Glossary Of Sushi Terms
A
aburi: using a kitchen torch to char the surface of meat, often fish
akami: red fleshed fish, most often used to reference tuna
akazu: red vinegar made from sake lees (byproduct of sake making) commonly used in Edomae style sushi preparations
B
benizake: sockeye salmon aka red salmon. Scientific name: Oncorhynchus nerka
C
D
deba: a Japanese knife made for breaking down fish and portioning fillets
E
edomae: a Japanese word that means ‘in front of Edo’ and references sushi made in the traditional Edo period style.
F
fukin: Japanese word for kitchen towel
fukube: Japanese bottle gourd (non-dried)
futomaki: a type of makizushi with plenty of filling, about two size the volume of a hosomaki
G
gunkan: a type of sushi where a strip of seaweed is wrapped around a mound of rice, leaving room at the top for a filling that would traditionally spill off a nigiri
gyuto: Western inspired double beveled chef’s knife
H
hikarimono: silver skinned fish with blue backs.
Hokkaido uni: a general name for northern uni commonly regarded as the highest quality in fine dining establishments
hojiso: the edible flowers of the shiso plant, sometimes used as a decorative garnish
hosomaki: a type of makizushi with only one filling eg tuna, gourd, negitoro etc…
I
ikura: salmon eggs
iwashi: sardine
izakaya: a Japanese bar similar to a pub where alcohol and snacks are served.
J
K
kampachi: the Japanese word for the greater amberjack fish
kampyomaki: a hosomaki with kanpyo, or dried gourd as the filling. This is considered the ‘first sushi roll’
kanpyo: (干瓢) dried strips of the Japanese bottle gourd, often used in hosomaki or futomaki, as well as other non-sushi dishes
kasugo: (春子鯛) the Japanese word for young sea bream.
kazari bocho: the act of making decorative cuts to a piece of meat for better presentation and/or letting sauce seep in to the flesh
kombu: a type of edible kelp used in Japanese cuisine
kombujime (昆布締め): the method of preserving fish between pieces of salted seaweed. Also spelt kobujime or konbujime
L
M
madai: (真鯛) the Japanese word for the red seabream, an iconic fish not just in sushi making but in Japanese culture
makisu: a traditional sushi rolling mat commonly made of bamboo
makizushi: a type of sushi where various ingredients are rolled in rice and seaweed and then cut into bite size pieces; Makizushi are usually eaten with chopsticks.
marukoban: (丸小判) the Japanese word for the snubnose pompano fish
masago: the roe of the capelin fish (shishamo)
N
negitoromaki: a hosomaki traditionally made with minced tuna belly and green onion as the filling
neta: the Japanese word for topping – used to reference the things that go on top of or inside various sushi dishes
nigiri: a type of sushi made of a small ball of rice with a topping(s)
nikiri: a soy sauce reduction with other ingredients, meant to be brushed on the nigiri before serving
nori: a type of edible seaweed used in various Japanese culinary fields
O
oboro: a Japanese condiment made from shrimp and other ingredients which have been dehydrated and crumbled. It is commonly used in some Edomae style preparations – although its popularity has decreased in the past few decades
omakase: a type of sushi eating experience where the chef chooses what to serve
P
Q
R
S
sake: salmon (originally it means chum salmon, but these days sake is used as an all encompassing word for all salmon species)
saku: a block of fish prepared for slicing into sashimi or for nigiri
sashimi: slices of raw fish for consumption
shari: sushi rice
shinshu: a Japanese salmon breed of rainbow trout with brown trout raised in saltwater
shiromi: white fleshed fish, it is one of the classes of fish in sushi making
shishamo: the Japanese word for capelin, a type of silver skinned fish.
shiso: a pungent leaf used in sushi making, most often paired with ika (cuttlefish)
shoyu: Japanese soy sauce
sujime: a preservation method for fish which consists of pickling the meat in vinegar
sushikiri: a makizushi cutting knife
sushiya: a sushi restaurant
T
tai: sea bream
takezaru: a Japanese colander or strainer. It is often shallow and circular and made of interwoven bamboo strips.
takohiki: sashimi slicing knife similar to a yanagi-ba however the spine and blade are parallel and it has a squared off tip
tekkaba: Japanese gambling houses
tekkamaki: a hosomaki (small roll) with rice encompassing a small strip of tuna
tobiko: flying fish eggs
U
uni (雲丹): the gonads of a sea urchin; a popular ingredient in sushi making
V
W
warisu: the vinegar mixture used in sujime (pickling fish)
wasabi: a pungent Japanese condiment that is part of the horseradish family
X
Y
yanagi-ba: sashimi slicing knife featuring a long, thin blade with a sharp point. Single bevel.
yuzu kosho: a Japanese condiment made of yuzu peels, salt, and chilies, which is allowed to ferment.