In what may be one of the signs of the apocalypse, I walk into the kitchen to see what the family’s up to.
My wife is making sticky rice. My seven year old daughter wants to take sushi for lunch tomorrow. Unbeknownst to me this is not the first time. WTF. I knew my daughter ate sushi but this just seems strange. I’m the only person in my house who doesn’t eat sushi. I’m also the only one who can’t use chopsticks.
sigh…
I’ve seen the tools advertised on the web. How difficult is it to learn to use them?
Hey, it ain’t much different than lox on cream cheese is it? 
You don’t have to use chopstick to eat sushi. Washed hand works fine too! And don’t feel left out, here’s how to eat sushi!*
I’ve seen make-your-own-sushi kits (just a little novelty thing, I think there’s some rice and some seaweed wraps, with lots of recipes - you make the wraps into a cone and fill) that look like a lot of fun. I’d like to make sushi myself, though I’m afraid I’d produce enormous half pound rolls of rice…
にぎり寿司 (nigiri sushi) is usually eaten without using chopsticks.
Looks like this
Using chopsticks isn’t so hard, think of it as a pen and a support.
I’ve made sushi a few times. It’s good stuff and not terribly complicated. You have to constantly clean the knife though or the sea weed and rice will start to stick, potentially tearing a roll in progress.
Also, you should get your fish from a reputable place, where they freeze it for 3 days (IIRC), to kill the microbes. Actually, since I’m going off of memory here, you should probably look it up.
I’ve tried sushi, I’m not a fan. The chopsticks comment was just an awkward segue. The restaurant where we usually go doesn’t place forks unless you request it. And grudgingly then. Since I’ll be having the steak I NEED that fork. I’ve tried to learning I just don’t have the knack.
I don’t know if my wife uses a kit, I see seaweed on the counter, I head for the nearest mexican restaurant.
Mr. Neville and I made sushi at home last night. Mmmmmm, sushi.
Of course, Mexican food sounds pretty good, too…
A friend’s niece had us over for a make-your-own sushi party. She learned how from her sister who is a CIA graduate. But she decided to make it in a healthier way. She used long grain brown rice that she boiled in a gallon of water. And of course she didn’t season it with anything.
Don’t try this at home, kids.
Ah, how fortunate I am. My Japanese wife not only loves sushi (as do I), but also loves to make it frequently.
Eeeeeeeeeeew. I’ll admit I’m a heretic who enjoys brown rice sushi (even though it never, ever holds together right) but… eew.
I was taking sushi to school for lunch in middle school almost 15 years ago, and that was considered a little odd then, but heck, you can buy sushi at Wal*Mart these days. Sushi has become nearly as mainstream as tacos, and I am glad for it.
I’m not quite sure how it holds together at all. Is it at least short grain brown rice?
I’m surprised how many people misunderstand what sushi is in the first place. A lot of people think it’s raw fish. It’s not. It’s rice that has been seasoned in a particular way. Not only does it not need fish, it doesn’t need anything but rice and seasoning.
according to this old thread,you’re not the only one
I never use chopsticks for my sushi. Hands are easier - that’s why they give you those hot towels before dinner!
I’ve used short-grain brown rice and it holds together really well. It’s not quite as sticky as the white rice, but it does work. A grocery store near me used to sell brown sushi rice, but I never tried it, so I’m not sure if it was any different than regular short-grain brown rice.
And I agree with your second point. I’ve known many people to say they don’t like “real sushi” because they don’t like the raw fish, just rolls with cooked things in them.
I wonder how brown sushi rice would work in risotto.
A few weeks ago I got a real jones for risotto, so I set off for the closest market that wasn’t a health hazard. That happened to be Trader Joe’s.
First item to get? Rice. I looked and looked all over the place and couldn’t find the rice section. I decided to get a little help so I asked a customer if she knew where it was. “You mean, like, FROZEN rice?” OK, looks like someone’s have a blonde moment. Frozen rice? WTF? I asked someone else. They didn’t know. I asked a store employee and he pointed me to the right section. There were about .000002 inches of shelf space devoted to rice. They had giant bags of basmati, and that was the only raw rice they had. Everything else was prepared.
It was clear I was out of luck. If I wanted arborio rice, TJ’s was clearly not the place to get it. So much for risotto that night.
I ended up getting a few other things. Before I went to the checkout, I decided to take a look at the frozen foods. They did, indeed, have all sorts of frozen rice.
What is this world coming to?
This is why I almost never shop at Trader Joes. They seem to mostly have convenience and party foods.
Yeah, it’s not really a grocery store per se. But people really seem to love it.
I have to admit, I went there every week for almost a year (because a friend insisted), and there were some things I really grew to like. Instant things.
Think that’s heretical? Some of the sushi we have here (in Arcata, CA) make California Rolls seem like the pinnacle of authenticity by comparison.
They’re made with:
-Brown rice, naturally
-Soy wrap instead of seaweed
-Avocado, red pepper, cilantro, carrots, and spicy, chunky peanut butter
-Or maybe sun-dried tomatoes, avocado, basil, garlic hummus, and cucumber
-And no fish, of course, except the ones you might see in the water while you picnic (out of your biodegradable takeout box, under the tree that you just hugged and worshiped for ten minutes)
Enough to drive visiting Japanese to seppuku, I’m sure. Just another reason I love this town 
Mor…Er, Plant’s First Law of Cuisine: “Nothing that comes in a box is food.”