You may think that making Sushi is strictly about how fresh your ingredients are, and how well you were able to prepare them. It may be about how fresh the fish or seafood is, or having the right amount of moisture on the rice to make its stickiness just right. But just like everything else you do, the tools and equipment that you use is also equally important. Using the right sushi supplies while they are in top condition will cover half of your worries in preparing a great homemade sushi.

The rice can be prepared two ways: by using a Rice Cooker or a covered pot. Using a rice cooker would of course be easier, as the rice is automatically cooked without much effort from you. However, you can use a thick pot with a lid in case you do not have a rice cooker handy. This would take a lot more effort though, but would not necessarily affect the results.

The bamboo rolling mat (sushi mat) is also a necessary tool, especially in making rolls called Maki. It is made of thin bamboo strips tied together with a string and usually come in different sizes. This roller helps you roll your Maki more properly, ensuring that the roll is equal from all sides. Although some people use other alternatives like wax paper or cloth table napkins, these would not give the same result as an authentic mat.

Sushi knives are different from the usual knives in your kitchen. Japanese sushi knives are only honed on one side, usually the right side, so that the edge is kept as sharp as possible. They fall under three varieties: the heavy-duty cleaver, the sashimi knife, and the vegetable knife. The cleaver will help you cut through fish bones and is used in filleting fish, while the sashimi knife is used with raw blocks of fish and fish fillet. The vegetable knife can be single or double-edged, and is used for ingredients to be chopped or minced. The knives should always be kept in top shape with the edges sharpened regularly to avoid crushing the fish meat. This would also ensure that sushi rolls would not fall apart when they are cut.

And finally, for the full experience you should try eating sushi with chopsticks. It makes difference when you serve it the right way. Large plate, small dish for soy soauce and chopsticks make perfect sushi set.

With the proper tools, which should be kept in good shape with regular maintenance when needed, Making Sushi will be easy and more convenient.