Homemade Sushi Supplies
Rejoice, Lower-East Side Clevelanders! There is an Asian market that doesn't require a downtown drive!
I was very impressed with the CAM Asia Supermarket having all the things that the downtown Asian markets have. The place is beautiful. It is located across from Randall Park Mall (North Randall) where the Toys 'R Us and the Dick's used to be. It is very easy to get on and off of 271 or 480 and go to this market. The produce looked good. It all looked good. I will be getting my sushi supplies for my homemade sushi there often. Especially if it avoids a weekend trip downtown.
The rice I like is Nishiki. I bought a 20 pound bag of it in the aisle below. It is not a long grain rice. It has the rounded edges on the ends. Remember, you should wash the rice before you cook it. Sounds crazy, I know, but get a really thin colander and wash that rice.
The seaweed around the rice is called Nori. I like to get 50 sheets at a time. The price is better. I learned not to get the cheapest. There is a quality level based on price, but I can't tell what it is based on the writing on the package. There are a few kinds that I have seen multiple times. I am trying to find some consistency and use the same kind.
The easiest way to prepare the rice is to add pre-seasoned sushi vinegar. Nishiki is my favorite. It is hard to see in the picture below. Mitsukan is another one that I use. I don't like the big yellow bottle as much. You can see it way down on the right side.
So the only thing that I didn't get from CAM was something I already had. I use Sriracha hot chili sauce to make my spicy mayo. The spicy mayo is very easy to make. I just take a big dollop of mayonnaise and put it in a bowl, then mix in the Sriracha to taste. It is exactly what I have seen done at two different sushi restaurants.
If you have any questions about making sushi at home, please feel free to send an email through the link above. I would be happy to help out any newcomers!
Submitted by - David Johnson