There are more than 20,000 sushi restaurants in Japan.
When you hear the word “sushi,” the first thing that usually comes to mind is “nigirizushi.
However, there are many other types of sushi besides nigirizushi.
This article delves into the many types of “sushi” throughout Japan.
Types of Sushi
Nigiri-zushi
Also called Edomae-zushi, this is the most common form of sushi.
It consists of bite-sized pieces of vinegared rice coated with wasabi and topped with a variety of seafood.
Makizushi
Rolled sushi is made by spreading rice on a sheet of nori (seaweed) and placing seafood on top of the rice.
In addition to nori, shaved kelp can also be used as a substitute for the roll.
Hosomaki, Chumaki, and Futomaki
The term “makizushi” varies depending on the thickness of the roll.
Hosomaki” is generally made with a single ingredient, such as nattomaki, kanpyoumaki, and kappamaki (rolled cucumber).
The “futomaki,” which is larger in size, is often made with ingredients such as fried eggs, cucumbers, dried gourds, dried shiitake mushrooms, sakuradenbu, carrots, and so on.
The “middle roll,” which is between the thick and thin rolls, is famous for ehomaki and salad rolls, and mainly consists of several seafood items.
In all of the above rolls, the nori is usually on the outermost side of the sushi roll.
Hand-rolled sushi
Hand-rolled sushi is a type of sushi that does not use a maki-zushi mat, but instead rolls the rice and ingredients by hand with the nori seaweed.
It is often served at home parties.
Ingredients are not only seafood, but also vegetables, meat, fried foods, and tempura.
Gunkan-maki
A sushi rice ball is rolled with nori (seaweed) around the sushi rice, and the ingredients are placed on top of the rice.
In many cases, ingredients such as salmon roe and sea urchin, which tend to fall apart easily in nigirizushi, are placed on top.
In modern times, including at conveyor-belt sushi restaurants, a wide variety of ingredients are available, such as “negitoro, albacore, white fish, crab miso, tuna salad, natto (fermented soybeans), corn…” and so on.
Inari Sushi
Inari Sushi is also called “Inari-san,” and is made by stuffing fried tofu with vinegared rice.
The name comes from the fact that the favorite food of the foxes enshrined at the Inari Shrine is deep-fried tofu.
Chirashi Sushi
Chirashi-zushi, which is often made at home, consists of a variety of ingredients scattered over a bed of vinegared rice.
Some are made with seafood as the main ingredient, while others are made with shiitake mushrooms, kanpyo (dried gourd-shaped fish paste), denbu (dried shiitake mushrooms), or broiled egg.
Chirashizushi is a staple menu item during the Girls’ Festival on March 3, an event to celebrate the healthy growth of girls.
Oshizushi
There are several types of oshizushi, which is not nigirizushi but pressed into a mold.
Some of them are unique to each region, but the most famous are “Battera-zushi” in Osaka, “Trout-zushi” in Toyama Prefecture, and “Saba-zushi” which is often found in the Kansai and Chugoku regions.
Nare-zushi
Nare-zushi is said to be the beginning of sushi.
It is also called nare-zushi or nare-zushi.
It is made by mixing fish with salt and rice, preserving it for a long period of time, and fermenting it with lactic acid.
Each region has its own unique flavor, with Shiga Prefecture’s funa-zushi being the most famous.
In addition to funa (crucian carp), carp, ayu (sweetfish), hokke (dried bonito), kipper, and salmon are also used to make funa-zushi.
Chakinzushi
Chakin-zushi is a Tokyo-born original sushi made with go-moku vinegared rice wrapped in a thinly fried egg, and is often served at the Dolls’ Festival.
Rural Sushi
The various types of sushi introduced above are still mostly made with marine products and seafood.
However, a local dish called “inaka-zushi” from the mountainous areas of Kochi Prefecture is mainly made with mountain products.
Sushi is made with rice flavored with yuzu vinegar, and ingredients such as bamboo shoots, shiitake mushrooms, konnyaku, myoga, and wild vegetables and pickles such as royal fern, itadori, zuiki, and shibazuke (pickled radish) are used.
In addition to nigirizushi, makizushi, oshizushi, and inarizushi are also available.
Conclusion
As mentioned above, there are many different types of sushi.
There are also some unique regional variations that we have not been able to introduce, so if you are interested in learning more, please check them out.
There is also a difference in the way “sushi” is written, such as “寿司,” “鮨,” and “鮓.
