Many of us are quite familiar with sushi, it is one of Japan’s most well-known culinary exports after all, or at least we think we are.

The iconic nigirshi sushi, with its simple slice of fish nestled atop a ball of rice, and makizushi, rolls of ingredients wrapped up in rice and nori seaweed, are fairly common nowadays, but those two styles of sushi don’t capture the full range of preparations and styles of sushi in Japan.

Familiar and lesser-known sushi 

Nigiri

Arguably the most recognizable form of sushi, nigiri gets its name from the way the itamae, or sushi chef, gently squeezes the fish or other topping onto the ball of rice it rests upon. These toppings, known as neta, run the gamut of seafood from fish to shellfish, and even a special roll made from egg. In Japan when one refers to sushi, they are usually talking about nigiri. Contemporary iterations can include things like beef, chicken, and buttered corn as well.

Makizushi

Another icon of sushi, makizushi, or rolled sushi, come in different styles and include a wide variety of fillings from pickles to vegetable to seafood and meat. The basic Western type of makizushi takes the form of the infamous California roll, where the ingredients are wrapped up within a sheet of nori with the rice on the outside.

When the nori is placed down first and the rice and ingredients added next, you have uramaki, ura meaning the opposite side as the nori is now on the outside. One popular style of uramaki are futomaki, roughly meaning fat sushi or thick sushi. Generally speaking, these are what one is referring to in Japan when talking about makimono, sushi rolls.

Temaki

Sharing a resemblance to an ice cream cone, temaki are quite simple to prepare and can also be quite filling. They get their name from the way one holds and wraps them in their hand, or te in Japanese. To do so, all one does is wrap a sheet of nori into a cone shape and fill it with rice and other toppings.

Gunkanmaki

Another recognizable style of sushi, gunkanmaki are named such because they resemble a battleship, or gunkan. They are made by surrounding a ball of rice with a small sheet of nori that stands up over the top of the rice, creating a space to add the fillings. Ingredients like uni (sea urchin) and ikura (salmon roe) need the support of nori so they don’t spill over the edge of the rice.

Temari

Similar to nigiri, temari (literally hand ball) are small, round balls of rice with a thin layer of fish or other ingredient pressed upon the top. They are highly decorative and less common than nigiri, usually being served at festive occasions or on picnics.

Chirashizushi

Chirashizushi (chirashi meaning scattered) is one of the simpler yet more decorative styles of sushi. It consists of a bowl of seasoned sushi rice, known as shari, topped with an array of ingredients. These ingredients change based on the season and the region, though they generally include a local seafood.

Kakinoha

Hailing from Nara in the western part of Japan, kakinoha zushi, or persimmon leaf sushi, is a unique style similar to others throughout Japan. In these styles, ingredients are set atop seasoned rice and firmly pressed into rectangular molds. They are then cut into bite-sized pieces and individually wrapped in leaves. In the case of kakinoha, these leaves are from persimmon trees, and the typical ingredients are cured mackerel, trout, or salmon.

Oshizushi

Also known as box sushi, oshizushi, or pressed sushi, is a type of sushi made using a mold, just like kakinoha zushi, in which the ingredients are pressed together before being cut into pieces. The toppings can either be quite simple, like cured fish, or can be decoratively arranged into stunning designs.

Inakazushi

Named after the humble inaka, or countryside, inakazushi is a unique style of sushi that replaces the raw fish and seafood of nigiri with pickles and vegetables. Toppings usually include myoga (Japanese ginger), menma (bamboo shoots), daikon radish, konnyaku (a jelly-like dish made from the root of the konjac plant), shiitake, and a special roll known as inarizushi in which a ball of sushi rice is stuffed into a pocket of fried tofu known as aburaage.

Narezushi

Considered by many to be the centuries old origin of modern sushi, narezushi is an ancient dish of fermented fish. While the tradition of fermenting fish in this way has mostly been abandoned, one type of narezushi called funazushi can still be found in Shiga Prefecture. Each year fresh carp are caught, descaled, gutted, and de-gilled. High quality salt is then packed into the gill cavities before the fish are placed in containers, traditionally wooden barrels, and left to ferment for sixth months. They are then removed and thoroughly rinsed and dried before returning to the barrel with freshly cooked rice to ferment for at least another year.

About the author: The spark that lit Kevin Kilcoyne’s interest in Japanese culture began in elementary school through a friendship with his then classmate Keisuke. Since then, that passion has evolved and bloomed to encompass more than just video games and manga, leading Kevin to live in Japan as a participant of the JET program. During his time in Japan, Kevin sought out as many foods as he could, the experiences and taste memories lingering long after they had gone. Now he is forging a path to link his passions for Japanese food, history, and visual culture and is planning for his return to live in Japan once again. For now, you can find Kevin on Instagram (@waruishouten) where he posts his photography and illustration work. Keep an eye out for more posts and updates as Kevin delves more deeply into his passions for writing and food.