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How To Spread Sushi Rice on Nori Seaweed for Three Different Types of Sushi Rolls
There are many types of sushi and there are many types of sushi rolls.
In this recipe, I am going to explain the basics of how to spread sushi rice onto nori seaweed for different types of rolls. They are:
Inside out (rice out roll)
Hosomaki (Nori out, thin roll)
Chumaki (Nori out, medium roll)
Inside out roll
Inside out roll means sushi rice out roll. Traditionally, Japanese rolls are Nori outside, rice inside, which is why the rice out roll is called the inside out roll. It is said that the inside out roll was invented in Los Angeles after California Roll was invented. Though it is an American invention, outside of Japan, inside out roll is considered to be more standard (or popular) sushi rolls.
How to spread rice on Nori for inside out roll
Wipe the cutting board with wet towel to moisten
Place half sheet nori horizontally, rough side facing up
Wet your hands
Grab sushi rice, tennis ball size, approximately 200g
Place the sushi rice on top left corner, shaping it like potato
Using the bottom part of your left palm, apply pressure, spread the sushi rice horizontally.
With your right hand, making “U” shape, guide the sushi rice so that it covers top half to 2/3 of nori
Rhythmically, turn your left hand three times to cover the top portion of the nori with rice
Clean your hands with the wet towel, dip your fingers in the water
Using fingertips, apply the pressure, spread the rice to bottom, from left, center and right
Spread the sushi rice all the way to the top and corners to cover the entire sheet of nori as even as possible
Tips
Keep your hands wet all the time
Use your towel to clean, moisten your hands
Use only your fingertips when touching the rice
Hosomaki / Thin Roll
Maki means “roll” and hoso means “thin” in Japanese. Hosomaki is one of the traditional Japanese rolls. Tekka, Tuna roll, Kappa, Cucumber Roll, and Kanpyo, Dried Gourd Strips are some of the standard Hosomaki.
Compared to Inside out roll, hosomaki is more difficult because it requires more precision when spreading rice. If rice is not spread evenly, the filling will not end up being the center of the roll, which affects the look and the taste of the roll. It is also easy to overfill hosomaki with rice and ingredients, which will result in roll not sealing (opening up) when cut.
How to spread rice on Nori for Hosomaki
Wipe the cutting board with a wet towel to moisten
Place half sheet nori horizontally, rough side facing up
Wet your hands
Grab sushi rice, half the amount of inside out roll, approximately 100g
Leave top ½ inch/1cm blank
Using the bottom part of your left palm, apply pressure, spread the sushi rice horizontally.
With your right hand, making a “U” shape, guide the sushi rice so that it covers the top half to 2/3 of the nori
Rhythmically, turn your left hand three times to cover the top portion of the nori with rice
Clean your hands with the wet towel, dip your fingers in the water
Using fingertips, apply the pressure, spread the rice leaving 1/8 inch /3mm left, right, and bottom edge
Chumaki / Medium Roll
Chu means “Medium” in Japanese. Chumaki can hold more ingredients than Hosomaki. Therefore, there are many variety of fillings for Chumaki including vegetables like spinach, shitake mushroom, Kanpyo and egg.
How to spread rice on Nori for Chumaki
Wipe the cutting board with a wet towel to moisten
Place half sheet nori horizontally, rough side facing up
Wet your hands
Grab sushi rice, half the amount of inside out roll, approximately 200g
Leave top 1/8 inch/3mm blank
Using the bottom part of your left palm, apply pressure, spread the sushi rice horizontally.
With your right hand, making a “U” shape, guide the sushi rice so that it covers the top half to 2/3 of the nori
Rhythmically, turn your left hand three times to cover the top portion of the nori with rice, leaving ½ inch/1cm left blank
Clean your hands with the wet towel, dip your fingers in the water
Using fingertips, apply the pressure, Leave ½ inch/1cm left blank
Continue spreading the rice leaving 1/8 inch /3mm left and bottom edge