Troubleshooting Sushi Rice

Article Written By: Marisa Baggett

Here are a few tips to solve common sushi rice mishaps.

Note: The following tips apply only to sticky rice made with white sushi rice.

My rice is too mushy:
-Too much water was used or the rice was covered before having a chance to cool long enough. If pressed for time, use a fan to help speed up the cooling process.
-The rice was allowed to steam too long in the rice pot.

My rice is undercooked:
-The rice was not steamed long enough.
-Not enough water was used.
-Spots of uncooked rice could mean that you have overloaded your rice cooker.

My rice is lumpy:
-Take the extra time to properly coat the rice with dressing while the rice is still hot.
-Make sure that you use enough of the vinegar dressing and be sure that the dressing is at room temperature.

My rice looks like coarse meal:
-Be extra careful when washing rice. Gently swishing should prevent rice grains from breaking during the crucial washing stage.
-Use higher quality rice. Sometimes, lower quality rice will yield broken rice bits rather than full grains.
-Be gentle during the marinating process. Be careful not to smash grains of rice with the wooden paddle.
-An alternative method for salvaging a sushi rice disaster – use a pretty sushi set.