The Rules Sushi Chefs Want You To Know When Making Sushi

At-home sushi making can be tons of fun and especially tasty, particularly if you know the tried-and-true tips and tricks from sushi chefs. One way to take your next date night or culinary adventure to another level? Handmade sushi that tastes straight out of a restaurant.

Perhaps the most important part of great sushi is the rice. You want high-quality, well-prepared rice that sticks and rolls easily. According to Insider, getting your sushi rice just right is probably the most important part of a great sushi roll.

This means preparing your rice with a mixture of rice vinegar, salt, and sugar (like this recipe from Allrecipes describes) to achieve that particularly scrumptious sushi rice flavoring. Also important is the temperature of your rice when you're ready to roll. Executive Chef Thomas Park of Boston sushi restaurant RUKA explained to Insider that "sushi rice ... should be around body temperature — 85-98 degrees is the sweet spot." This temperature makes for ideal rolling and is a perfect complement to the coolness of fresh, sushi-grade fish.

Having well-prepared ingredients is one thing, but there are a few tips you may not know to consider if you're attempting sushi at home. One example, per Insider, is having a bowl of cold water nearby when rolling. Sushi rice can get pretty sticky, which is great for your rolls but not so great for your fingers! Constantly dipping your hands in a bowl of cold water will reduce the chances of rice sticking to your fingers and leave more for the roll.

You might be surprised to learn that plenty of sushi chefs use technology like "sushi robots" to help them churn out a lot of sushi at once, as Insider explains. Another tip is not to be afraid to try out sushi-making tools if they interest you — there's no shame in a little help! While a commercial-grade sushi-rolling machine is probably out of your budget, a bamboo rolling mat is a great way to get round and even sushi rolls every time. This recipe from Real Mom Nutrition shows you how.

No matter what, making sushi at home is always a fun adventure and worth any trial and error. The more you practice, the better you'll get, and the tastier your rolls will be!