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Philadelphia rolls are not really traditional japanese cuisine, but they are delicious so try one anyways! Here is a simple Philadelphia maki roll recipe that everyone will love!

Makes 4 Rolls

• 4 cups sushi rice cooked
• 4 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
• 6oz Smoked Salmon
• 1 Avacado
• 8oz Cream cheese

Make your sushi rice and prepare fillings by slicing smoked salmon filet into long thin pices, slicing avacado, and softening cream cheese. Place one sheet nori on a bamboo mat shiny side down. Moisten fingers slighly and spread 1 cup sushi rice on top of nori sheet leaving a small margin around edges. Place approximately 1/4 cup of your selected fillings on top of the rice lengthwise. Roll bamboo mat up over filling and press lightly to form a compact roll. Remove roll from bamboo mat and place on cutting board seam side down. Cut roll into 6 pieces. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, and filling.

Have you made a philadelphia roll? Did you do anything different?

Popularity: 7% [?]

It seems that we are always hearing scary headlines regarding fish while at the same time we are being told to eat more fish for their great source of protein, low amounts of saturated fat, and omega-3 fatty acids. How do you sort it all out when you are trying to decide what type of sushi to make or what to order at a Japanese sushi bar? Yesterday a new study from the US Geological Society found that fish from 291 streams nationwide tested from 1998-2005 all contained some level of mercury. This sparked yet another media frenzy about the hazards of fish out weighing the benefits.

So are your dreams of eating mountains of your home made sushi shattered? Definitely not! First off these are freshwater fish being tested, which is not used in sushi due to higher risk of bacteria and parasites versus saltwater fish. Commentary on the report notes that it is highly unlikely that any type of fish you consume would be mercury free. A closer look at the report shows that of the fish in the study only about ¼ had mercury levels greater than the EPA recommended maximums for average consumption. On the Environmental Protection Association website you can find the advisories regarding fish consumption and more info on the types and amounts of fish you should consume . You can find the most recent US Geological Society report abstract, press release and other information on the
USGS website.

If you don’t feel like wading through all this scientific journalism, I’ll try to sum it up for you. The good news is that some of our favorite seafood used in sushi recipes, such as shrimp, crab, scallop, and salmon are low in mercury, less than 0.1 ppm.
In comparison, fish ranked as containing high levels of mercury, such as swordfish and shark contain around 0.9 ppm. Most tuna is in the range of ~0.3-0.4 ppm. Fish at the lower mercury levels are ok to consume regularly (ie 12 ounces per week). If you are going to eat a fish with a higher mercury content, such as yellowfin tuna (~0.3 ppm) the EPA suggests limiting this to only 6 oz of your weekly consumption. Note that the EPA suggests children, pregnant and nursing women, and women who may become pregnant are at a higher risk and should avoid eating high mercury containing fish. If you have concerns, ask your doctor how much you should be eating.

It takes a little more awareness but you can still enjoy making sushi at home that is low in mercury. What are your favorite low mercury sushi recipies? Let us know!

Popularity: 100% [?]

What is HSC and what can we do for you?  HSC offers tips and how to’s on making sushi, talks about different sushi related issues, allows you to make comments and suggest your own great sushi recipies. We hope you will find great information and contribute to help make us better. HSC offers all the supplies needed for anything from a first timer trying it at home, to running a small sushi bar, and recipies for all types of common, fun, creative, and different types of sushi….keep coming back for more great recipies each week and be sure to stock up on supplies in our store!

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to post them, share articles with friends on facebook using our share button, or get in touch with us personally(Our contact info is on the Contact Us page). We are looking forward to getting to know you and learning lots about making sushi at home!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Feeling creative? With this basic maki roll recipe and the variety of ingredients suggested below you can make tons of different rolls sure to please everyone!

Makes 4 rolls
-4 cups sushi rice
-4 sheets nori (dried seaweed)
-1 cup of your choice of fillings

Some fillings to try:
Crab (real or surimi)
Salmon
Tuna
Shrimp
Cucumber
Carrot
Egg
Cream cheese
Avacado
Scallions
Asparagus
Mushroom
Tofu
Sesame seeds
Wasabi

Make your sushi rice and prepare fillings (slice carrots in to sticks, steam asparagus, hard boil and chop egg, etc.) Place one sheet nori on a bamboo mat shiny side down. Moisten fingers slighly and spread 1 cup sushi rice on top of nori sheet leaving a small margin around edges. Place approximately 1/4 cup of your selected fillings on top of the rice lengthwise. Roll bamboo mat up over filling and press lightly to form a compact roll. Remove roll from bamboo mat and place on cutting board seam side down. Cut roll into 6 pieces. Repeat with remaining nori, rice, and filling. Enjoy!

Some of our favorite combinations are salmon with cream cheese, or cucumber, tuna and wasabi. Try asparagus with shrimp, or make a veggie roll with cucumber, carrot, avacado, and scallions. Mix and match ingredients you like and you are sure to find your own special maki roll recipe.

What is your favorite maki roll?

Popularity: 4% [?]

Dont be intimidated by buying your own fresh fish for sushi! Once you figure out the signs to look for and the questions to ask you will easily narrow down where and what to purchase for your very own sushi rolls, sashimi, or nigiri. Buying and making sushi yourself is cheaper than in a japanese restaurant and fun to do!

Technically fish doesnt really have a “grade” like Grade A Beef or other types of food classifications. However the term sushi grade fish is used by restaurants and stores and is usually meant to signify fish that is fresh, free of parasites, and is appropriate for eating raw. In the US there are regulations requiring that fish served raw be frozen at very low temperatures for a long enough time to kill parasites, but there is no formal definition of “sushi grade” so it can be used freely by stores to describe high quality fish. To make sure you know what you are looking for, we compiled this simple checklist of 5 things you should check before buying fresh fish meant for sushi.

Depending on where you live you might have a local seafood shop, japanese grocery or other source of fresh fish. Your grocery store is not likely to have any sushi grade fish available, but it never hurts to ask! These tips will help you scout out potential fish sources for your delicious sushi recipies. If you are lucky enough to live on the coast like us there are a variety of shops to choose from, including visiting the docks for that days fresh catch! If you are land locked (sorry..i’ve been there!) check out this great supplier that will ship sushi grade fish to you; Catalina Offshore Products.

There are several ways to tell if fish is fresh, has been handled properly, and is appropriate for sushi or sashimi. Print out this list and the sustainable sushi guide and you can make perfect choices for fresh, healthy, sushi grade fish.

5. Ask your storekeeper where the fish comes from, is it locally farmed or fished? How often does he get shipments? Does your store specifically adverstise sushi grade fish?

Your store should be honest and knowledgable about the types of seafood they sell, where is comes from, and how it is harvested. Be specific that you intend to use the fish for sushi and ask what they recommend. If you get wishy washy answers to these simple questions and the signage in the store isn’t clear that specific items are sushi grade…leave.

4. Smell. While you are talking or waiting to ask the shop keeper questions. smell the store, does it smell fishy?

This is an obvious one, if the shop smells fishy or the fish you are interested in smells fishy just pass…fresh sushi grade fish might smell faintly like the ocean, but shouldn’t have any offensive odors.

3. Appearance-Whole fish

Similar to smell, if the fish looks funny, try something or somewhere else. Sushi grade fish if purchased whole should be clean, have red gills, and clear eyes.

2. Appearance-Filets

If you are buying filets look for brightly colored fish that appears clean, not slimy, and has limited connective tissue which are the little white lines running thru the filet. This tissue dissolves while cooking and is harmless but is not good for making sushi

1. If all else fails, you can’t find a reputable shop, nothing looks up to standards, and you are dying to make sushi that day try some alternatives. Shrimp, lobster, clams, crab and other shellfish are typically served cooked in sushi and are just as delicious. In the future plan ahead and try ordering seafood from a reputable online store like Catalina Offshore Products (full disclosure: this is an affiliate link, but this is truly the best source of common and rare sushi grade fish varieties, as well as supplies to make sushi! Try it you will love it!)

Popularity: 12% [?]

Rice, seaweed, raw fish, other vegetables…how bad could sushi really be for me? Traditional sushi is good for you, but like all other cusines in the world, Americans’ have modified things a bit from the original and our new saucy, fried, and mayo loaded treats aren’t the same calorie conscious bargin that you expected.

Sushi can be a great low calorie meal, if you pay attention to the ingredients in the rolls. There are a couple good sources for some general nutrition guidelines online here and here. The first link shows you the nutritional information for many types of nigiri and a few more traditional japanese style sushi rolls. The second link, Sushi FAQ,  shows you the reality of our US modifications, a shrimp tempura roll that has over 500 calories and 21 grams of fat! Sushi FAQ has a few of the more popular rolls in the states such as california rolls and spicy tuna and even includes weight watchers points values for all their items listed.

If you are interested in keeping it healthy and calorie conscious try brown rice with your rolls or check out sashimi which eliminates rice and veggies but lets truly good sushi grade fish take center stage. Review menus and be aware that many rolls might contain mayo or tempura (ie FRIED!) items inside.  If you are picky you can eat sushi, be eco-conscious, watch your diet, and enjoy an excellent japanese meal.

Popularity: 3% [?]