Best Sushi Rice UK: 3 Picks for 2026
Sushi rice in the UK usually means Japanese short-grain rice sold for sushi. All three bags here are Japanese short-grain rice (uruchimai), and each lists one ingredient: rice. We sell two varieties, in three bags. Here they are, with what each listing says about the grain and where it comes from.
Source: SushiSushi product listings for the three rices below (retrieved 3 November 2026).
| Product | Best for | Origin and variety |
|---|---|---|
| Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 5kg | Kitchens making sushi every day | Emi no Kizuna, Ibaraki |
| Hakodate, Nanatsuboshi Sushi Rice, 5kg | Sushi, onigiri and bento made ahead | Nanatsuboshi, Hokkaido |
| Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 1kg | A first bag at home | Emi no Kizuna, Ibaraki |
1. Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 5kg: best for kitchens making sushi every day
This is Emi no Kizuna, a Japanese short-grain variety grown in Ibaraki Prefecture by Agri Yamazaki, a family rice farm in Bandō. Our listing describes it as a variety bred for sushi rice, with a slightly firm grain that separates easily. The pack calls it rice for sushi.
- Variety: Emi no Kizuna. Origin: Ibaraki, Japan.
- Ingredients: short-grain rice, 100%.
- The 5kg and 1kg bags are the same variety and grade. The 5kg is the size for a kitchen running sushi every service.
- Cooking: follow the guide on the pack, then season with sushi vinegar while the rice is warm.
Worth knowing: once opened, keep it cool, dry and airtight. Rice picks up moisture and smells from around it.
Source: SushiSushi product listing, Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 5kg (retrieved 3 November 2026); grower and town from the 1kg listing.
2. Hakodate, Nanatsuboshi Sushi Rice, 5kg: best for sushi, onigiri and bento made ahead
Nanatsuboshi is a short-grain variety from Hokkaido. This bag is packed near Hakodate, at the southern tip of the island. The name means "seven stars". Our listing describes it as clean and lightly sweet, with stickiness and bite in balance, and says it keeps its texture and gloss as it cools. That is why we suggest it for food made ahead.
- Variety: Nanatsuboshi. Origin: Hokkaido, Japan.
- Ingredients: rice, 100%.
- Uses on the listing: sushi, onigiri, bento and a plain bowl of rice.
- Cooking: follow the guide on the pack.
Worth knowing: it is a good all-round rice, so one bag covers sushi and everyday rice.
Source: SushiSushi product listing, Hakodate, Nanatsuboshi Sushi Rice, 5kg (retrieved 3 November 2026).
3. Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 1kg: best first bag at home
The same Emi no Kizuna rice as pick 1, from Agri Yamazaki in Bandō, Ibaraki, in a 1kg bag. Our listing describes firm, separate grains from new-crop rice. It quotes the bag's own advice: use new rice to make good sushi rice.
- Variety: Emi no Kizuna. Grower: Agri Yamazaki. Origin: Bandō, Ibaraki, Japan.
- Ingredients: rice, 100%.
- Uses on the listing: sushi rice, onigiri and donburi.
- Cooking: follow the guide on the pack.
Worth knowing: new-crop rice is at its best used fairly soon. Store it cool, dry, dark and airtight, away from spices and the stove.
Source: SushiSushi product listing, Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 1kg (retrieved 3 November 2026).
How to choose a sushi rice
Making sushi most days? Take the Yamazaki 5kg. Emi no Kizuna is the variety on our shelves described as bred for sushi.
Making food ahead? Nanatsuboshi is the one our listing says holds its texture as it cools, which suits onigiri and bento.
Trying it for the first time? Start with the Yamazaki 1kg bag.
Got only arborio? We compare the two in Can I Use Arborio Rice for Sushi?
Source: SushiSushi product listings for the three rices above (retrieved 3 November 2026).
Sushi rice FAQ
What rice is best for sushi?
A Japanese short-grain rice sold for sushi. Of what we stock, Emi no Kizuna from Agri Yamazaki is the variety described as bred for sushi, and its pack calls it rice for sushi. Nanatsuboshi from Hokkaido is the all-rounder.
What is the difference between Emi no Kizuna and Nanatsuboshi?
Emi no Kizuna is grown in Ibaraki by Agri Yamazaki. Our listing describes a slightly firm grain that separates easily. Nanatsuboshi comes from Hokkaido. Our listing describes a clean, lightly sweet rice with stickiness and bite in balance, which keeps its texture as it cools.
How much water do I use for sushi rice?
Follow the guide on the pack. Every pot and hob behaves a little differently, so adjust in small steps until the grain is cooked through.
How should I store rice once the bag is open?
Move it to an airtight container and keep it somewhere cool, dry and dark, away from strong smells. New-crop rice is at its best used fairly soon.
Shop the full rice range
See every rice we stock in our Japanese Rice collection.
Sources for this page: SushiSushi product listings for Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 5kg, Yamazaki, Premium Sushi Rice, 1kg, and Hakodate, Nanatsuboshi Sushi Rice, 5kg, including their ingredient details, retrieved 3 November 2026. Facts are reworded; no text is reproduced.
