What Exactly Is Sushi?
Many people use "sushi" to mean raw fish, but that's actually sashimi. Sushi refers specifically to vinegared rice — the word itself originally described the seasoned rice preparation. The toppings or fillings vary enormously, but the common thread is always the rice.
The Main Types of Sushi
1. Nigiri (握り)
Nigiri is perhaps the purest form of sushi: a small hand-pressed mound of seasoned rice with a slice of fish or seafood laid on top. Common nigiri toppings include tuna (maguro), salmon (sake), yellowtail (hamachi), and prawn (ebi). A small amount of wasabi is typically placed between the rice and topping.
How to eat it: Pick it up with chopsticks or fingers, dip the fish side (not the rice) lightly into soy sauce.
2. Maki (巻き)
Maki are the classic rolled sushi most people recognise. Ingredients are placed on a sheet of nori (seaweed), covered with rice, and rolled using a bamboo mat, then sliced into rounds. Maki rolls are typically thin, with one or two fillings.
Common varieties include kappa maki (cucumber), tekka maki (tuna), and oshinko maki (pickled radish).
3. Uramaki (裏巻き) — Inside-Out Rolls
Uramaki is the "inside-out" roll where the rice is on the outside and the nori wraps the fillings on the inside. This style was popularised in the West and is the basis for the California Roll and most modern fusion rolls. The rice exterior is often coated in sesame seeds or tobiko (flying fish roe).
4. Temaki (手巻き) — Hand Rolls
Temaki are cone-shaped hand rolls made by folding a sheet of nori into a cone and filling it with rice, fish, and vegetables. They are larger than maki rolls and meant to be eaten immediately with your hands, as the nori quickly loses its crispness.
5. Gunkan Maki (軍艦巻き) — Battleship Rolls
Gunkan means "battleship" — a fitting name for this style where a band of nori wraps around a small rice mound, creating a little boat shape to hold loose toppings like sea urchin (uni), fish roe, or spicy scallop that wouldn't stay on nigiri.
6. Chirashi (ちらし) — Scattered Sushi
Chirashi is a bowl of seasoned sushi rice topped with an assortment of fish, vegetables, and garnishes. It is less a rolled or shaped sushi and more an assembled bowl — beautiful, practical, and a favourite for home cooking.
7. Oshi Sushi (押し寿司) — Pressed Sushi
A regional style, particularly associated with Osaka, where rice and fish are layered in a wooden mould and pressed into a firm block, then cut into squares. It has a firmer texture and different presentation to other sushi styles.
Quick Reference Table
| Type | Shape | Rice Location | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nigiri | Hand-pressed oval | Base | Premium fish appreciation |
| Maki | Round roll slices | Inside the roll | Clean, simple flavours |
| Uramaki | Round roll slices | Outside the roll | Fusion and creative rolls |
| Temaki | Cone | Inside cone | Casual, handheld eating |
| Gunkan | Boat | Base with nori border | Soft or loose toppings |
| Chirashi | Bowl | Base of bowl | Variety and ease |
One More Thing: Sashimi vs. Sushi
Remember: sashimi is simply sliced raw fish or seafood with no rice at all. It is not sushi, though it is often served alongside it. If you are ordering purely for the fish experience, sashimi lets the quality of the fish speak for itself.
Now that you know your rolls from your battleships, ordering sushi — or attempting it at home — becomes a much more confident and enjoyable experience.