Sushi Rolling Mat

Sushi Rolling Mat Made of Natural Bamboo

If your homemade sushi rolls keep falling apart when you slice them, the problem usually isn't the rice or the fillings. It's pressure. A sushi rolling mat lets you squeeze the roll evenly along its whole length, so it comes out tight and round instead of loose and lumpy.

This one is the traditional kind: thin strips of natural bamboo woven together with cotton string. It's the same simple tool sushi chefs use, and it works just as well for Korean kimbap and Japanese rolled omelets. Tight rolls that hold together when you slice them.

How to roll sushi with a bamboo sushi mat

1. Lay the mat flat with the slats running left to right. Put a sheet of nori on top, shiny side down.
2. Wet your fingers and spread a thin, even layer of rice over the nori, leaving about an inch bare at the top.
3. Line up your fillings across the rice, near the edge closest to you.
4. Lift the edge of the mat and roll it over the fillings, tucking them in as you go.
5. Keep rolling, then give the whole roll a gentle squeeze through the mat to firm it up.
6. Slice with a sharp, wet knife.

Beginner tips

• Less is more. Too much rice or too many fillings is the most common reason rolls split.
• For inside-out rolls with the rice on the outside, wrap the mat in plastic wrap first so the rice doesn't stick.
• Place the smooth side of the mat facing up and the side where the string shows facing down.

Caring for bamboo

Wash the mat by hand with warm water and a soft brush, then let it dry completely, standing up or hanging, before you roll it up for storage. Don't soak it or put it in the dishwasher. Bamboo and cotton need to dry fully between uses to stay fresh.

Sushi night at home

A mat, some sushi rice, nori and whatever fillings you like are all you need. It's a fun thing to do with friends or kids, and homemade rolls cost a fraction of takeout. Grab a mat before your next sushi night and see how much better your rolls turn out.

Shipping: delivery to the US takes about 10 to 20 business days. To the rest of the world, up to 45 business days.

Find more prep tools in our kitchen tools collection.