What is the Best Rice Vinegar for Sushi, Top 4 Famous Brands

Do you know the secret behind the delicious sushi? It’s the rice vinegar! Discover what is the best rice vinegar for sushi in this enticing post.

Life without sushi is boring or so they say. Sushi is the most successful Japanese cuisine that has conquered the world and everyone welcomed.

Secrets Behind Sushi

Making sushi is not easy. It requires passion, dedication, and the right ingredients. Vinegar is the key ingredient in making sushi. However, it is not just a simple vinegar.

There are many types of rice vinegar as we know and talked about on our previous posts. There are black, red, brown, and seasoned vinegar but the most common is the white rice vinegar.

As we know, rice vinegar came from fermented rice and is a popular choice for Asian cuisines. Sushi is the famous Japanese appetizer that the world loves. It even has a lot of versions from then on.

Making sushi requires precision, dedication, patience, and passion. Not everyone can make perfect sushi. The secrets behind sushi are rice and rice vinegar.

Choosing the Rice

When it comes to the rice in sushi, not all white rice is a candidate. If you see at the groceries, there are many sushi rice brands readily available.

These are all vinegared-rice for those who want to make sushi on-the-go.

However, if you would like to make sushi by scratch but you don’t have the proper rice then we recommend that you use Arborio rice, California rice, and of course, glutinous rice as substitutes.

The Best Rice Vinegar for Sushi

After you have carefully selected the rice, you need to find the other secret which is the rice vinegar. Like I mentioned earlier, there are a lot of rice vinegars out there but a few or there’s only one that is best for sushi.

Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Seasoned rice vinegar is the top choice by sushi chefs around the world. Its mild sweet and sour flavor makes it perfect for an awesome sushi treat.

Apart from that, seasoned rice vinegar is also being used in different Asian cuisines.

Basically, seasoned rice vinegar is composed of 3 essential ingredients: rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Sometimes, corn syrup and MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) are added for more delicious taste.

You can use seasoned rice vinegar for the following:

• Salad dressings
• Sushi
• Dumplings
• Sashimi
• Egg rolls
• Dips and sauces
• And most Asian salads

Rice Vinegar vs. Seasoned Rice Vinegar

The difference between rice vinegar vs. seasoned rice vinegar is the taste. The latter is sweeter, milder and less acidic compared to the first one.

Rice vinegar is sour but milder compared to the regular vinegar. However, rice vinegar is still healthier than regular vinegar.

When you are cooking dishes that needed vinegar, the regular rice vinegar is the way to go because you have the full control of its taste.

Seasoned rice vinegar is sweeter and can be difficult to control the taste in dishes. It is best for dressings and sauces.

Top 4 Seasoned Rice Vinegars

Upon searching for the best seasoned rice vinegar, there are so many brands available out there. Which among these brands really stand out?

If you are eager to know what the best rice vinegar for sushi is, then below are the 4 chosen seasoned rice vinegar recommended by sushi chefs and consumers worldwide.

4. Hotaru Foods All Natural Sushi Rice Vinegar

Don’t look any further, Hotaru Foods offer sweet, tangy, and all-natural seasoned rice vinegar made from 100% rice vinegar with no additives. This is perfect for sushi, sauces, and salads.

3. Nakano Original Seasoned Rice Vinegar

If quality and practicality are the qualities you are looking for then choose Nakano Original Seasoned rice vinegar. The perfect sushi partner packed with sweet and flavorful taste.

2. Mizkan Sushi Seasoning

Mizkan sushi seasoning is a blend of sweet, tangy, mild sour flavors that are perfect for sushi, marinades, salads and even all kinds of Japanese and Asian cuisines.

1. Marukan Seasoned Rice Vinegar

Marukan seasoned rice vinegar is proud to sell non-GMO, gluten-free, and fat-free sushi vinegar. Not only has it made your sushi taste great but healthy as well. Its delicate fermentation, aging, and refining process has been around for more than 300 years.The brand is well known for its quality, versatility, and price.

And so Marukan is the best choice for seasoned rice vinegar! I bet you are now excited to buy and start rolling those sushi!

Salmon Poké Ball Recipe

Before you head on and start rolling sushis, here is another twist on this famous appetizer, the Salmon Poké Ball recipe.

What You Need:

Rice Ingredients:

• 1 cup sushi rice of your choice
• 5 tbsp of seasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt
• Seasoned seaweed

Salmon Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 lb cubed, sushi-grade salmon filet
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 2 tsp rice vinegar
• ½ tbsp sriracha
• 5 tbsp soy sauce (low-sodium preferred)
• 2 tbsp green onion sliced thinly

Toppings Ingredients:

• ½ ripe avocadoes (Sliced thinly)
• Cucumber slices
• Seaweed sheets (roasted)
• Black and white sesame seeds

How to Cook:

1. First you need to cook the sushi rice according to package/brand instructions
2. Combine vinegar and sugar in a small bowl
3. Allow the rice to slightly cool down, gradually pour and fold the vinegar mixture along with the seasoned seaweed
4. Mix the soy sauce, lime juice, sesame oil, green onion, and seasoned rice vinegar
5. Add the salmon and gently mix the ingredients
6. Arrange the slightly cooled rice into a bowl, seasoned salmon, cucumber, roasted seaweed sheets, avocadoes, and sesame seeds according to your creativity.

Watch the full video on how to make this yummy sushi bowl!

‘Tis the Season!

There you have it! Seasoned rice vinegar is the perfect sushi vinegar and other Asian cuisines. Now you can be an expert in making sushi without any sweat.

Do you other sushi recipes with a twist? Care to share with us so we can try it too!