Sushi is one of Japan’s best-known foods, but it is also one of the most misunderstood. Many people think sushi simply means raw fish. In reality, the defining element of sushi is the vinegared sushi rice.
Sushi is made by combining vinegared sushi rice with seafood, vegetables, egg, seaweed, or other ingredients. Some sushi contains raw fish, some uses cooked ingredients, and some contains no fish at all.
This guide explains what sushi actually is, the main types of sushi, how it is eaten in Japan, and the craftsmanship behind creating great sushi.
If you want to learn more about Japanese food culture, see our beginner’s guide to Washoku.
What does sushi actually mean?
The word sushi refers to dishes made with seasoned sushi rice. This rice is called shari in sushi restaurants and is typically seasoned with rice vinegar, salt, and sugar.
The topping or filling is often called neta. Neta may be tuna, sea bream, shrimp, squid, sea urchin, egg, vegetables, or many other ingredients.
This means that raw fish by itself is not sushi. Thinly sliced raw fish served without sushi rice is called sashimi.
Sushi is about the balance between rice and topping
At a good sushi restaurant, the fish may attract the most attention, but the rice is just as important.
The temperature, firmness, acidity, sweetness, amount of vinegar, and size of the rice all affect the final bite. The topping must then be prepared to work with that rice.
A sushi chef may adjust the thickness of a slice, apply soy sauce, add wasabi, lightly salt the fish, cure it with kombu, marinate it, or briefly sear the surface.
The goal is not simply to serve the freshest raw fish possible. The goal is to create balance between the rice, the toppings, the seasoning, the texture, and the temperature.
The main types of sushi
There are many regional and traditional forms of sushi, but beginners will encounter several major styles most often.
Nigiri
Nigiri is probably the style most people imagine when they think of traditional sushi. A small portion of sushi rice is shaped by hand and topped with an ingredient such as tuna, white fish, shrimp, squid, or eel.
Wasabi may be placed between the rice and topping, and the chef may apply soy sauce or another seasoning before serving it.
Maki
Maki, or rolled sushi, is made by rolling sushi rice and ingredients together, usually with a sheet of nori seaweed.
There are thin rolls called hosomaki and thicker rolls called futomaki. Common fillings include tuna, cucumber, pickled vegetables, and many other ingredients.
Temaki
Temaki is hand-rolled sushi. Nori is formed into a cone and filled with sushi rice and ingredients.
It is normally eaten with the hands soon after it is made so that the nori remains crisp.
Gunkan
Gunkan, meaning “battleship,” uses a small mound of sushi rice wrapped around the sides with nori.
This shape is useful for soft or loose toppings such as sea urchin, salmon roe, or chopped seafood that cannot easily sit on top of ordinary nigiri.
Chirashi
Chirashi sushi is a bowl or box of sushi rice topped with a variety of ingredients. The exact style differs by region and restaurant.
It can be an easy way to enjoy several types of seafood and seasonal ingredients in one dish.
Is all sushi raw?
No. Sushi does not have to contain raw fish.
Some classic sushi ingredients are cooked, simmered, grilled, steamed, or cured. Examples include cooked shrimp, eel, octopus, egg, and various vegetables.
Even fish that appears raw may have been prepared before serving. Traditional sushi techniques include salting, marinating, curing with vinegar, aging, and kombu curing.
Preparation is an important part of sushi craftsmanship.
Sushi and sashimi are not the same thing
The difference is simple:
- Sushi includes seasoned sushi rice.
- Sashimi is sliced seafood or other ingredients served without sushi rice.
A slice of tuna by itself is sashimi. The same tuna placed over seasoned sushi rice can become nigiri sushi.
What is shari?
Shari is the term commonly used for sushi rice in sushi restaurants.
Different chefs use different rice varieties and vinegar blends. Some prefer a light and delicate seasoning, while others use red vinegar made from sake lees to create deeper color and stronger flavor.
The rice is normally served around body temperature rather than refrigerator-cold. This is one reason freshly prepared sushi can taste very different from pre-packaged sushi.
What is neta?
Neta refers to the ingredient paired with the sushi rice, particularly the topping used for nigiri.
Tuna, sea bream, mackerel, squid, shrimp, shellfish, sea urchin, and eel are familiar examples, but the possibilities are much broader.
Seasonality matters. Many sushi chefs change their selections throughout the year according to which fish and seafood are at their best.
How sushi is eaten in Japan
Both chopsticks and your hands are acceptable for eating nigiri sushi. At traditional sushi counters, eating nigiri with your fingers is completely normal.
If the chef has already brushed the sushi with sauce, you generally do not need to add more soy sauce.
When soy sauce is provided, avoid soaking the rice in it. Too much soy sauce can overpower the balance created by the chef and may cause the rice to fall apart.
What about wasabi?
At many traditional sushi restaurants, the chef places an appropriate amount of wasabi between the topping and the rice.
The amount may vary depending on the type of fish and its preparation.
In casual restaurants, additional wasabi may be provided separately. It is fine to adjust the flavor to your preference, but at a chef-led sushi counter it is worth tasting the sushi as served first.
What is gari?
The thin slices of pickled ginger served with sushi are called gari.
Gari is generally eaten between pieces of sushi rather than placed directly on top of them. Its sharp, refreshing flavor helps cleanse the palate before the next piece.
Do you need to eat sushi in a particular order?
There is no universal rule requiring every diner to follow the same sequence.
However, an omakase course is usually arranged deliberately by the chef. Lighter flavors may appear before richer fish, and temperature, fat content, texture, and seasoning can all influence the order.
When eating an omakase meal, following the chef’s serving order is usually the best approach.
What is omakase sushi?
Omakase means roughly “I leave it up to you.” At a sushi restaurant, an omakase meal allows the chef to select and serve the dishes based on the season, available ingredients, and the progression of the meal.
An omakase course may include appetizers, sashimi, grilled dishes, nigiri, soup, and other items. It does not necessarily mean nigiri only.
Is expensive sushi always better?
Price can reflect ingredient quality, location, sourcing, preparation time, service, and the chef’s experience, but price alone does not determine whether sushi is good.
Excellent sushi depends on many details: the rice, preparation of the fish, knife work, temperature, seasoning, timing, and balance of each bite.
Japan also has many enjoyable casual sushi options, including neighborhood sushi restaurants, standing sushi counters, and conveyor-belt sushi.
What beginners should pay attention to
If you are trying good sushi for the first time, do not focus only on whether the fish tastes fresh.
Pay attention to:
- the temperature and texture of the rice
- the balance between rice and topping
- how the fish has been cut or prepared
- the amount of soy sauce and wasabi
- differences between lean and fatty fish
- seasonal ingredients
- how the flavor changes from one piece to the next
These details are a large part of what makes sushi interesting.
Sushi is both food and craftsmanship
Sushi can be simple, casual food or a highly refined dining experience. At its core, however, the idea remains surprisingly straightforward: seasoned rice combined with carefully chosen ingredients.
What makes sushi special is the precision behind that simplicity. Rice, seafood, seasoning, temperature, knife work, and timing all come together in a single bite.
Once you understand that sushi is not simply “raw fish,” it becomes much easier to appreciate the different styles, ingredients, and traditions found across Japan.
