17 Nigiri You Have To Try – And One Banned In Japan

A sushi chef should always be judged on their nigiri. That is what I was told a long time ago, and I still think it holds true today. After all, a nigiri comprises two things a sushi chef must master: cutting fish and making perfectly seasoned rice.

While sashimi uses no rice, and rolls don’t suffer beautiful cuts, a nigiri is the ultimate test of a chef’s ability. And while the quality of the fish has a lot to do with the final result, don’t discount the ability of the sushi chef to build a perfect morsel to eat.

This is a list of my favorite nigiri, and something I think anyone looking to get into sushi should try to complete. You don’t even need to visit Japan to try these as many high quality sushi restaurants all over the world fly in super fresh fish daily. Also on this list is a fish banned from serving in Japan, although I personally love it and eat one or two pieces when I’m able.

What Is Nigiri

Nigirizushi, written 握り寿司 in Japanese, is a traditional dish consisting of bite-sized oblong-shaped mounds of vinegared rice topped with various types of fresh seafood, such as fish or shellfish. The seafood topping is usually thinly sliced and can be raw (sashimi) or cooked, depending on the type of fish or shellfish used.

Nigiri sushi is often served with a small amount of wasabi between the rice and seafood or sometimes brushed with nikiri for added flavor.

Best Nigiri To Eat

Sayori (Japanese Halfbeak)

The sayori is one of my personal favorite fish for nigiri. It is a small, silver skin fish with a somewhat translucent flesh. Sayori has a mild and delicate flavor profile compared to some other fish varieties. It is not overly fishy or strong in taste (when fresh), which makes it appealing to those new to sushi as well as seasoned veterans.

Sometimes sayori is marinated in salt and vinegar (sujime), and sometimes it is completely raw. Most importantly it has to be extremely fresh as sayori can become fishy rather quickly – more than many other species in my experience.

Otoro (Fatty Tuna Belly)

One of the most prized fish for nigiri is the otoro, or fatty tuna belly. This is also one of the most expensive cuts of fish. Otoro comes from the underside of the tuna, specifically from the fattiest part of the tuna’s belly near the head. This area tends to accumulate a high amount of intramuscular fat, giving otoro its distinctive buttery texture and rich flavor.

Hotate (Scallop)

Hotate nigiri showcases fresh scallops butterflied and placed atop sushi rice. Scallops have a sweet and delicate flavor with a soft, creamy texture, making them a delightful choice for sushi enthusiasts. The most expensive scallops in Japan come from the cold waters of Hokkaido and its surrounding islands.

Hotate nigiri is often served lightly torched or even poached as well. It all depends on what the sushi chef is going for. However rinsed in salt water and served raw is still the most popular way to serve scallop sushi.

Amaebi (Sweet Shrimp)

Amaebi nigiri is a dish of raw sweet shrimp often served with the shrimp head deep-fried and placed alongside the nigiri. The shrimp has a delicate sweetness and tender texture.

This is in contrast to ebi nigiri which is cooked shrimp atop rice. But don’t worry, both shrimp nigiri are making this list as they are both delicious and popular!

Buri (Adult Yellowtail)

Buri is another of my favorite fish for nigiri. Confusingly there are many different names for yellowtail in Japan but in the case of buri the yellowtail refers to the Japanese Amberjack. The most popular name is hamachi, which is supposed to mean yellowtail from 30-60cm in length, but now it is used to refer to all farmed yellowtail.

Buri on the other hand should refer to adult Japanese Amberjack over 80cm in length and wild caught. Due to being rarer, buri is quite a bit more expensive than hamachi. To make things even more confusing, there are actually two other fish similar to buri that can sometimes be used either on purpose or accidentally. These are the hiramasa (gold-striped amberjack) and the kampachi (greater amberjack).

Aburasokomutsu (Escolar)

Banned in Japan! Believe it or not this fish is actually illegal to be sold for consumption in Japan and has been since 1981. It is still found at sushi restaurants in other countries under names like white tuna or butterfish.

The flesh of escolar is firm and flavorful but it does contain wax like lipids which can cause stomach issues if eaten in large amounts. I would recommend not eating more than one or two if it is your first time to see how your stomach can handle it.

Unagi (Freshwater Eel)

Is it funny that in all my years of making sushi and grilling eel I still think of that scene in Friends where Ross thinks unagi is total awareness. And many times when American or other foreign customers come into my sushi restaurant they make the same references. Well, of course it is ordered often as unagi nigiri is quite delicious.

This is also part of the cooked sushi family, like ebi or tamago nigiri. The eel is skewered and roasted, usually over charcoal and open flame, before being brushed with tare (sticky-sweet soy based sauce) and plated. Not all unagi nigiri is brushed with eel sauce however, sometimes a chef will just add a drop of sudachi (a type of citrus) or even a sprinkle of salt.

Shime-saba (Pickled Mackerel)

Mackerel is one of my favorite fish. Of course it can be a little difficult to work with as it needs to be extremely fresh. You will also have to peel the skin after it is marinated in the rice vinegar which takes a little skill.

That being said, shime-saba is one of my favorite fish to get on nigiri, especially topped with a little gari (ginger). The mackerel referenced in shime-saba is known as Pacific, chub, or blue mackerel. But to be frank you can use Atlantic mackerel if it is all you can find. While they are technically different fish, the flavor and texture is substitutable in my opinion.

There is also aji (horse mackerel), sawara (Spanish mackerel), and sanma (mackerel pike or Pacific saury) but as those are distinctly different they have their own entries on this list.

Kohada (Dotted Gizzard Shad)

Another must try fish for any sushi afficionado is the kohada. This small, silverskin fish used to be seen as a low quality fish, but these days it is quite popular and not at all cheap.

Kohada is usually rubbed with salt before the fish is rinsed sliced for nigiri. Speaking of, this type of fish is often prepared with the kazari boucho method, where the skin of the fish is finely scored using a very sharp knife. This creates a beautiful appearance and is great for presentation at higher end sushi restaurants.

Tai (Sea Bream)

Sea bream is part of the family of white-flesh fish so it is one of the more difficult fish to identify if you are served a mixed platter of nigiri. It has a mild, delicate flavor that is perfect with a little brush of ponzu.

There are so many different types of sea bream, but madai or true bream, always refers to the one with the scientific name pagrus major, at least when talking about sushi. Fun fact: when tai are small they are called kasugo and are part of the silver skinned group of fish. This is also known as the good luck fish in Japan and is often eaten on New Years to bring good luck for the coming year.

Uni (Sea Urchin)

Arguably one of the most popular nigiri, uni has a rich, buttery taste and texture. It is also some of the most expensive things you can order at a sushiya – especially if they have high quality Hokkaido urchins.

Because it is so delicate, uni is more often served as a gunkan instead of nigiri although you will see it done in nigiri as well. Since gunkan have a nori wall it helps prevent the slippery uni from falling off.

Hokkigai (Surf Clam)

While the official name of surf clam in Japan is ubagai (old lady clam), hokkigai is much more common. This clam is found up in Northern Japan but is a very popular nigiri topping all over the country.

These clams are often cooked briefly when used in nigiri, and it is the heat which gives them the signature red color. Before being introduced to heat they are actually black-ish. The most common method is to quickly blanch them in water or dashi, but I like to make them into nigiri while raw and then go over it with a brush of shoyu and a kitchen torch.

Sake (Salmon)

No, I’m not talking about our famous rice wine. Sake also means salmon and is an extremely popular sushi ingredient (in the last 30 years). Funnily enough salmon was never used in sushi or sashimi until the later half of the 20th century, so you will never see salmon nigiri at an edomae (traditional sushi restaurant). However these days salmon is popular and loved by Japanese and foreigners alike.

There is also the toro salmon, or belly (similar with tuna) which is the fattier cut of meat and absolutely delicious. I will also add on this list in another entry my aburi sake which is a nigiri that has been hit with a blowtorch. It is one of my favorite nigiri but it often is spoken of with condescension by more traditional sushi chefs. Probably because I brush the fish with kewpie before firing it.

Engawa (Flounder Fin)

While the hirame, or flounder, is also used for sushi, the engawa specifically refers to two differently textured sections near the fins. Since this is a flatfish the edges have a different texture than the rest of the fish, and this is particularly desirable with engawa nigiri.

The taste of engawa is lightly sweet and mild and the texture is firm but not chewy. Overall it makes a delightful bite and is popular at many sushi restaurants. Engawa is often served with wasabi between the fish and rice.

Tako (Octopus)

Octopus sushi might be off-putting to some, but it is very popular in Japan. Like some earlier mentioned nigiri, octopus is often cooked before being used in nigiri or as sashimi as raw octopus can have an unpleasant mouthfeel.

When cooked it has a mild flavor and chewy texture. It is delicious when brushed with a little yuzu and smoked salt.

Iwashi (Sardine)

One of the most popular hikarimono (silver skin fish) is also one of the most fun to prepare. Iwashi, or sardine, are simple and delicious and can be prepared a variety of ways. I love to do these with a simple suarai (vinegar rinse) as it makes the fish taste exceptionally clean without the strength of a normal pickling process.

Kampachi (Greater Amberjack)

Kampachi is often confused with yellowtail since they are both amberjacks. However while the buri mentioned above is a Japanese amberjack, kampachi is the name for the greater amberjack.

Kampachi is fantastic served fresh or aged, so it is a great way to practice new techniques. It is also exceptionally easy to prepare making it very popular with beginners. I love using the kombujime method for this nigiri as the umami really shines through.