Equipment Needed

One of the advantages of sushi is the lack of equipment needed. First and foremost, you will need a very sharp knife. The classic sushi knife is called a bento knife, but any sharp knife will do. It is made of razor-sharp carbon steel with a Ho wood handle that does not get slippery when wet. I got my large knife years ago through the mail from Williams Sonoma. My smaller bento knife is from Joyce Chen. I got it at an international marketplace sort of store in the mall at Tyson's Corner. (I used to have another mailorder source, but it appears to have folded. Will add new sources as I learn of them, and would appreciate knowing of any you may find.)

• Mike Bergman (augment@world.std.com) has suggested The Japan Woodworker as a source of knives.

The second most important tool you will need is a bamboo mat or hot pad, called a sushimaki sudare or a makisu. This is used to roll the sushi. A wooden spoon can be used to spread the rice onto the nori, or you can get a wooden or plastic rice paddle, or shamoji. (You can also use your hands, like a sushi chef, but the rice is very sticky.) These can be found almost anywhere, but I get mine from Hughes Markets. Anything else is completely optional.

Sushi masters always seem to use a pair of metal chopsticks to pick things up with. I searched all over for a set, and finally found them in a Japanese department store at the end of Ala Moana Plaza in Honolulu. And they really are useful, but you can use your fingers or regular chopsticks as well. At the same store, I also got a wooden sushi press, called an oshiwaku, to make oshi. A number of things would work just fine, including a hamburger press.