Sushi roll

Keep a small bowl of water mixed with a little rice vinegar beside you and wet your fingers before handling the rice. Spread it gently over the nori rather than pressing it down hard.

Put a narrow line of filling across the rice, about a third of the way up the nori. Roll the near edge over the filling, tuck it in firmly, then continue rolling with even pressure; a bamboo mat makes this easier.

Refrigerate it promptly in a sealed container and eat it within a day. Don’t leave sushi at room temperature for more than two hours, especially if it contains raw fish.

Freezing is not a good way to preserve a prepared sushi roll: thawed rice tends to become dry and crumbly, and cucumber can turn watery. Make only as much as you plan to eat fresh.

Serve it with soy sauce, pickled ginger and a little wasabi; miso soup or a simple seaweed salad also makes a familiar accompaniment. Dip lightly so the rice does not soak up too much sauce and break apart.

Yes. Cooked prawns, smoked salmon, omelette, avocado and cucumber are common fillings; cool cooked ingredients before rolling, and avoid putting warm food against the rice.

A sushi roll has 147 kcal per 100 g, compared with 93 kcal in a vegetable sushi roll. The actual difference in how filling they feel also depends on the size of the roll and its filling.