Sushi is now worldwise known Japanese food, yet it's not so commonly known Sushi has just a general name and there are many kinds of Sushi in Japan.
Sushi is written in Japanese as 寿司 but this is actually a substitute character and is also written as 鮨 or 鮓. The first character 鮨 means vinegared rice or fish and the latter 鮓 means fermented fish or rice, both came from the original style of Sushi. Sushi was a preserved food which dates back to the 4B.C in the Southeast Asia. It was around the 8th century when the idea of Sushi was introduced to Japan and it changed its style a little, which people started eating half raw fish with the rice.
Here are the types of Sushi.
Nigiri-zushi
In the early 19th century it was invented in Edo as a fast food. Since all the fish used for this sushi came from the Tokyo Bay, it was called Edo-mae-zushi (Sushi from the sea in front of Edo) and still is called that way.
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Gunkan-maki
Some ingredients such as sea urchin or salmon roe are difficult to make Nigiri and Gunkan-maki is invented for those. Gunkan means warship in Japanese. With Nori (seaweeds) around it, it does look a ship.
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Temaki-zushi
This is a typical home party style sushi that you can make your own sushi. Temaki means wrap with the hand in Japanese and as it says you pick your favorite ingredients and wrap with Nori. You can also order in Suhi restaurant.
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Futomaki-zushi
One of the types of Maki. Futomaki menas fat roll in Japanes and as you can see, there are many ingredients inside a roll. Often they make patterns as they layout the ingredients and when it's cut it appears like the photo. These are called "Kazari-zushi" (decorated sushi).
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Chuumaki-zushi
The difference from Futomaki is Chuumaki has only a few ingredients including some seafoods. Chuu means medium size in Japanese and with the recent healthy boom, salad roll can be seen often.
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Hosomaki-zushi
This is the standard maki served in Sushi restaurant in Japan. Usually it has only one ingredients such as cucumber (Kappa-maki), Negitoro (minced tuna and leak) or Natto-maki (fermented soybeans).
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Kaisen-Don
This is not really a type of Sushi but is commonly seen in the restaurant. Kaisen means fresh seafood and Don is a bowl in Japanese.
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Chirashi-zushi
This is the most common Sushi which is made at both Sushi restaurants and home. The ingredients put over the vinegared rice is various, shiitake mushroom, fine cut eggs, shrimps, salmon roe etc.. Chirashi is often made for the celebration.
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Oshizushi
Instead of making a shushi one by one, this Sushi is made in a box like a cake. Oshizushi means pressured Sushi and as you see in the photo below, put the rice and fish in this wooden mold and press it until the ingredients gets stuck together. This is also called Battera, originally made in Kansai area in Japan (western part of Japan) and mackerel and kelp are usually used but recently there is one with salmon which is made in Hokkaido (the most noth island in Japan).
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Saba-zushi
The method is the same as Battera and the difference is Sabazushi is wrapped in bamboo leaves instead of putting in a wooden box. Saba is mackerel in Japanese.
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Masu-zushi
A type of Oshi-zushi, made in a box made of bamboo and wrapped in the bamboo leaves. Masu is trout in Japanese and this Masu-zushi is a specila product of Toyama prefecture in Japan.
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Inari-zushi
This is another Sushi which is made at home quite often. The rice is wrapped in a deep-fried bean curd, slightly sweet taste. Sometimes the rice is mixed with other ingredients like the photo.
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So now, which Sushi you feel like eating for lunch?
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