The Story of Sushi (35 page)

futo-maki

big roll: a traditional sushi roll made with a full sheet of nori on the outside and several ingredients inside

hoso-maki

thin roll: a traditional sushi roll made with a half sheet of nori on the outside and a single ingredient inside

kappa-maki

cucumber roll: a type of
hoso-maki

tekka-maki

tuna roll: a type of
hoso-maki

te-maki

hand roll: a quick sushi roll made without a bamboo mat, in the shape of a cone

ura-maki

inside-out roll: an American-style sushi roll made with the nori on the inside of the rice instead of the outside

akami

red-meat tuna cut

ama-ebi

raw sweet shrimp

anago

saltwater eel

buri

mature yellowtail

ch
toro

medium-fatty tuna cut

dashi

broth of kelp and bonito flakes

d
mo arigat

thank you

ebi

boiled tiger shrimp

Edomae-zushi

the fast-food style of sushi from Japan’s old city of Edo (now Tokyo) that developed in the 1800s and that has become the predominate style of sushi in Japan and around the globe

engawa

the adductor fin muscle of flatfish, a delicacy in Japan

funa-zushi

an old style of sushi in which carp are packed in rice and left to ferment

gari

pickled ginger

gezakana

low-class fish

hako-zushi

box sushi

hamachi

farmed yellowtail

hikari mono

“shiny things”: the category of fish that sushi chefs serve with the shiny skin still attached

hirame

a category of flatfish generally considered desirable for sushi

ika

squid

ikura

salmon eggs

irasshaimase

(pronounced ee•ra•shai•mah•say) welcome

kaiseki

traditional multi-course Japanese meal

kanpachi

lean yellowtail, usually wild-caught

kanpai

bottoms up

karei

a category of flatfish generally considered less desirable for sushi

katsura-muki

column peel, a cutting technique that sushi chefs use on cucumbers and giant radishes

k
ji

mold used to ferment food and liquor

konbu

kelp

konnichiwa

hello

kusa

“grass”: sushi chef slang for nori

maguro

tuna

makisu

bamboo mat for rolling sushi rolls

mirin

sweet Japanese cooking liqour

mirugai

giant clam

nare-zushi

the original form of sushi, in which fish is packed in rice and left to ferment

neta

seafood toppings used for sushi

nigiri

rectangular, hand-squeezed pieces of sushi

nikiri

the chef’s “house” soy sauce, augmented with dashi, sake, and mirin

nori

seaweed sheets made of pressed and dried laver

ny
tai-mori

sushi served atop a naked woman

ohaiy
gozaimasu

good morning

okimari

ordering the set meal, usually a sushi sampler

okonomi

ordering sushi piece by piece

omakase

letting the chef decide what to serve

toro

very-fatty tuna cut

saba

mackerel

sashimi

raw fish (or meat) served without rice

sengiri

julienne

shari

“Buddha’s bones,” sushi chef slang for rice

shiokara

fish or squid fermented in its own guts

shiso

perilla leaf

sushi

rice seasoned with vinegar, sugar, and salt and topped with, or wrapped around, a variety of seafood and other ingredients

tai

sea bream (also snapper, sea bass)

tako

octopus

toro

fatty tuna cut

umami

savoriness

unagi

freshwater eel

uni

sea urchin