Types of sushi: a beginner's guide

Sushi is any dish built on vinegared rice (shari). The style tells you how it is shaped and served; the topping (neta) tells you what is on it. Here are the main styles with every piece in our guide.

Nigiri: hand-pressed rice topped with fish

• Maguro (akami)鮪
• Chūtoro中トロ
• Ōtoro大トロ
• Katsuo鰹
• Sāmonサーモン
• Buri鰤
• Kanpachi間八
• Tai鯛
• Hirame鮃
• Suzuki鱸
• Kinmedai金目鯛
• Nodoguroのどぐろ
• Kohada小鰭
• Aji鯵
• Saba鯖
• Iwashi鰯
• Sanma秋刀魚
• Hotate帆立
• Akagai赤貝
• Hokkigai北寄貝
• Ika烏賊
• Tako蛸
• Kuruma-ebi車海老
• Amaebi甘海老
• Anago穴子
• Unagi鰻
• Tamago玉子

Gunkan: "battleship" wrapped in nori

• Uni雲丹
• Ikuraいくら
• Tobikoとびこ
• Negitoroねぎとろ

Maki: rolls

• Tekkamaki鉄火巻
• Kappamakiかっぱ巻
• Kanpyōmaki干瓢巻
• Futomaki太巻き
• California rollカリフォルニア巻

Temaki: hand rolls

• Temaki手巻き

Other styles: inari, chirashi, pressed and ball sushi

• Inarizushi稲荷寿司
• Chirashizushiちらし寿司
• Batteraバッテラ
• Temarizushi手毬寿司

Next: how to eat them and when each fish is best.