HOW TO MAKE MUSUBI

>> Purchase a high-quality 8- to 10-cup rice cooker with water line marks. (Manabu’s shows marks for different rices — plain, mochi, brown and porridge as well as regular white rice.)

>> The goal is NOT quick cooking. Manabu’s cooker takes more than an hour to cook nine cups of rice, and doesn’t boil for the first 20 to 30 minutes.

>> The water-to-rice ratio is generally 1-to-1. But there are two key points: Older rice is more dry and needs more water; summer rice is generally older.

>> Most of us have given up washing rice, but particularly tender varieties such as Tamanishiki contain powdery remnants of the milling process, which can sink to the bottom and cause the rice to burn. Wash until the water runs clear.

>> Use rice hot out of the cooker. Do NOT let it cool. Instead, use a rice paddle to gently scoop up a medium-size bowl of rice, in a light, lifting motion. Never, ever smash rice. Bad, bad. "When you open cover and the steam come out, it is most beautiful thing. It shines," Manabu Asaoka said.

>> Arrange in a rice mold. Hold the rice paddle loosely and use the tip to pick up a little rice and place in mold. If using a hollow mold like Manabu’s, pile the rice to the top, add filling and top with more rice. If using a Hawaii-style plastic mold, with a pusher to expel the pressed rice, fill it half full of rice, add filling, then fill to top.

>> Filling should not extend to the edges. Japanese-style musubi fillings are completely encased in rice so they don’t ooze out when you bite into the musubi.

>> Push the rice out of the mold onto a wax paper-lined surface; cool five minutes, turn and cool again. Dip hands in a bowl of salt water, then rub a pinch of sea salt in your hands. Cradle the unmolded musubi loosely in one hand and use the other to pat it softly into a triangle, then flip to shape top and bottom. Softly tuck in stray grains. Never squeeze, smash or pack rice.

>> Wrap with strip of dry nori (no need to wet nori to seal since the rice is already moist; it will adhere).

MANA BU FILLINGS

>> Tuna-mayo: Use Kirkland brand albacore tuna, well drained and pressed. Add a modest amount of Best Foods mayonnaise, a sprinkle of salt and white pepper. Transfer to a double layer of papers and let it drain until no longer leaking moisture.

>> Salmon: Season boneless salmon fillet with sea salt, organic sugar and mirin (rice wine); bake until done; flake with fork.

>> Spam: Cut Spam Lite into 1/3-inch-thick slices lengthwise; then cut crosswise. Bake in 1-1-1 mixture of soy sauce, sugar, mirin; finish briefly under broiler.

>> Ume (plum): Use plump ume from Wakayama, Japan. Seed just before use; break into three pieces and place in center of musubi.