【Reading】たてがえし

【English Name】Tategaeshi

Tate-gaeshi is one of the vinegar-mixing techniques used when finishing sushi rice (shari). After adding sushi vinegar to the freshly cooked rice, one uses a rice paddle (shamoji) to move the rice as if cutting it vertically, repeatedly scooping it up from the bottom and turning it over.

The aim of this method is to distribute the vinegar evenly throughout the rice while releasing excess moisture and steam. Mixing in a circular motion would crush the rice grains and bring out stickiness, so the cutting-and-turning movement is considered important. By fanning with an uchiwa or the like while doing this, an appropriate sheen forms on the surface, finishing into shari that crumbles apart in the mouth.

Among sushi artisans, the quality of the shari is thought to greatly influence the quality of the nigiri, and the speed, rhythm, and force of tate-gaeshi are considered skills honed through experience.