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Sushi comes in many forms, including nigiri, sashimi, maki, uramaki, temaki, and chirashi, each with unique preparation and ingredients.

Main Types of Sushi

Nigiri (Nigirizushi): Hand-pressed rice topped with seafood, egg, or vegetables. Common toppings include salmon (sake), tuna (maguro), yellowtail (hamachi), eel (unagi), shrimp (ebi), octopus (tako), squid (ika), scallop (hotate), and tamago (rolled omelette). Nigiri is traditionally eaten with fingers and may include a dab of wasabi between the rice and topping.
Sashimi: Thinly sliced raw or cooked seafood served without rice. While technically not sushi, it is often served alongside sushi dishes. Examples include tuna, salmon, and sea urchin (uni).
Maki (Makizushi): Rolled sushi with nori (seaweed) on the outside, containing rice and fillings such as fish, vegetables, or egg. Variations include:

• Hosomaki: Thin rolls with a single filling like cucumber or tuna.
• Futomaki: Thick rolls with multiple ingredients, often including vegetables and egg.
  Uramaki: Inside-out rolls with rice on the outside and nori inside, often topped with sesame seeds or fish roe. Popular examples include the California roll.
  Temaki: Cone-shaped hand rolls with nori wrapped around rice and fillings, eaten with hands rather than chopsticks.
  Chirashi: A bowl of sushi rice topped with assorted seafood, vegetables, and sometimes egg, offering a deconstructed sushi experience.
  Gunkan (Battleship Sushi): Small oval-shaped rice base wrapped in nori and topped with soft or loose ingredients like sea urchin (uni) or fish roe (tobiko).

Popular Sushi Variations

Uni (Sea Urchin) Gunkan: Creamy sea urchin wrapped in nori.
These types cover the majority of sushi you’ll encounter in restaurants, from traditional Japanese styles to modern adaptations. Understanding these names helps in ordering confidently and exploring a wide range of flavors and textures, representing both Japan’s culinary artistry and cultural refinement.

California Roll: Crab, avocado, cucumber, often an uramaki style.

Dragon Roll: Eel and cucumber inside, avocado on top, often drizzled with sauce.

Fatty Tuna (Otoro) Nigiri: Rich, marbled tuna belly.

Salmon Nigiri: Classic orange salmon slice over rice.