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Types of Sushi: Decoding a Sushi Menu

List of common sushi types, explained with names and pictures — a visual guide including nigiri, sashimi, maki rolls (hosomaki, futomaki, uramaki, temaki), inari, chirashi, and temari.
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I don't know about you, but I love sushi. We didn't have a Japanese restaurant in the town where I grew up until I hit my 20s. A conversation around sushi was always, "You eat raw fish?!" accompanied by "ew" s and amazement. Of course, since then, I've learned it's delicious.

It took me a little while to become familiar with the various types of sushi and how to decipher a sushi menu. I have a lot still to learn, but I wanted to capture the common sushi types—with names and pictures—in case it helps others. I'm not an expert, so if you've got wisdom to share, feel free to write to me.

Here's the breakdown reflected in the sketch:

Sashimi

Raw fish or seafood served on its own or with simple garnishes. Sashimi is not technically sushi, as there's no rice, but it's a classic that's virtually synonymous with sushi.

Nigiri

A shaped piece of seasoned sushi rice with a slice of fish or other topping laid on top. I've seen the literal translation of nigiri as something like "two hands to make rice ball food." 

Maki

Maki means "rolled" and refers to sushi wrapped in sheets of nori (dried seaweed). Classic maki rolls have the nori on the outside and are sliced into mouthful-sized pieces. The genius of maki, much like the genius of the sandwich, is that it allows you to eat the delicious filling by only touching the nori with your fingers. Here are a few types:

Hosomaki - Thin rolls

Hosomaki are typically filled with just one ingredient, such as tuna or cucumber. Tekka maki ( tuna roll) was popular in casinos and was sometimes called the "casino roll."

Futomaki - Thick rolls

Futomaki are much larger than hosomaki and can have several fillings inside. They're often served at festivals and celebrations.

Uramaki - Inside-out rolls

Uramaki was developed with the California roll and have the rice on the outside, hiding the nori. They're medium-sized and can fit a few more fillings than hosomaki. Incidentally, several people claim to have invented the California roll. Since the California roll, an amazing variety of rolls have been created, such as the rainbow, dragon, spicy tuna, caterpillar, Philadelphia, spider, and others.

Temaki - Hand rolls

Meaning "roll in hand", the temaki is a little like the burrito of sushi. Wrapping the nori around the filling in a cone shape makes it easy to hold.

Other Types of Sushi

Inari

Named after a Shinto god said to ride a fox and love fried tofu, inari are pouches of fried tofu filled with sushi rice and other fillings.

Chirashi

Meaning scattered, chirashi is a sushi plate where the chef lays the main ingredients on top of a bed of rice in a bowl.

Temari

Temari are small, decorative sushi balls. A small ball of rice is wrapped in fish or vegetables, making an amazing-looking snack.

The language of sushi is vast, but if you're not fluent yet, I hope this provides a few pointers.

If you want to try making your own, which is both fun and delicious, I recommend: Let's Make Sushi! by Chef Andy Matsuda

I also created this version with additional callouts .

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