Glossary Of Sushi Terms

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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.

Z

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