Whether you’re a home cook looking to expand their recipe repertoire or you’re simply a sushi lover that wants to recreate their favorite sushi dishes from the comfort of their own home – it only makes sense that you should want to make sure that you’re using the right rice to make your homemade sushi.
As we’re sure you’re already familiar with, the rice used to make sushi is a little different from regular rice.
It has a sticky texture that allows the rice to be easily molded into sushi pieces and for the seaweed to stick to the outside, while also being able to hold the filling inside and prevent it all from falling out.
The only question is, which rice should you use to make your own homemade sushi? If you’re currently asking yourself this question, then rest assured that you have come to the right place.
In this article, we are going to be talking you through the 9 best sushi rice brands you can use to make your own sushi. Just keep reading!
The Best Brands of Sushi Rice
If you don’t have enough time to read through the entirety of this article, no problem! Keep reading for a quick summary of the top sushi rice brands you need to know about:
- Tamanishiki Rice
- Tamaki Gold Rice
- Riceselect Sushi Rice
- Lundberg Organic Farms Sushi Rice
- Kokho Medium Grain Sushi Rice
- Nishiki Premium Sushi Rice
- Natural Earth White Sushi Rice
- Annie Chun’s Sticky Sushi Rice
- Botan Musenmai Calrose Sushi Rice
All of these brands offer the very best sushi rice on the market right now, and the best part? Each brand has a different price point, which means that there’s an option on there for everyone’s budget.
If you do have the time to read through the rest of this article, though, we highly recommend that you do so – as we’re going to be providing you with a helpful breakdown of each one in more detail below. Just keep scrolling:
1. Tamanishiki Rice
First up? We have selected Tamanishiki Rice. Not only is this rice absolutely perfect for making sushi with, but it’s also suitable for sushi makers of all levels of experience.
Let’s take a closer look at why it’s such a great rice for making sushi with below:
If you love sushi, we think that you will have already heard about Tamanishiki Rice! This rice is perfect for creating sushi and consists of high quality, short grain rice that is a combination of two types of rice:
Koshihikari and Yumegokichi. These are two varieties of rice that are absolutely perfect for making sushi with.
If you’re interested in trying out this rice, then we’re sure that you;ll be pleased to learn that this rice is most ideal for making rolls, nigirimeshi, charishi and more. The options are endless with this brand of rice! Oh, and did we mention that it contains absolutely no preservatives? It’s got our seal of approval.
2. Tamaki Gold Rice
Next up on our list we have the Tamaki Gold Rice!
Our runner up, Tamaki Gold rice is a high-quality, premium level sushi rice that will be able to create an authentic Japanese rice tasting experience – regardless of whether you’re a sushi expert or just getting started.
This sushi rice is a short-grain variety and has been made with an innovative fine milling technology to ensure the finest texture and taste.
Not only that, but this rice can be used to create any type of sushi that you like, including sushi rolls or any other Japanese sushi dish that you might like to try!
In addition to this, it is also worth noting that Tamaki (when compared to other brands) is a lot more affordable.
Thanks t o this, it means that Tamaki Gold Rice is the perfect option for anyone in the mood for sushi but doesn’t want to break the bank.
3. RiceSelect Sushi Rice
Next up on our list? We have the RiceSelect Sushi Rice. If you’re already a sushi lover, then we’re sure that you’ll already be familiar with this rice. Let’s take a closer look at why it’s so great for sushi creations below:
As we’re sure you might agree, when it comes to making sushi – appearances really are everything – and this is where the magic of RiceSelect Sushi Rice comes into the picture.
Unlike some of the other rice on this list, this rice comes with a pearlescent-like shine that looks absolutely delicious.
In addition to this, besides looking totally delicious, this rice has also been cooked to perfection and is ready to be used right out of the packet.
No nasty, harmful ingredients have been included in the preparation of this rice, either, which means that you will be able to have the piece of mind that you are eating rice that not only tastes good – but is good for your body, too.
4. Kokuho Medium Grain Sushi Rice
Following in the footsteps of the other sushi brands we have already listed in this guide, we have the Kokuho Medium Grain Sushi Rice!
In keeping with the theme of the best of the best – we’re sure you’ll be pleased to hear that this rice is of the highest quality and contains no nasty ingredients.
A family owned and operated business, Kokuho rice comes under the Koda group and is, at the time of writing this post, one of the most popular sushi rice options on the market right now.
Besides being affordable, this sushi rice is gluten-free, medium grain and is incredibly easy to prepare.
Along with that, the cooking time required for this rice is just 15 minutes, so it’s perfect for just about anyone’s lifestyle – including those who don’t have much time to spend cooking.
This rice is also highly versatile and can be used to make a variety of different Japanese sushi dishes, including classic sushi rolls.
It’s also worth noting that this rice is very thick which many people find to be extremely impressive given the affordability of this rice.
So much so that Kokouho Medium Grain Sushi Rice is considered to be one of the most premium sushi rice brands in the world, with many remarking that the taste and texture of the rice is the most authentic of all.
If you’re someone that doesn’t particularly enjoy the texture or taste of short grain rice, or you simply want to make restaurant worthy sushi – you won’t be disappointed with this rice!
5. Lundberg Organic Farms Sushi Rice
With over 80 years of experience, it’s only right that Lundberg Organic Farms made a feature on our list!
Known for creating some of the finest sushi rice in the world, if you’re looking for premium quality rice – Lundberg Organic Farms is the brand for you.
Ever since its creation way back in 1937, Lundberg Organic Farms has been regarded as being one of the very best sushi rice brands in the world.
Thanks to their specific rice production process, if you decide to purchase sushi rice from this brand, you can have the peace of mind that every grain has been finely milled to perfection, in order to ensure optimum taste, freshness and texture.
As you might very well expect from a leading sushi rice brand, Lundberg Organic Farms cultivate all of their rice using non-GMO standards, and they also make sure to inspect their crops each year to guarantee optimum rice quality.
Just as you might have been able to have guessed from the name, this rice is also entirely organic and gluten free, so it can cater to a variety of dietary requirements. Too.
As for the texture? You’ll be in for a treat. Thanks to that fine milling process we mentioned above, armed with some Lundberg sushi rice you will be able to enjoy a fluffy, soft and sticky texture that will be just perfect for all kinds of sushi creations.
6. Nishiki Premium Sushi Rice
Next we have this premium quality medium-grain rice from Nishiki.
A go-to for many sushi lovers all over the world, Nishiki is one of the most well-respected sushi rice brands in the world, and is loved by longtime sushi lovers and welcomed newbies, alike.
This sushi rice is grown in California and is iconic for having a unique, fluffy texture thanks to Nishiki’s advanced technology known as Musenmai used while milling the rice.
Unlike some of the other brands we have already listed, this brand creates its sushi rice by separating the tapioca from the rice before then coating it in a liquid brine.
This brine is then removed to leave fresh, delicious rice that doesn’t require any rinsing. This rice also comes in either 5 or 10 pounds bags, so you’ll be getting great value for your money, too!
7. Annie Chun’s Sticky Sushi Rice
If you don’t have a whole lot of time to spare in the week, but you still want to enjoy your favorite sushi dishes from the comfort of your own home – then we think that the Annie Chun’s line of sushi rice might be just what you need.
Annie Chun’s sushi rice has a sweet and sticky flavor that’s absolutely perfect for making sushi with, and only takes around 15 minutes to prepare!
Along with this, there are no preservatives or artificial flavors, so you can have the peace of mind that you will get an authentic Japanese flavor (see also ‘4 Simple Substitutes For Shichimi Togarashi‘), time and time again.
8. Botan Musenmai Calrose Sushi Rice
Boasting a natural recipe and an advanced milling process, the Botan Musenmai Calrose sushi rice is ideal for those that want their rice to have plenty of flavor and stickiness.
Unlike some of the other brands that we have mentioned, Botan Musenmai conducts a specific production process that allows its rice to have an exceptionally sticky texture.
Thanks to this, if you are someone that prefers a sticky texture to your rice that will be able to hold the filling – you’ll adore the rice from Botan Musenmai.
Plus, along with being perfect for sushi, this rice is also highly versatile and can be used for a variety of other dishes including rice pudding and other dishes.
9. Natural Earth Sushi Rice
Another convenient option that you might be interested in trying out is Natural Earth’s sushi rice, which is ideal for both quick dining and an authentic Japanese dining experience.
If you’re new to making sushi, then this might be exactly what you need.
This rice from Natural Earth is great for beginners as it not only has a delicious texture that is sure to go down a treat, but it also contains the perfect texture that will make creating your very own sushi easy.
If you want to make sushi for the first time – Natural Earth is the perfect place to begin.
The Bottom Line: Which Sushi Rice Will You Choose?
And there you have it! You’ve finally made it to the end of our post.
Now that you have taken the time to read through everything that we have shared with you above, we are hoping that you are now feeling a lot more confident in which brand you are going to purchase your sushi rice from.
Remember, making sushi isn’t the easiest of things to do (especially if you’re just starting out) so don’t be too hard on yourself if your sushi rolls don’t turn out perfect the first time.
So long as you are making sure to use rice from one of the brands we have listed above, as well as putting in the practice to perfect your technique – you’re going to be a sushi connoisseur in no time at all. Thank you for reading!
Cooking is great for your mental, physical, and emotional health. What’s the worst that could happen? Find a recipe that you like the sound of and cook it along with me. You might even unlock a new passion!
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