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Basics Neta – Fish Shari – Sushi rice, typically white rice with vinegar, sugar, and salt (More) Nigiri – Piece of sushi (neta + shari) Omakase – “I'll leave it to you,” the format of meals at high-end sushiya Otsumami/Tsumami – Small appetizers or snacks Sakana – Small drinking snacks Taisho – Head sushi chef, usually also the proprietor Itamae – “In front of the counter,” typically refers to an assistant sushi chef Sushiya/Sushi-yasan (or sushi-yasan) – Sushi shop or restaurant
Styles Edomae – Traditional Tokyo-style sushi invented 200 years ago Kyshu-mae – Kyushu style sushi that uses salt, kabosu, and shichimi instead of soy sauce and tare; aka Kokura-mae Sosakuzushi – Creative sushi not limited by edomae rules and traditions
Preparations Aburi – Torched or seared Chirashizushi Bowl of rice, typically sumeshi, topped with scattered neta Bara-chirashi – Neta is cut into small pieces and mixed into the rice Kaisendon – Bowl of rice, typically plain rice, topped with neta Gunkan maki – Nigiri with nori wrapped around the rice Jukusei-gyo – Aged neta Kobujime – Curing of fish between layers of konbu Kurakake Maki – Sushi in "rolled" form Nitsuke – Simmered and marinated Oshizushi – Box pressed sushi (Types
Battera – Oshizushi made with vinegared mackerel (saba) Temaki – Hand roll Temarizushi – Small ball-shaped nigiri Yubiki/Kawasimozukuri – Blanching by splashing fish with boiling water Zuke – Marinated
Ingredients Akazu – Red vinegar, made from sake lees, used to season the shari Dashi – Cooking/soup base made from fish and seaweed Kabosu – Green Japanese citrus, used in Kyushu-mae sushi Komezu – Rice vinegar, sometimes used to season the shari Konbu – Edible kelp, often used as a base seasoning Nori – Dried seaweed, used for wrapping maki or gunkan Oboro – Crumbled sweet shrimp paste made using shiba-ebi Ponzu – Yuzu-based sauce served with sashimi Shicimi Togarashi – Seven spice mix incl. chilli, seaweed, and sesame Shio – Salt Shoyu – Soy sauce Sudachi – Small green Japanese citrus Tare – Seasoned soy sauce used for topping or basting Tsume – Eel sauce, a sweet soy-based sauce Umibudo – Sea grapes, used in Kyushu-mae sushi Wasabi – Horseradish-like rhizome grated into a paste for seasoning Yuzu – Small yellow Japanese citrus
White Fish (Shiromi) Lean White Fish Fugu – Blowfish Hirame – Fluke Engawa – Fluke or flounder fin Isaki – Grunt Aka-isaki – Red Grunt Karei – Flounder, aka Japanese flatfish Abura-karei – Kamchatka flounder Mako-karei – Marbled flounder Matsukawa-karei – Barfin flounder Same-karei – Shark flounder, aka roughscale sole Kawahagi – Thread-sail filefish, often served with its liver Kochi – Flathead Mahata/Hata – Grouper, aka rock cod Aka-hata – Red grouper, aka blacktip grouper Ao-hata – Yellow grouper Houki-hata – Comet grouper, found in Ise Suzuki – Sea bass Seigo – Young sea bass Medium–Full Bodied White Fish Ainame – Fat greenling, very rare Amadai – Tilefish Aka-amadai – Red or horsehead tilefish Shiro-amadai – White tilefish Hakkaku – Dragon fish, aka sailfin poacher Hamachi – Yellowtail, goes by different names depending on age/size (Wakashi → Inada → Warasa → Buri) Buri – Adult yellowtail Kanburi – Winter yellowtail, fattier from Toyama Bay in Himi Hiramasa – Yellowtail amberjack Houbou – Spiny red gurnard, very rare Ibodai – Japanese butterfish Ishidai – Striped beakfish, aka barred knifejaw Kamasu – Barracuda Kanpachi – Greater amberjack, not baby yellowtail Kisu – Japanese whiting Kue/Ara – Longtooth grouper Nodoguro – Adult rosy seabass, aka blackthroat seaperch Aka-mutsu – Young nodoguro Kuromutsu – Japanese bluefish Shima-aji – Striped jack Soi - Rockfish Kinki – Thornyhead rockfish Kurosoi – Black rockfish Tai – Sea bream or snapper
(Less Common Types
Ebisudai/Yoroidai – Japanese soldierfish Aka-amadai – Red sea bream Aodai – Blue sea bream, aka Japanese snapper Itoyoridai – Golden threadfin bream Kinmedai – Golden eye snapper Kurodai – Black snapper Madai – Japanese red sea bream, aka Pacific barrelfish Sakuradai – Cherry blossom sea bream
Silver-Skinned Fish (Hikari Mono) Aji – Horse mackerel Iwashi – Sardine Kaiwari – White fin trevally Kasugodai – Young sea bream Kibinago – Silver-stripe round herring Kisu – Japanese whiting Kohada – Gizzard shad; indicator of skill Shinko – Baby kohada Managatsuo – Butterfish, aka silver pomfret Mehikari – Greeneye Nishin – Pacific herring Saba – Mackerel Nama-saba – Raw mackerel Shime-saba – Cured mackerel Sanma – Pacific saury, aka pike mackerel Sawara – Spanish mackerel Sagoshi – Young Spanish mackerel Sayori – Needlefish, aka Japanese halfbeak Kannuki – Large needlefish Tachiuo – Beltfish
Long Fish (Nagamono) Anago – Salt-water conger eel Noresore – Baby conger eel Hamo – Conger pike eel Unagi – Freshwater eel, not used in sushi Yagara – cornetfish Aka-yagara – Red cornetfish
Inkfish Ika – Squid Aori-ika – Bigfin reef squid Hotaru-ika – Firefly squid Sumi-Ika – Cuttlefish, most common Shin-Ika – Baby cuttlefish Yari-ika – Spear Squid Tako – Octopus Mizudako – Giant Pacific Octopus Namadako – Raw Octopus Yudedako – Boiled Octopus Takowasa – Sakana made of boiled sliced octopus with wasabi |
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Red-Fleshed Fish (Akami) Maguro – Tuna Binnaga/Bincho/Shiro maguro – Albacore tuna Katsuo – Bonito, aka skipjack tuna Koshinaga maguro – Longtail tuna Kihada maguro – Yellowfin tuna (aka Ahi tuna) Mebachi/Bachi maguro – Big-eye tuna (aka Ahi tuna) Minami maguro – Southern bluefin tuna Kuro maguro/Hon maguro – Pacific or Atlantic bluefin tuna (the good stuff) Chiai– Dark red bloody meat, rarely used in sushi Chiai-gishi Akami – Lean meat Akami zuke – Marinated akami Toro – Fatty meat Chutoro – Medium-fatty cut, typically from the back Otoro – Fatty cut, typically from the belly Kamatoro – Very fatty marbled cut from the jaw/jowl Dandara Shimofuri Sunazuri Hagashi Toro Jabara Toro Kawagishi Toro – Meat that is scraped from the bone or skin, similar in texture to negitoro Negitoro – Finely chopped fatty tuna commonly mixed with scallions Setoro – Meat from the back area closest to the dorsal fin, a type of wakaremi Noten/Hachinomi – Meat from the top of the head Tossaki – Meat from the base of the head Hohoniku – Cheek meat from below the eye, often grilled Nakaochi – Tuna rib Nakaochi Scrape – Tuna rib/back meat scraped off from the bones Tenpa/Tenmi – Lean meat from near the spine Wakaremi – Meat found at the root of the dorsal fin, very rare Onomi – Meat from the tail/dorsal fin Hireshita – Scraped meat from right above the first pectoral fin Meji – Baby bluefin tuna, < 1 year old Chubou – Young bluefin tuna, 2–5 years old
Shellfish (Kairui) Akagai – Ark–shell clam, aka red clam Himo – Mantle around the meat of the clam Aoyagi – Red clam or orange clam Awabi – Abalone; often served with its own liver sauce Hamaguri – Hard clam Hashira – Shellfish adductor muscle Hokkigai – Surf clam Hotate – Scallop Kaibashira – Adductor muscle, sometimes referred to as baby scallops Kaki – Oyster Mategai – Razor clam Mirugai – Giant clam or geoduck Sazae – Horned turban shell Tairagai – Pen shell, similar in consistency to scallops Torigai – Japanese cockle Tsubugai – Whelk
Crustaceans (Kokakurui) Ebi – Shrimp Ama-ebi – Sweet shrimp Ao-ebi – Blue shrimp from New Caledonia, not found in Japan Botan-ebi – Spot prawn Gasu-ebi – Rustling sweet shrimp found mainly in Kanazawa Ise-ebi – Japanese spiny lobster Kuruma-ebi – Japanese tiger prawn Odori-ebi – “Dancing shrimp,” preparation where shrimp are served live Sakura-ebi – Tiny pink shrimp Shako – Mantis shrimp Shiba-ebi – Small grey prawn Shima-ebi – Hokkai shrimp, aka Morotoge or striped shrimp Shiro-ebi – Small white shrimp Tenaga-ebi – Long-armed shrimp, aka giant freshwater prawns Kani – Crab (Other Crab Species
Snow Crab (Opilio/Bairdi - Worldwide) Hanasaki-gani – Hanasaki crab, a red spikey king crab from Nemuro Kani-miso – Crab brain and innards Ke-gani – Hokkaido hairy crab, aka horsehair crab Mokuzu-gani – Japanese mitten crab Sawa-gani – Japanese freshwater crab Taraba-gani – Red king crab Takaashi-gani – Japanese spider crab Watari-gani – Japanese blue crab Zuwai-gani – Snow crab, has verious names based on the region of origin Matsuba-gani/Kano-gani – Male snow crab, “pine-leaf crab” Seko-gani/Koppe-gani – Femal snow crab Kobako-gani – Prized “flavor box” female snow crab from Kanazawa Taiza-gani – Very rare snow crabs from Taiza port in Kyoto
Roe (Gyoran) Ikura – Salmon roe Sujiko – Ikura in it’s sac Karasumi – Dried and cured mullet roe, softer version of bottarga Borako – Fresh mullet roe Kazunoko – Herring roe, often dried and pressed into blocks Kimo – Liver, often served as a otsumami or as a topping/sauce Ankimo – Monkfish liver Tarako – Salted sacks of cod roe, not typically used in sushi Mentaiko/Karashi Mentaiko – Tarako from Alaska pollack roe seasoned with chili peppers Shirako – Cod sperm sacs Shiokara – Sakana made of fermented squid entrails Uni – Sea urchin gonads Aka uni – Red sea urchin, short spines, found off of Kyushu Bafun uni – Green sea urchin, short spines, found in deeper waters off of Honshu Ezo-bafun uni – Prized bafun uni from Hokkaido Murasaki uni – Purple sea urchin, longer spines, larger lighter colored roe, found in the waters off of Honshu Kita-Murasaki uni – Prized Muraskai uni from Hokkaido Shirahige uni – White “collector” uni, found in the waters around Okinawa Other California – Purple (Murasaki) and Red (Giant Murasaki) Maine – Green (Giant Bafun) Caribbean – White (Shiro) Chilean – Red (Chiriuni) European – Purple (Murasaki)
Other Gari – Sliced pickled ginger, served as a palate cleanser between nigiri Tamago – Sweet egg omelette served at the end of a meal; indicator of skill
Other Common Fish Not Typically Used in Sushi Ayu – Sweetfish Gindara – Black cod, aka sablefish Kujira – Whale Masu – Trout Niji-masu – Rainbow trout Sakura-masu – Cherry blossom trout Amago – Sea or lake red spotted trout Satsuki-masu – River red spotted trout Umi-masu – Ocean trout Sake – Salmon Shirauo – Japanese icefish, aka whitebait Shishamo – Willow leaf fish, a type of smelt Tobiuo – Flying fish Other
Akasita – Red tonguefish |
