Sushi is a rather large category of cuisine in Japan. In fact, there are many different types of sushi and new ones being invented all the time. No, I am not talking about the new Sonoran Desert Roll* but rather the many varied forms sushi rice can take.
* I don’t know if there is an actual Sonoran Desert Roll. I am continually impressed by the infinite number of uramaki that America has invented and named after a geographical location.
In this article I am going to describe all the various forms sushi can take, from a classic nigiri to the more modern inside out rolls. I will also be continually updating this types of sushi guide as I learn about some new things that have been invented (either in Japan or all over the world).
What Is Sushi
To begin, let’s define ‘sushi’. What is sushi and what separates it from say sashimi. Did you know that sashimi is not a type of sushi?
The word sushi refers to the rice, not the fish. More specifically it refers to rice that has been seasoned with vinegar (and optional other ingredients). This rice is called shari (舎利) or sumeshi (酢飯). If there is no rice, it is not sushi; Hence why sashimi is it’s own thing. The most traditional establishments will be known as Edomae sushiya, which is a sushi restaurant that specializes in the traditional Edomae style sushi.
If there is sushi rice plus a topping (called neta or tane) then the dish can likely be called sushi, with limitations of course.
What Vinegar Is Needed For Sushi Rice
I have written in detail about the various vinegars used in sushi rice here, but I do want to specify in this article that sushi rice cannot be made with any vinegar.
Chefs can get creative and try to make something new, but traditionally sushi rice is made from either akazu (red rice vinegar made from sake lees) or yonezu (white rice vinegar made from sake). So don’t go wasting that nice bottle of balsamico you picked up on your last trip to Modena, Italy.
Types Of Sushi
Nigirizushi (Nigiri Sushi)
Nigiri is the most recognizable sushi around the world, and it is also the most simple. It is comprised of a small, oval shaped ball of sushi rice and a topping. There can also be a condiment between the fish and rice like wasabi or grated ginger. The topping, or neta, can be fish, vegetables, egg, and more. There can also be various preparations such as fresh, marinated, aged, and cured.
Some traditional nigirizushi you will find in Japan include:
The standard way of eating a nigiri is to hold it with your fingers and dip only the fish into a tiny amount of soy sauce before putting it into your mouth. However at higher end sushiya or at an omakase service, the fish is usually seasoned by the chef in which case you do not need to dip it yourself.
Temaki (Hand Rolls)
Temaki, or sushi hand rolls, are a fairly new creation. The restaurant Tsukiji Tama Sushi in Tokyo claims to have invented temakizushi in 1971, however this is disputed by many who say the roll was created at gambling dens around the turn of the 20th century.
Temaki are created from a half sheet of nori (seaweed), sushi rice, and a filling of fish and vegetables and condiments. Because temaki are not a super traditional type of sushi, there are many creative fillings you will find, even ones fusing Japanese and foreign cuisine.
Some hand rolls you might like to make at home are:
- Salmon Temaki
- Tuna Temaki
- Negitoro Temaki
- Spicy Tuna Temaki (not traditional, but a pretty fun version that is becoming more popular in Japan).
- Ebi&Mayonnaise Temaki
Many people would argue that temaki is just a subcategory of maki, and as you can see by the names this is a good argument. However I think by now there is enough of a distinction that it is a separate category.
Oshizushi
Oshizushi, which translates to ‘pressed sushi’ is a type of sushi that comes from the Kansai region. It is common to see this sushi offered at sushiya around Osaka and the surrounding area.
Traditionally, this type of sushi utilizes cured or otherwise preserved fish. Only in modern times will you see oshizushi with fresh, raw seafood. The most popular oshizushi is arguably the shime-saba (pickled mackerel) variation.
Makizushi (Sushi Rolls)
When talking about makizushi it would be a serious oversight to avoid the impact rolls have had on worldwide sushi culture. In fact, it is likely a roll which brought most non-Japanese to sushi in the first place. Interestingly, rolls in Japan are much simpler than what you get in other countries, but below will have all the many variations.
The first makizushi is considered to be the kampyomaki, which featured simmered dry gourd strips in a hosomaki. Inside out rolls, which extremely popular in places like America and Europe, are rarely seen in Japan.
Let’s dive into the subcategories:
Hosomaki
Hosomaki are the most popular types of maki in Japan. They are small rolls made from a half sheet of nori and traditionally contain just one filling. The previously mentioned kampyomaki is considered the first type of sushi roll, but the most popular is probably the tekkamaki (pictured above) which is a roll filled with a strip of tuna.
Other fillings include cucumber, natto (fermented soybeans), or minced fish with mayonnaise.
Futomaki
Futomaki are the big brother to the hosomaki. They are also rolls but they are quite a bit larger and contain more than one ingredient. Futomaki are mostly vegetarian, although you will find them with raw fish, roe, surimi, canned tuna or other fish and more as well.
Futomaki are a type of precursor to American-style makizushi as the idea of multiple fillings is more popular with foreigners than in Japan.
Tempura Makizushi
Similar to a hosomaki, a tempura maki is a single filling roll. The main difference is the filling has been tempura fried. One of the most popular tempura makizushi is made with shrimp. There are also plenty of different ones with fried vegetables as well.
Tamago Makizushi (玉子巻き寿司)
Tamago makizushi can mean two things (kind of). While the name directly translates to egg roll sushi, it is nothing like the Chinese-American dish eggrolls. The item most people will recognize if you say tamago makizushi is a type of hosomaki or futomaki or tempura maki where a thinly rolled out omelet replaces the nori (seaweed). The filling can be anything you want, as the only thing being changed is the seaweed layer.
Another thing it could (mistakenly) be is a hosomaki with an egg omelet as the filling, however this would be incorrect by Japanese standards. This type of sushi exists but it is more commonly called tamago no nori-maki, which translates to egg omelet in seaweed roll.
Inarizushi (稲荷寿司)
Inarizushi is an interesting food in that it does not really resemble what people think of sushi at all. However it is a popular dish in Japan and it does use sushi rice, so it is a type of sushi.
Inarizushi is a pouch of fried tofu that has been split open and filled with sushi rice. The fried tofu is called abura-age ((油揚げ) and is made by deep frying a thin slice of tofu until golden brown. The name inari comes from the Japanese word for fox as it is believed that foxes love fried tofu, as well as the corners of the inarizushi resembling fox ears.
The filling can also include other ingredients like roe, raw or cooked seafood, or pickled vegetables. Some people treat inari like a seaweed-less gunkan which has been getting more popular in recent years even at higher end establishments.
Chirashizushi
Chirashizushi, or ‘scattered sushi’, is a less refined type of sushi, commonly made at home. This dish features a bowl of sushi rice topped with a variety of neta. It is because this is a much less particular dish which makes it perfect for at home cooking.
The toppings, or neta, are similar to what you would get on a nigiri, just with more variety. An example of a chirashi bowl could have rice topped with tuna, salmon, buri/hamachi, ikura (salmon roe), green onions, shiso, and pretty much whatever else you feel like adding. Sometimes the toppings are neatly laid out, but this is more common in restaurants. At home it is popular to just throw everything onto the rice and pour over a trickle of shoyu.
Uramaki
Uramaki are essentially an inside out futomaki. In fact the word ura in this context translates to ‘inside out’ so uramaki means inside out roll. I am putting uramaki as a separate entry instead of under makizushi because to me they are a completely different category. While many makizushi are Japanese, both modern and traditional, uramaki are entirely a foreign concept.
In Japan you are very unlikely to see an inside out roll (one with rice out the outside) as this is not a Japanese thing. I believe that the California roll was the first uramaki and the reason was to hide the seaweed to make it more appealing to non-Japanese.
In most of the world, if you go to a sushi restaurant, you are going to find plenty of different types of uramaki, usually named after local regions (like California roll, Alaska roll, etc…). The rice is often seasoned with things like sesame seeds or furikake, or the entire roll is doused in mayonnaise or teriyaki based sauces. There are many Japanese who do not even consider these types of rolls to be sushi – however I do consider it to be sushi as it is just a foreign evolution of sushi; Kind of like how Japanese curry is a foreign evolution of South Asian curry.
It is unlikely you will see me post uramaki recipes on this website as I do not particularly care for it (either in my restaurant or at home) but I will probably write a little about different ones when I travel and can take photos of them at places.
Is Sashimi Sushi?
Sashimi is not a type of sushi. While you will often see sashimi served at sushi restaurants, sashimi is it’s own thing as it is just fish – no rice. As mentioned above sushi refers to the seasoned rice so without that component you cannot have sushi.