The rise in popularity of sushi has been a global trend, with restaurants and even supermarkets selling it in the food-to-go chillers next to the packaged sandwiches. Some large stores have also added specialist counters where sushi is freshly made for customers to grab during their weekly shop.

But it’s actually pretty easy to make your own sushi at home – and good fun too! Scroll down to see the different types of sushi and some sushi recipes.

All you need is a few ingredients, plus some basic pieces of equipment and you’re ready to get rolling!

Basic Sushi Kit

These items can be bought quite cheaply from Asian stores or online.

  • Bamboo rolling mat
  • Dipping dishes – for Kikkoman soy sauce and wasabi
  • Chopsticks (or just use your fingers!)
  • Rice spreader or spatula

Basic Sushi Ingredients

Not all are needed, but if you have these, you’ll easily be able to make most kinds of sushi at home

  • Kikkoman Soy Sauce or Kikkoman Sushi and Sashimi Soy Sauce
  • Sheets of dried nori (seaweed)
  • Sushi rice
  • Kikkoman Seasoned Vinegar for Sushi Rice
  • Wasabi paste
  • Pickled sushi ginger
  • Sushi grade raw fish (salmon or tuna) – check the label says “sushi grade” or “suitable for raw consumption” on the label. You can buy fresh or frozen sushi grade fish from the thefishsociety.co.uk
  • Seafood/crab sticks
  • Caviar or salmon roe
  • Fresh crunchy salad ingredients for vegetarian sushi e.g. cucumber, peppers, lettuce, avocado
  • Mayonnaise or cream cheese
  • Sesame seeds

What are the common different types of sushi? Plus some sushi recipes

Nigiri - Neat mounds of prepared sushi rice draped with a thin slice of raw fish or omelette (tamagoyaki) or another ingredient. Here’s how to make it yourself: Nigiri sushi recipe or watch the video


Maki Rolls – Probably the type most non-Japanese people think of when they think of sushi. Maki are made by wrapping up fillings such as fish or cucumber in rice and nori seaweed. Try this Vegetarian Maki Rolls Sushi recipe and practise your rolling skills or watch the video

Californian Rolls – these are actually inside-out sushi rolls! The sushi rice is on the outside and nori strips on the inside.Unlike other types this doesn’t contain raw fish – instead cucumber, crab or avocado are used. The outside layer of rice is often sprinkled with sesame or roe. This Californian Rolls Sushi recipe is very easy to make. Watch the step-by-step video

Temaki – also called a sushi hand roll, it’s a single large, cone-shaped piece of seaweed on the outside, with a variety of ingredients spilling out of the wide end. It’s most commonly eaten with fingers, as it’s too unwieldy to pick up with chopsticks. Have a go at our Vegetarian Temaki Sushi recipe

Gunkan Maki - Oval boat-shaped sushi consisting of a ball of rice, wrapped in seaweed, or in this recipe smoked salmon, and topped with fish roe: Gunkan Maki Sushi recipe

Sushi rice - ok, not a type of sushi, but the rice is the most important part to get right. If it doesn’t have the right consistency, everything will fall apart – literally. All you need is a pack of sushi rice, a little Kikkoman Seasoning for Sushi Rice to provide the correct flavour, and a cooking pot. Check out this Sushi rice recipe or you can watch a detailed video by a professional sushi chef here


Top sushi making tips

  • Go careful with the wasabi – it is very hot! If you can’t find it use English mustard or horseradish
  • Wet your hands to shape the sushi rice to stop it sticking
  • Also dip nigiri fish side down in the soy sauce otherwise the rice will fall apart
  • Always use sushi grade raw fish
  • If you’re not going to be using the sushi rice straight away, cover it with a damp cloth so that it doesn’t dry out
  • Make sure you use the right seasonings – Kikkoman's range of soy sauces are authentic Japanese sauces and naturally brewed to provide the best flavour