Blair P. Houghton wrote:

> rufus wrote:
>> Most of the best sushi joints that I've been to use rice that is just
>> lightly warm much of the time. There is some variation in
>> temperature, and in density of packing, but generally I like it best
>> when it is not at maximum density but it still holds its shape long
>> enough for me to (god forbid) pick up a piece with chopsticks
>> instead of my fingers.
>
> You and everyone else. Getting the rice ball to the right combination
> of cohesive and airy is one of the skills that makes a master sushi
> chef, and one of the (many) reasons it takes ten years to become
> a good one, and how you can tell a guy in a bonzai bandana from
> a sushi chef.


Right! Not to negate the importance of having good fish and cutting it well,
but to me, the single biggest thing that differentiates a top sushi bar from
an ordinary one is the rice.

This is the main reason why places like Todai are so poor. The fish may be
OK, but they can't come close to getting the rice right.

--
Ken Blake
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