Sushi Simplified

From: Foods that Harm, Foods that Heal, Reader's Digest CanadaUpdated: Mar. 20, 2019

Do you feel overwhelmed by the menu at a Japanese restaurant? Check out this guide to sushi to learn what all those terms really mean. You’ll finally be able to order what you want to eat based on the ingredients instead of the pretty colours in the picture.

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California Roll

This ever-popular roll is made up of crab, smelt, or fish roe, and avocado rolled in rice.

Ebi

If you’re not a raw seafood enthusiast try this type of sushi which is made with boiled shrimp.

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Sashimi

If you order sashimi you’ll get a platter of raw fish, chilled and sliced.

Nori

This is seaweed pressed into thin sheets, used to make norimake sushi.

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Gari

This delicate pink petal is pickled ginger. Gari helps clear the palate in between different types of fish.

Wasabi

This green paste is an extremely hot, Japanese horseradish.

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Make or Norimake

The most popular and colourful type of sushi roll, make or norimake is made with nori seaweed on the outside, a layer of rice and vegetables or other fillings in the middle.

Nigiri

A simple type of sushi made of fish, shellfish, or fish roe over rice.

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Shoyu

This term simply means Japanese soy sauce.

Gohan

This term simply refers to boiled rice.

Originally Published: January 21, 2011