple or grape vinegar. You need 250 ml of rice vinegar, from which we will make a sauce for seasoning the finished rice.

Today, many people strive to learn how to cook rolls and sushi, and on this path everyone faces certain difficulties.

How to cook good rice for sushi, how to roll rolls and many other questions reflect the seriousness of the process.

Today we will try to answer the very first, basic question, without an answer to which good rolls or sushi cannot be made in principle: how to properly cook rice for sushi?

First, let’s clarify right away: without certain products, it is impossible to prepare sushi rice. These products are, in addition to suitable rice, rice vinegar and kombu seaweed (nori), without which it is also not possible to make the rolls themselves. Today you can buy seaweed for sushi and rice vinegar in almost all major retail chains of any city: with the popularization of sushi and rolls, purchasing them has ceased to be a problem - you just have to search and you will definitely find the products you need. But you don’t have to buy special rice for sushi.

Nowadays there are so many varieties of rice on sale that it is dizzying, and now it is very important to choose the “right” rice for sushi, sashimi and rice for rolls.

As you probably already guessed, plain rice, from which we prepare risotto, pilaf and milk porridge, is not at all suitable for sushi. Therefore, before preparing the classic Japanese dish you should not buy long-grain rice, parboiled, jasmine, brown, basmati rice and the famous Devra variety, from which the most delicious Uzbek pilaf. The grains of these types of rice are dry and crumbly, so attempts to mold anything from them will never be successful.
Sushi rice belongs to the class of round-grain varieties. The starch that this rice is so rich in makes it sticky. This type After cooking, rice holds its shape and does not fall apart, it is thanks to this property that you can easily make a base for sushi and rolls from it.

When buying sushi rice, remember that it must have the following characteristics:
- same grain size
- opaque or pearly white color (rice should be free of cracks and dark spots).
- the integrity of each grain of rice, they should not be broken or broken
- absence of rice husk.

The Japanese say that sushi rice should not crumble even if you tap it with your finger, but it must simply melt in your mouth.

Rice can be long-grained, medium-grained, or round-grained. If in the first two types of rice (and these are the types, we will talk about varieties later) there is little starch and its “stickiness” is low, then round-grained rice has a maximum starch content, and due to the ability of cooked rice grains to stick together, this rice is optimal for cooking rice for sushi, rolls, sashimi. You can use an unknown variety of sushi rice grown in Russia. The round shape of a grain of rice approximately 4-5 mm long will help you determine the right variety. But, nevertheless, test cooking will be necessary to determine the ability of the grains to stick together.
But rice varieties such as “Koshi-Higari” or “Sushiki” are guaranteed to be suitable for Japanese and Chinese cuisine. Most general advice- look for sushi meshes, i.e. rice for making sushi. I am sure that salespeople in specialized stores will understand you and will be able to help you choose rice for sushi.

You can use any short-grain rice to make rolls and sushi. Often, what is sold in stores labeled “rice for making sushi” is ordinary short-grain rice, and not special Japanese rice at all. Using regular short-grain rice for sushi is possible not in theory, but in practice, tested by many chefs.

Preparing sushi rice

Rice - main ingredient sushi and rolls. It depends on him how tasty they turn out. If you select and cook the rice correctly, consider that you have already done 80% of the work in preparing sushi.
There are many recipes for preparing rice for sushi; in this regard, the situation is comparable to cooking rice in principle.

However, there are principles common to all methods:

1. The rice is boiled until tender;
2. A seasoning for rice is prepared from rice vinegar, sugar and salt;
3. The finished rice is transferred to a large container and poured with the prepared vinegar dressing.

Let's get started...

Whatever rice you use to make sushi: special or regular short-grain rice, you need to rinse it well with cold running water until it becomes transparent.
All floating grains of rice must be removed - according to Japanese rules, only “bad” rice floats in the water and should be thrown away. Of course, when washing rice, you also need to remove all debris, all dark grains of rice.

Method 1 . First, wash the rice in large quantities running water. Then drain the water and leave the rice for about an hour.
Place the washed rice in a thick-bottomed pan, add water in the following ratio: for every 200 g of rice there should be 250 ml of water. For flavor, add a square of nori seaweed (kombu) to the rice. but you must have time to remove it before the water boils.
The pan should be no more than a third filled with water and rice.
Cover the pan with a lid, turn on medium heat, bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, boil the rice for 10-15 minutes until the water is completely absorbed, remove the pan from the stove without opening the lid and leave for another 10-15 minutes.

After removing the seaweed, cover the rice and do not open the lid again until the rice is completely cooked.

Method 2. Wash the rice, put it in a saucepan, pour in water in a ratio of 2 parts water to 1 part rice, leave for half an hour, then put on the stove, cover with a lid and high fire bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, boil rice for 10 minutes, turn off heat, leave rice covered for another 20 minutes.

Method 3. Pour the washed rice into boiling water, reduce the heat to low, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer the rice until the liquid is completely absorbed. The proportions of rice and water are the same as in the second method - 1:2

Preparing the rice dressing

Sushi rice dressing is made from rice vinegar, sugar and salt, and it is extremely simple to do.

For 450 g of cooked rice, approximately 2 tbsp is required. vinegar and 1 tsp. sugar and salt.
Salt and sugar are poured into rice vinegar and the mixture is heated until completely dissolved, stirring, over medium heat. Sprinkle the finished dressing over the rice, stirring lightly with a wooden spoon or sushi chopsticks.

There are other ways to prepare the dressing, for example, nori can be added to vinegar along with salt and sugar, but then seaweed does not need to be added to the rice when cooking.

Features of preparing rice for sushi

After the rice and dressing are cooked, they need to be mixed. The vinegar dressing is poured over the rice or sprinkled while stirring with wooden(!) utensils. You need to stir the rice carefully so as not to turn it into porridge.

Before adding the dressing to the rice, you need to cool slightly, like the rice itself, but they are mixed while still hot, then the seasoned rice needs to be cooled, according to Japanese traditions, this is done with the help of a fan, but in principle, even without this, the rice will cool down normally.

Fanning the rice is believed to give it a pearly shine.

The rice should cool enough that your hands are not hot. When forming rolls and sushi, it is recommended to regularly wet your hands in water to which rice vinegar has been added.
Based on materials from ovkuse.ru, domosushi.ua

Rice for sushi and rolls

Take the purchased rice and pour the required amount into a flat cup.

Be sure to wash the rice thoroughly. Rice for sushi and rolls should be washed cold water and this should be done for a long time. It is impossible to give recommendations on the number of “washes”; it will depend on the type of rice and its contamination. But the main task of the procedure is not just to make the rice clean, the starch dust covering the rice must be removed, the water in which the rice is immersed must become almost transparent. I think this requires changing the water about 10 times.

You can use a steamer to prepare sushi rice using almost any model. No steamer - no big deal, let's cook sushi rice in the classic way. After washing, let the rice for rolls “rest” for about 45 minutes, leaving the rice to lie without water. During this time, the sushi rice will swell, absorbing any remaining moisture after rinsing. Add one cup of rice to one and a quarter cups of water. To cook sushi rice, use enamel pan or dishes from of stainless steel, the lid should fit tightly to the pan. It is recommended to place 1 sheet of nori seaweed in the bowl in which the rice will be cooked. Place the pan on the stove and bring to a boil; before boiling the water, the seaweed sheet should be removed. Cook the rice over medium heat for 10 minutes, then cover the lid of the pan with a towel and wait another 10 minutes.

Add rice vinegar to cooked rice. But first, sugar and salt should be dissolved in vinegar. For 1 tbsp of vinegar (the amount required for one cup of dry rice, approximately 180 grams) you need to take 1 tsp. sugar and ½ tsp. salt. It is better to use cane sugar and sea salt. Pour vinegar with sugar and salt dissolved in it over the rice.

Mix thoroughly....

AND leave to “dry”, during this procedure the rice will completely “take on” the vinegar

In the old days, rice was “dried” in such wooden tubs. Many experts in Japanese cuisine still recommend using vinegar when adding vinegar to sushi meshes. wooden plate or a bowl and a wooden spatula or wooden spoon for stirring the rice.

It shows step by step how many minutes you need to soak the rice, cook and settle it before you start making rolls and sushi from it.

• The rice sits for 10 minutes after we have washed it.
• Next, cook it after boiling water for 15 minutes.
• Then, without opening the lid, keep the rice for 15 minutes.
• Next, transfer the rice into a wooden or clay bowl to mix with the sauce and cover with a damp towel for 15 minutes.

That's all, after preparing the rice, you can make any rolls and sushi to your taste! Surprise your loved ones!

Etc., the first thing you need to do is learn how to cook rice for rolls correctly! The quality of the final product depends on this component, so do not ignore the instructions and recommendations!

Surely you have noticed that rolls often begin to fall apart upon contact with soy sauce and just one of possible reasons A similar situation can arise from improperly cooked rice. So that your Japanese dish does not fail, let's look at how to cook rice for rolls and sushi so that the result of your efforts turns out impeccable!

Ingredients:

• Japanese or regular short grain rice - 1 cup;
• salt - ½ teaspoon;
• granulated sugar- ½ tbsp. spoons;
• rice vinegar - 50 ml;
• water - 1.5 cups.

How to cook rice for rolls and sushi correctly

1. To make sushi/rolls, you can buy Japanese rice, or you can get by with regular round grain rice - experienced chefs We have long been convinced in practice that there is not much difference between these types of rice. Just don’t use the long-grain variety - it’s absolutely not suitable for Japanese dishes! So, thoroughly rinse the rice grains with cold water 6-7 times (until the liquid becomes completely clean and transparent).
   
2. Place the rice grains in a spacious pan, fill with water, which should be one and a half times the amount of rice used. There is no need to salt the water or season with any spices! For flavor, you can throw just a piece of kombu seaweed into the pan, but you must take it out before the liquid boils.
   

   How long to cook rice for rolls

3. When the water boils, close the lid tightly and turn the heat to low. Cook for 10-15 minutes (until the moisture has completely evaporated). In any case, the rice should not be on the fire for more than 20 minutes, otherwise there is a high probability of overcooked grains sticking to the bottom of the pan! There is no need to stir the rice or remove the lid from the pan during cooking!
   
4. At the same time, we are doing refueling. Add sugar and salt to the rice vinegar (do not confuse it with regular vinegar!). We place it on slow fire, stirring. When granulated sugar and salt dissolve in vinegar, remove the mixture from the stove.
   
5. Once the rice is ready, remove it from the heat and continue steaming it under tight closed lid 10 minutes and only after that transfer to a bowl. Pour dressing over hot rice grains. By the way, now you can find it on sale already ready sauce for sushi rice, which can be used to replace a mixture of vinegar, salt and sugar.
   
6. Stir the soaked rice grains with a wooden spatula. After cooling the rice to room temperature, we begin to form sushi or rolls.
   
7. Do not forget that the finished rice cannot be put in the refrigerator or left for the next day, because in this case the rice grains will become hard, which, of course, will ruin the taste of the final dish!
   Once you learn how to cook rice for rolls, you can experiment with Japanese dishes!

There is hardly a housewife who, at least once in her life, has not tried to cook something unusual for her family.

If you have not yet achieved such a feat, I invite you to join me in wondering about the method of preparing sushi dressing.

How to replace rice vinegar or how to prepare it at home - that’s what my article today will be about.

After staying with my younger sister, the strong desire to make sushi at home has been haunting me for a couple of weeks now.

For some time I looked closely at the prices of ingredients, read the advice of experienced sushi experts, and asked company secrets at my sister's. Ultimately, I learned how to cook sushi rice, completed the roll-wrapping course, and the desire to make sushi at home reached its highest intensity.

The main ingredients for the rapidly gaining popularity of sushi are rice, rice vinegar (impregnation for finished vinegar) and kombu seaweed (another name for nori).

The question that remains is how to make this dish cheaper, that is, how to replace expensive products. A Japanese woman uses the very best to prepare sushi, but a real Russian woman can create a hairstyle, a scandal and a salad out of nothing... And so let’s try!

Rice

Special sushi rice can be replaced with regular round grain rice. In no case do we use steamed varieties or rice in bags. They make a nice side dish, but not a sticky rice mass for rolls.

Proportions of water for cooking 1 cup of rice:

• Rice pre-soaked for 1-2 hours – 1:1;
• Dry rice grain - 1.5 cups: 1 cup of water.

After the water boils (it will take about 10 minutes), reduce the heat and cook for 15 minutes. It is advisable not to lift the lid. After the time has passed, turn off the heat and let the porridge brew for 20-25 minutes, opening the lid.

Add the dressing to the rice when both the dressing and the rice have cooled a little.

Rice vinegar

This ingredient can rarely be found on the shelves of regular stores due to its high cost.

Or maybe there are no specialized stores in your small town or you rarely visit huge supermarkets? Then the question of replacing such vinegar will immediately arise the first time you want to cook an exotic dish.

In such cases, our housewives have learned to replace rice vinegar and generously share recipes on forums or blogs. True, the taste of cooked rice will be slightly different, but we are just learning and may the Japanese forgive us!

Alternative dressing for rice

To prepare an alternative seasoning for rice, we may need apple, wine or grape white vinegar. These types vinegar essence Quite accessible and inexpensive compared to rice.

We use red grape vinegar

The second name is wine vinegar. Contraindications to its use may be increased stomach acidity or an allergy to grapes.

Very often at home instead wine vinegar use old red wine.

• 3 tsp Sahara
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 tbsp. grape vinegar

Place the prepared ingredients in an enamel bowl and bring to a boil. The dressing should not boil. A sign of readiness is the complete dissolution of sugar and salt.

Apple

This type of vinegar essence is one of the highest quality, having a large list of beneficial properties. It is obtained by fermenting sweet apples and apple wine, which makes its taste much softer than ordinary table vinegar.

• 1 tsp Sahara
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp. l. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. boiled water

Preparation is similar to the previous recipe. Readiness is also determined by the dissolution of dry substances.

White grape

If there are no contraindications to the use of vinegar, then you can try regular table vinegar 6% or white wine. The cooking recipe is similar to the one where red grape tincture was used.

You can also combine vinegar with soy sauce, which will add a special twist to the soak.

• 1 tbsp. l. Sahara
• 2.5 tbsp. l. soy sauce
• 2.5 tbsp. table or white wine vinegar

Heat all ingredients until sugar dissolves.

Lemon juice is a good option for soaking rice. The fact is that rice vinegar has a very soft taste, which is difficult to reproduce. Lemon juice, diluted with a small amount of sugar, can easily replace it. Very rarely can anyone tell the difference in taste.

• 2 tbsp. l. boiled warm water
• 2 tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 tsp. Sahara
• 0.5 tsp salt

Mix everything until the sugar and salt dissolve. Under no circumstances let the mixture boil.

If there is nori

If you have seaweed in the kitchen (just not kelp, otherwise you'll end up with a bitter-tasting dressing), you can get an almost Japanese version of the dressing. Of course, sushi with free delivery throughout the city will be a very convenient lunch option, but we want to experiment with preparing it ourselves.

• 2.5 tbsp. l. any vinegar (table, wine, apple)
• 2.5 tbsp. Sahara
• 0.5 tsp salt
• 1 sheet of nori

Heat all ingredients except seaweed until dissolved and only then add nori. You can take more seaweed - instead of one sheet 2. Chop the seaweed and beat the mixture until smooth.

What not to use

Experienced cooks for preparing rice vinegar are strictly against using balsamic vinegar. The latter has a bright, specific taste, infused with a bouquet of herbs. It is completely capable of changing the taste of rice, which should have just a hint of sourness.

We use 9% or 6% table vinegars, which are familiar to our kitchens, only as a last resort.

If you have already learned how to cook sushi at home and have decided that it will become a frequent guest on your menu, you should not use substitute dressings. I suggest making a dressing for rice for future use.

To prepare real rice vinegar at home, we need:

• 1 cup short grain rice
• 250 ml water
• 4 tbsp. Sahara
• Dry yeast – 1/3 teaspoon

Preparation

After the solution stops bubbling (the fermentation process is complete), let the rice-sugar solution brew for another month.

After the specified time, filter the resulting mixture again through cheesecloth and boil. Do not be alarmed if the vinegar turns out cloudy - this is its normal condition. If you wish, you can lighten the solution by adding beaten egg white to it while boiling.

The clarification process will require another filtration, after which we pour the homemade rice vinegar into a dark glass bottle and store it in the refrigerator.

How to Add Rice Vinegar to Cooked Rice

After we've made the dressing for the rice and cooked the rice, it's time to combine them. How to do it right?

• In order to combine the dressing and rice, use a wooden spoon and utensils.
• Place the rice in wooden tub, pour in the dressing and stir with a wooden spatula or spoon.
• Mix carefully, moving the top layer of rice down. Stirring vigorously will turn the rice into an incomprehensible mess.

After preparing the rice and seasoning, you can begin preparing the rolls. And the story about how to wrap sushi and what to use for the filling is the topic of a completely different article.

Dear friends, I hope that this collection of secrets for cooking rice and rice vinegar will help you successfully conduct your first experiment with Japanese cuisine. Even if you have to replace rare ingredients, let your rolls please your household and become the next conquered peak of culinary art!

With love, your Elena Skopich