Choosing the Right Rice for a Homemade Sushi Business

Hello everyone, this is Sushi Hatake!

Today, I’d like to share the results of a rice test I conducted for my sushi-making business. I tested a variety called “Tsuyahime”, and to be honest — the results were better than I expected. It was a very pleasant surprise!

For cooking, I used the Zojirushi rice cooker (NW-YB18AM-BZ). This pressure-type model with “extreme cooking” settings delivered a rich, beautifully textured result.

You Can Make Professional Sushi with Rice from Regular Stores

Since the rice I usually use isn’t sold to the general public, I wanted to test whether Tsuyahime, which anyone can buy, would work for sushi. This is part of my plan to offer sushi-making classes at home while continuing as a private sushi chef.

Fortunately, Tsuyahime turned out to be perfectly suitable for sushi, so I can now confidently recommend it to students too. What a relief!

A Small Adventure in Finding a Substitute for Red Vinegar

One more challenge remains: the red vinegar I use is also not sold publicly. So now I’ll be testing different types of vinegar to find a good substitute.

If I can find the right one, it means anyone can make professional-grade sushi at home, even without restaurant-only ingredients.

What's Next

Based on these results, I’ll be moving forward with plans for home sushi classes and private chef services. My goal is to deliver authentic sushi using ingredients that are easy to find — no special suppliers needed.

In the next post, I’ll report on my search for red vinegar alternatives and share photos of my sushi experiments. Stay tuned! 🍣