Because you find it difficult to understand the menu at your neighborhood sushi restaurant, even though you adore sushi, you usually don’t veer too far from your usual order. Making courageous decisions can be challenging, therefore we’d want to try and assist you.

Let’s talk about different sushi types.

1. Sashimi

Sashimi is raw seafood that has been thinly sliced. Given the expertise needed to prepare sashimi accurately, it should not be surprising that this variety is preferred by sushi experts. 

2. Nigiri

The hand-pressed bed of rice that makes up a nigiri is often topped with a single piece of fish or some other kind of seafood. Even though the seafood is the main attraction in this dish, the vinegared sushi rice also has a significant impact by enhancing the overall experience by adding complexity and texture.

3. Maki

Most likely, when you think about sushi, a maki roll comes to mind. This particular style of sushi has a sheet of nori (seaweed), which is wrapped around the sushi rice to help keep the rice and the sushi filling in the center contained. If you stick to maki rolls, you won’t lack for variety because there are options for vegetarians and vegans as well as seafood that is both raw and cooked. If there is no extra sauce or glaze, professionals advise eating the maki as is or dipping the pieces in soy sauce. Maki rolls, which are cut into six or eight pieces, are perfect for sharing.

4. Uramaki

Although uramaki and maki share many similarities, their primary distinction is in the composition. A sushi filling and a sheet of nori are placed in the middle of an inside-out roll known as a uramaki.

5. Temaki

Because temaki is a particularly entertaining variety of sushi that is supposed to be eaten with your hands—and yes, it will be messy—put down your chopsticks and grab a stack of napkins. Typically, a neat cone-shaped bundle with a combination of vegetables, fish, and sauces will be either presented on a plate or placed within a cup.

6. Gunkan

In Japanese, the word “gunkan” means “ship,” and this is exactly how this kind of sushi looks. The ingredients for gunkan are described as: sushi wrapped around a little bed of rice and topping…[with] seaweed establishing a barrier to confine the desired topping and rice forming the base upon which the topping lays.