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1
Verify that the sushi rice has cooled to body temperature, 37°C, before any rolling begins. Press a grain between two fingers: it should feel neither warm nor cold against the skin. Rice above this temperature will steam the nori from within and soften it prematurely; rolling must not proceed until this condition is met.
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2
Inspect the nori before use. Press the inner (rough) surface lightly with a fingertip: it must feel dry and slightly crispy. A humid or pliable surface indicates that the sheet has absorbed ambient moisture and will produce a chewy rather than crispy roll. Use only sheets that pass this test.
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3
To form hosomaki: place a quarter-sheet of nori, rough side up, on the makisu. With moistened hands, spread a thin, even layer of sushi rice across the nori, leaving a 1 cm border at the far edge. The rice layer should be sparse — the small diameter of hosomaki (2 cm) demands minimal volume. Lay a single baton of tuna or cucumber centred across the rice. Press a few grains of rice along the far nori edge to act as adhesive. Roll the mat away from you in a single smooth fold-and-tuck, applying firm but not compressing pressure. The roll is complete when the seam is sealed and the cylinder holds its shape without the mat; the surface should feel taut but yield slightly under a fingertip.
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4
To form futomaki: place a full sheet of nori, rough side up, on the makisu. Spread sushi rice in a substantial, even layer, leaving a 2 cm border at the far edge. Arrange the five traditional Osaka fillings — kanpyō, tamagoyaki, cucumber, sakura denbu, mitsuba — in parallel rows across the centre of the rice, planning their positions so that the cut cross-section will display each colour distinctly. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: incorrect filling placement or uneven rice volume produces a collapsed or visually incoherent cross-section that cannot be corrected after rolling. Roll away from you with steady, even pressure, tucking the near edge over the fillings first, then completing the roll without sawing or jerking the mat. The finished roll should be firm and cylindrical, approximately 5 cm in diameter.
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5
Rest the futomaki for 10 minutes before cutting — chilling is noted as producing cleaner cross-sections by firming the rice. To cut, wet the knife blade with acidulated water. Using a single confident press-and-pull motion, cut the roll. Wipe and re-wet the knife between every cut. Do not saw. The cut face should reveal each filling cleanly, with rice intact and nori untorn. Futomaki must be cut within 5 minutes of rolling, when the nori is at peak adhesion.
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6
For uramaki: cover the makisu with plastic film to prevent rice adhesion. Spread sushi rice directly onto the film-covered mat, lay a half-sheet of nori on top of the rice, place fillings along the nori, then roll so that the rice ends on the outside. The roll is complete when the rice-covered exterior feels uniformly firm and the cylinder does not unravel when the mat is removed.
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7
For temaki: hold a half-sheet of nori in the palm. Place a small mound of sushi rice on the left third of the sheet. Arrange fillings diagonally across the rice. Fold the lower-left corner of the nori up and over the fillings, then continue rolling into a cone. The nori must be eaten immediately — within 2 minutes of assembly. The cue that this window has passed is audible: the nori loses its papery crackle and becomes silent and pliable under pressure.