Sushi 101
A Layman’s Guide to Sushi
by Mike Straus
Sushi keeps growing in popularity everyday and today even some of my friends that thought that raw fish is for bait now are eating and enjoying Sushi. If you are a Sushi beginner, its language can be overwhelming to you, so we’ve tried to put together a quick guide to sushi including the various types and what are the various types of rolls and the English names for the types of fish in them.
For more advance Sushi eaters or those who want to know more about it, I recommend going to a great website called Sushi FAQ http://www.sushifaq.com/
To keep it very simple, you can have an individual piece of fish on a piece of rice (NIGRI) or a roll (MAKI). Well it isn’t just that simple, so below is a quick guide to the various type of SUSHI.
MOST COMMON TYPES OF SUSHI
Maki Sushi is the term used for the various types of sushi rolls. Maki consists of fish, vegetables, rice, and seaweed rolled together and cut into bite-sized pieces. The fish is always placed in the middle, but depending on the type of roll, either the seaweed or the rice may be the outer layer. There are also vegetarian sushi rolls available at many places, which substitute a vegetable such as cucumber in place of the fish.
Nigiri Sushi is extremely popular. The dish consists of a hand-formed bed of rice topped with a thin piece of fish. This dish combines the flavorful nature of the fish with a beautiful handmade presentation.
Temaki sushi is similar to maki sushi. The difference is that the roll is not cut into pieces. A good temaki roll is wrapped tightly and creates a cone shape.
Inari sushi consists of fried pouches of tofu, called aburage, that are stuffed with sushi rice. Aburage is also used in other dishes, such as some miso soups.
Shasimi - Sashimi is thinly sliced, raw seafood. Many different kinds of fresh fish and seafood are served raw in the Japanese cuisine.
OTHER TYPES OF SUSHI
Bara Sushi – The vinegar rice and ingredients are mixed as a salad
Chirashi Sushi – The rice bed has various layers of fish and is served in a bowl called
Futomaki – This is a large Maki roll that has many different ingredients using Nori, which is a seaweed wrap
Okonomi Sushi – This is home-style Nigiri
Onigiri – This Sushi is made with regular steamed rice and rolled into a ball with other ingredients
Oshizushi – Vinegar rice and other ingredients of choice pressed into a mold
What Does That Mean
This list translates the Japanese name to English and tells you what is in some of the most popular rolls.
Amaebi – Sweet shrimp
Boston Rolls – Crab, salmon, and scallion
California – Crab and avocado
Ebi – Shrimp
Egg Salad Rolls – Hard-boiled eggs, mayonnaise, and green onion strips
Hamachi – Yellow Tail
Hirame – Halibut
Holiday Rolls – Turkey, cranberry salsa, and cream cheese strips
Hotate – Scallop
Ika – Squid
Ikura – Salmon roe
Kani – Crab
Kappa Ma – Cucumber
Maguro – Tuna
Masago – Smelt Roe
Mirugai – Giant clam
New York Rolls – Smoked salmon, apple, and avocado
Pesto Rolls – Turkey or chicken, cream cheese strips, and pesto
Philadelphia Rolls – Smoked salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese strips
Saba – Mackerel
Sake – Salmon
Shrimp Rolls – Shrimp and cream cheese strips
Smoked Salmon Rolls – Smoked salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese strips
Spider Roll
Summer Melon Rolls – Prosciutto and melon strips
Tako – Octopus
Tai – Red snapper
Tamago – Egg
Tekka Maki – Tuna Roll
Temaki – Spicy tuna
Texas Rolls – Cooked beef, cucumber, and spinach leaves
Toro – Fatty Tuna
Tuna Salad Rolls – Tuna salad and lettuce leaves
Unagi – Eel
Uni – Sea urchin
Veggie Rolls – Pesto, cucumber, tomato, mushrooms, scrambled egg, scallions
This third list includes other ingredients that are commonly used for Sushi:
Short-grain white rice
Nori (seaweed)
Mirin (sweet rice wine)
Seasoned rice vinegar
Prawns
Barbecue or regular eel
Caviar
Albacore
Avocado
Alpha or bean sprouts
Asparagus
Shitake mushrooms
Cream cheese
Tempura batter
As you can see, Sushi is not simply rice and fish. While you can create any ingredient combination that sounds appealing to you, the one thing you want to do is maintain the integrity of this Asian food. This means serving the Sushi with a choice of soy sauce or wasabi, along with either pickled ginger or green tea as a way to cleanse the palette.
Our Two Favorite West Cobb Sushi Bars
Thai Basil/Sushi Zen - Acworth- This area favorite’s name is confusing but yes, it is a combination sushi bar and Thai restaurant. They recently introduced a new Thai menu with all the old favorites and a number of new Thai dishes you won’t find at other WC Thai restaurants. One of their new appetizers is called Mike’s Steam Roll, which, yes is named after yours truly. Make sure you don’t forget about their Monday evening $1 Sushi Specials. It runs every Monday night from 4:30- 6:30 PM. , 3330 Cobb Pkwy NW, Acworth, (770) 975-8909, www.thaibasilsushizen.com
Thaicoon Thai and Sushi Bar, Marietta Square This is a beautiful Thai restaurant that also has a wonderful full Sushi bar. Many people feel that they are the best place for both Sushi and Thai in all of Cobb. The Thai menu has almost any Thai dish that you will find in Atlanta. Their Sushi is very fresh and they offer lots of interesting specialty rolls. At lunch they offer a specially priced lunch menu featuring both Thai dishes and Sushi. Lunch Monday- Saturday and Dinner Dailey , 34 Mill Street NW, Marietta, (678) 766-0641, www.thaicoonsushi.com
