We all love sushi — it’s the very definition of beauty in simplicity. Still, despite being a pretty straightforward dish, sushi is immensely sophisticated.
Sushi is incredibly varied too. There’s a wide variety of sushi in all flavors, sizes and presentations, and the only thing they have in common is terrific fish and shellfish.
Seafood in Japan is a big deal, and the country’s love for the sea treasures is a constant reminder that we should all eat more seafood. It’s not only healthier, but also delicious! Here are the most popular sushi styles in Japan.
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Nigiri
Perhaps the most Instagrammable of all types of sushi, the nigiri, is also the most straightforward — a fluffy glutinous rice pillow topped with your preferred seafood. Tuna, salmon, shrimp, eel, squid or octopus, everything goes, and they’re all as nice-looking as they are tasty.
Nigiri sushi is hand-shaped, often by sushi masters, authentic artists that make bites of heavenly bliss from the simplest ingredients. Sometimes, nigiri is more sophisticated than it looks. There might be a spicy dub of wasabi on the rice, or chefs might torch the fish slightly to give the sushi a smokey personality.
The best part? With fresh seafood, you can make your own nigiri at home, and with practice, you might find yourself making edible works of art.
Maki
We all know maki sushi too. The famous sushi rolls are filled with a wide variety of ingredients, including veggies like cucumber, bamboo shoots, and of course, delicious seafood.
Maki sushi is rolled with a bamboo mat, and a green seaweed sheet, called nori, holds everything together. The uramaki is the sticky inside-out roll, which is easy to identify because it has the rice is exposed.
As for the fillings, sushi chefs can be quite creative, especially in the west, where they make them with cream cheese, avocado, mango, and even cheese. As for the seafood, anything goes, salmon, tuna, shrimp, crab, the sky’s the limit!
Temaki
This cone-shaped sushi style is the perfect grab-and-go fishy snack. The green nori seaweed sheets act like a wrapper that holds together glutinous rice, veggies and seafood.
A temaki is a pretty satisfying meal of about four inches, but you must enjoy it fast. The seaweed sheet will eventually get soggy. There’s good news, though; you don’t have to worry about handling chopsticks for this one; just eat it with your hands; temaki means hand roll, after all!
When you eat your favorite seafood in such a simple, natural way, you know it doesn’t get any better than that. Order yours filled with your favorite sashimi.
Futomaki
This type of sushi is quite a sight to behold; we’re talking about the jumbo-sized sushi rolls. Authentic fist-sized slices of delicious rice, seaweed, cucumber, avocado, cream cheese, and of course, your favorite fish and seafood.
With between 2 and 2.5 inches in diameter, these sushi rolls can hold a wider variety of fillings, so this time, you don’t have to choose between shrimp and tuna; you can have them both in the same bite!
Interestingly, Japanese people eat these over-sized sushi rolls unsliced, like a sushi burrito, especially during their Spring festival. That’s a tradition we might want to consider making our own, don’t you agree?
Tempura Rolls
This modern take on sushi has gained immense popularity. If a sushi roll wasn’t delicious enough, try it coated with crispy panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried to golden perfection. Sure, it comes with a few added calories, but a treat like this is totally worth it.
This American sushi style is trending now, even in Japan, because who can say no to a crispy, seafood stuffed fried food? As for the filling, sushi chefs can play with bolder flavor combinations — scallops, spicy tuna, and even lobster can be part of this crispy treat.
Who’s Up For Some Homemade Sushi?
The coolest thing about sushi is that, although you’ll find restaurants selling a few pieces for hundreds of dollars, it is relatively inexpensive to make, and it’s easy to order fresh seafood and prepare at home, too. Okay, you probably won’t get the best results on your first try, but you do get better — sushi is noble like that.
Enjoy your favorite sushi with friends and family and share with them your newfound Japanese knowledge. Sushi is all about sharing, after all!