Sushi and Sashimi

Home Cuisine History Recipes Sushi&Sashimi Noodles Teppenyaki Yakitori Tempura

What are the different kinds of sushi?

There are a few different kinds, depending on how the item is presented. They are:

Chirashi-zushi

Usually a bowl or box of sushi rice topped with a variety of sashimi.

Chirashi

Inari-zushi

Aburage (fried pouches of tofu) stuffed with sushi rice.

Inari

Maki-zushi

The rice and seaweed rolls with fish and/or vegetables. There are also more specific terms for the rolls depending on the style. They are Futomaki(Thick Rolls), Hosomaki(Thin Rolls), Uramaki(Inside- out Rolls)

MakiZushi

Nigiri-zushi

The little fingers of rice topped with wasabi and a filet of raw or cooked fish or shellfish. Generally the most common form of sushi you will see.

Nigiri

Temaki-zushi

Also called a hand-roll. Cones of sushi rice, fish and vegetables wrapped in seaweed. It is very similar to maki.

HandRoll

What is Sushi?

Beginning as a method of preserving fish centuries ago, sushi has evolved into an artful, unique dining experience. In its earliest form, dried fish was placed between two pieces of vinegared rice as a way of making it last. The nori (seaweed) was added later as a way to keep one's fingers from getting sticky.

California Rolls

Technically, the word sushi refers to the rice (the Japanese word su means vinegar, and shi is from meshi, the Japanese word for rice, hence sushi is 'vinegared rice'), but colloquially, the term is used to describe a finger-size piece of raw fish or shellfish on a bed of rice or simply the consumption of raw fish in the Japanese style (while sushi is not solely a Japanese invention, these days, the Japanese style is considered the de facto serving standard). This can be eaten as is, or is often dipped into shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) and then eaten. Great care is taken in the creation of the dish and the many methods of preparing the food indicate the importance of appearance to the educated consumer. Sushi is a work of art as much as a food, and while it is now available in a western 'quick and easy' serving style, the traditional ways are far from lost.

What is sashimi?

Sashimi is raw fish served sliced, but as-is. That means no rice bed or roll, but it is often served alongside daikon and/or shiso. This is my favorite style as you really get the flavor of the fish. Plus, it's a great way to impress sushi newbies!

Salmon Sashimi

Sashimi is often cut in different ways to enhance the appearance of the fish. Hira zukuri is the standard rectangular shape cut. A thinner cut is called Ito zukuri, and is often no more than 1/16 inch thick. The thinnest, called Kaku zukuri is paper-thin and is often presented in a pattern.

What are those other things I see on my plate?

Depending on what you ordered and the whim of the chef, you might see items such as wasabi (the hot green Japanese horseradish-like rhizome). Wasabi Gari (pickled ginger, which comes in both a pink and a light tan color, with the lighter stuff usually indicating better quality). Ginger You may also see a large green leaf called shiso, which is often served with sashimi, and a shredded white mass of Japanese radish called daikon, which is also often served with sashimi. Shiso

Sushi & Sashimi

What are the different kinds of sushi?

What is Sushi?

What is sashimi?

What are those other things I see on my plate?