Costco Shoppers Have A Problem With Its Sushi Rice: Here's How They're Working Around It

When it comes to shopping at Costco, let's start with the good. There's a lot the mega warehouse giant does well. For example, Costco food court wins like hot dogs, pizza, and a delicious chocolate chip cookie. Then there are the exclusive members-only discounts that your Costco card gets you. The $4.99 rotisserie chicken may be worth the membership alone. However, it's not all sunshine and bulk discounts at the retailer. Like any major retailer, there are going to be items that the brand does really well, and others that leave room for improvement. One food staple that Redditors on the r/Costco subreddit called out that's more miss than hit? The sushi rice, which one Redditor complained is "too sticky and dense."  

Now that wouldn't be such a tragedy on its own. However, the sashimi quality for the Costco sushi-grade salmon and other fish is considered to be great by many shoppers, so if you're looking to enjoy some fresh fish or seafood at home, you might be looking for some sushi rice to accompany it and find yourself disappointed. Luckily, Reddit users have a solution: Buy a sashimi tray from Costco and cook your own rice at home to make your own sushi.

A Costco sashimi tray costs around $40 and contains 10 to 14 pieces of tuna, salmon, and yellowtail each. It comes with soy sauce, wasabi, and ginger included. Costco also sells sushi-quality salmon trays, but it's unclear if they are sushi-grade (held to a higher standard), so check with your local Costco branch if you're interested in purchasing that instead. As for other sushi options at Costco, in some locations, especially along the West Coast and Hawaii, you might find fresh sushi rolls being made at your local warehouse. These come in the standard grocery store varieties like California rolls, and also poke bowls with Ahi tuna. However, if you don't like the rice, you probably won't like those premade options, so it's best to avoid them. 

If you're interested in making your own sushi rice at home, you can pick up some at Costco that you can cook in your own kitchen. The warehouse sells bags of Homai Calrose Sushi Rice and a few other varieties, depending on availability. For best results when preparing it, you might want to follow the 10-5-5 rule: Boil the rice covered for 10 minutes, simmer the rice on medium heat for five minutes, then keep covered and let sit for five minutes. Or better yet, use a rice cooker to take all the guesswork out of perfecting your rice every time.