"sushi, thats raw fish isn't it?"

Thats what I hear every time I say I love sushi. After informing them that sushi means vinegared rice snack and it don't have to have no fish in it at all. As I'm a veggie mine contain only eggs or veg and I make it all myself (yay me!)

As I make it I'll photo and post recipes for the various types I make but before I do I guess I'd better do sushi 101.

What you put in your sushi and how you make it is entirely up to you. Don't ever let any smartarse tell you you're doing it wrong. Hey I'd rather have sushi thats made in half an hour and tasty than traditionally made sushi that took an hour to hand roll.

So, what are the bog standard basics you need? I got my first sushi kit from Tesco. My local superstore has a laughably titled "international" section which is 3 shelves big but they do stock Yutaka brand sushi ingredients and for a fiver you will be able to sort yourself out with a basic sushi kit so you can have a try.

If you decide to have a crack at making your own sushi here is what you will need.

Sushi Rice - Ordinary rice won't work. It needs to be short grain rice as it is starchy and sticks together very well. The Brand I use is Nishiki which has always worked very well for me. Make sure you buy a rice that says it is suitable for sushi making. Pudding or risotto rice won't work.

Nori - Nori is sheets of seaweed pressed flat and toasted. Its used to wrap the sushi in and comes in many types and at many prices. I use Nagai At 10 sheets for 79p it doesn't matter if you mess it up a few times and they taste pretty good too.

Rice vinegar - This is used to season the rice. Its mixed into a dressing with Mirin, sugar and salt and sprinkled over the hot rice. Don't worry if you're not keen on vinegar, rice vinegar is very mild and just hints at flavor. I currently use Mitsukan and find I use it a lot in cooking other dishes too.

Mirin - this is a sweet cooking wine. It adds a very oriental flavour to dishes and is a staple of Japanese cooking. Your best bet is to start with Yutaka mirin as good quality mirin (called "Hon-mirin" )costs about £5 per bottle but does last a long time. If you want a good quality mirin I can recommend Takara brand

Alternatively you can buy ready made up sushi dressing and just add a couple of tablespoons to cooked rice.

Thats the basics you need to make sushi. Optional extras include, Wasabi A HOT condiment, use in small amounts!!, A Sushi rolling mat and Sushi ginger

The final word....

Soy sauce, ok actually the final two words. Some people like soy some don't. Purists will go for the most expensive. Personally my favorite is Kikkoman Shoyu and at £2.19 a litre its priced great as well.

Well thats your basic shopping list. Watch this space for recipes and how to make sushi - coming soon!