The Best Types of Sushi

The common ingredient across all the different kinds of sushi is sushi rice. The variety in sushi arises from the different fillings and toppings, condiments, and the way these ingredients are put together. The same ingredients may be assembled in a traditional or a contemporary way, creating a very different final result.

Nigiri Zushi: The nigiri sushi means something like "hand pressed". This type of sushi is the most common type. A small oval made with rice, with an expertly cut slice of fish on top, and with a dab of wasabi on it. Most types of nigirisushi are meant to be dipped in soy sauce, and must be eaten in one bite, slowly. There are countless varieties of nigirizushi, some of the most common ones being tuna, shrimp, eel, squid, octopus and fried egg.

Maki Zushi: These is rolled sushi which is filled with a filling of vegetables, fish or crab surrounded by vinegared rice and wrapped in nori seaweed. Makizushi is usually served sliced into bite-size portions. Popular fillings include salmon, eel, tuna, yellowtail, shrimp and octopus. Hand rolled sushi, or temaki-zushi, is a subtype of maki-sushi, that is folded up without using a rolling mat. It is much easier, as the ingredients are simply placed in the hand and folded together, not rolled and cut.

Inari Zushi: Inarizushi is a simple and inexpensive type of sushi. It is sweetly flavored fried tofu pouches stuffed with sushi rice with seafood or vegetable fillings. The pouch is normally deep fried tofu, which are made of thin omelet (fukusa-zushi orchakin-zushi) or dried gourd shavings. A very large version, sweeter than normal and often containing bits of carrot, is popular in Hawaii, where it is called "cone sushi."

Gunkanmaki: The term translates as battleship roll, and refers to sushi where a finger of vinegared rice is surrounded by a strip of nori, so that toppings, generally fish roe, can be placed on top without falling off. The end result is said to resemble a battleship. There are countless varieties of gunkanzushi, some of the most common ones being sea urchin and various kinds of fish eggs.

Temaki Zushi: A ‘sociable sushi’ as its hand rolled and a common choice for gatherings. This is ‘hand-rolled’ sushi, and is a popular choice for dinner parties, as guests can make their own. A small amount of sushi rice is spread on a square of nori, fillings placed on top, and the whole thing rolled into a cone shape.

Chirashizushi: This is different from conventional sushi as it is served in a bowl. Sushi rice is covered with a range of toppings, generally raw fish, and eaten in this form. Chirashizushi translates as ‘scattered sushi’.