The words behind the craft.

Aburi 炒り

Flame-seared topping.

A technique of briefly torching the surface of neta (often salmon or mackerel) to render fat, creating a smoky, caramelized crust while keeping the center raw.

Agari 上がり

Hot green tea served at sushi bars.

Traditionally konacha (powdered stem tea) served at the end of a meal to cleanse the palate. Ordering agari signals you are finished eating.

Chirashi 散らし

Scattered sushi bowl.

An assortment of sashimi slices and garnishes arranged over a bed of shari. Common as a lunch set in Japan, allowing chefs to showcase seasonal variety.

Deba 出刃

Heavy Japanese fish knife.

A thick-spined, single-bevel knife designed for breaking down whole fish. The heel chops through bones while the tip fillets delicate flesh.

Edomae 江戸前

Tokyo-bay style sushi.

The original sushi tradition from Edo (old Tokyo) characterized by curing, marinating, and simmering fish with vinegar, salt, and soy to preserve freshness before refrigeration existed.

Engawa 縁側

Fin muscle of flatfish.

The thin, fatty strip of muscle running along the dorsal and ventral fins of flounder or halibut. Prized for its chewy texture and rich, buttery flavor.

Gari ガリ

Pickled ginger palate cleanser.

Young ginger sliced thin and pickled in rice vinegar and sugar. Eaten between pieces to reset the palate, never on top of the sushi itself.

Gunkan 軍艦

Battleship-style sushi.

An oval mound of rice wrapped with a tall band of nori, creating a vessel to hold loose toppings like uni (sea urchin) or ikura (salmon roe) that cannot sit atop nigiri.

Hangiri 半切

Wooden rice-mixing tub.

A flat cypress wood (hinoki) tub used to season and cool shari. The wood absorbs excess moisture while the wide surface area allows rapid cooling with a fan.

Hikari-mono 光り物

Silver-skinned fish.

The category of shiny, silver-skinned fish such as mackerel (saba), sardine (iwashi), and horse mackerel (aji). Often cured with salt and vinegar in the Edomae tradition.

Ikejime 活け締め

Humane fish dispatch method.

A technique of inserting a spike into the brain of a live fish, followed by spinal cord destruction. This prevents stress hormones from degrading flesh quality and extends shelf life significantly.

Ikura いくら

Salmon roe.

Large, glistening orange eggs from salmon, marinated in soy-dashi. Served as gunkan-maki or as a topping. The word derives from the Russian word for fish eggs.

Itamae 板前

Sushi chef.

Literally meaning 'in front of the board,' itamae refers to a trained sushi chef who has completed years of apprenticeship in knife work, rice preparation, and fish selection.

Katsura-muki 桂剣

Rotary peeling technique.

A knife skill where a cylindrical vegetable (usually daikon) is peeled into one continuous paper-thin sheet by rotating it against the blade. A fundamental test of knife control.

Kohada 小鰭

Gizzard shad.

A silver-skinned fish heavily associated with Edomae tradition. Requires meticulous preparation: scaling, salting, and vinegar-curing. The degree of cure marks a chef's skill level.

Kombu 昆布

Dried kelp for dashi.

Thick dried seaweed used as the base for dashi stock and sometimes to cure fish (kombu-jime). Rich in glutamic acid, which is the source of umami flavor.

Makisu 巻き簾

Bamboo rolling mat.

A flexible mat made of thin bamboo sticks tied with cotton string, used to shape maki rolls. Available in flat-slat (for rolls) and round-slat (for tamago) versions.

Mirin 味醉

Sweet rice wine for cooking.

A Japanese condiment with about 14% alcohol and high sugar content. Used in sushi-zu, glazes, and marinades. Hon-mirin (true mirin) is brewed; aji-mirin is a cheaper substitute.

Murasaki 紫

Soy sauce (sushi-bar term).

Sushi counter slang for soy sauce, named for its deep purple-brown color. At high-end bars, the chef brushes nikiri on each piece, so murasaki is not needed at the table.

Narezushi なれずし

Ancient fermented sushi.

The original form of sushi from Southeast Asia: fish packed in salted rice and fermented for months. The rice was discarded and only the preserved fish eaten. Funazushi from Shiga prefecture still preserves this style.

Neta ネタ

Sushi topping or filling.

The ingredient placed on or inside sushi, typically raw or prepared fish. The word is backwards slang of 'tane' (seed/material). Quality neta is what distinguishes a great sushi restaurant.

Nigiri 握り

Hand-pressed sushi.

An oblong mound of shari topped with a slice of neta, formed with a series of gentle squeezes. Proper nigiri should hold together when lifted but separate easily in the mouth.

Nikiri 煮切り

Brushed soy glaze.

A blend of soy sauce, mirin, and dashi simmered to reduce and mellow the saltiness. Brushed onto nigiri by the chef so dipping is unnecessary. Each restaurant has its own formula.

Nori 海苔

Dried seaweed sheets.

Pressed and dried sheets of Porphyra algae used to wrap maki and temaki. High-quality nori is dark, glossy, and crisp. It absorbs moisture rapidly, so timing the wrap is critical.

Okonomi お好み

Order-by-choice style.

The opposite of omakase: the diner selects individual pieces from the menu. Common at casual sushi bars and conveyor-belt restaurants.

Omakase お任せ

Chef's-choice meal.

Literally 'I leave it up to you.' The chef curates a multi-course progression based on the best ingredients available that day, typically moving from lighter to richer flavors.

Oshibori お絞り

Hot hand towel.

A dampened cloth towel served warm before a meal for cleaning hands. At sushi bars, it replaces chopsticks for nigiri, which is traditionally eaten with fingers.

Oshizushi 押し寿司

Pressed box sushi.

Sushi formed in a wooden mold (oshibako) by layering toppings and rice under pressure. A specialty of Osaka (battera) with neat, geometric presentation.

Ponzu ポン酒

Citrus soy dipping sauce.

A tangy sauce made from citrus juice (yuzu or sudachi), rice vinegar, soy sauce, and dashi. Often served with tataki or as a lighter alternative to straight soy sauce.

Sabi さび

Wasabi (abbreviated).

Sushi counter shorthand for wasabi. Ordering 'sabi-nuki' means without wasabi. Real wasabi (hon-wasabi) is freshly grated from the rhizome and loses its heat within 15 minutes.

Sake 鮭

Salmon (the fish).

In sushi context, sake refers to salmon, not the rice wine (also romanized as sake/nihonshu). Raw salmon sushi is relatively modern in Japan, popularized by Norwegian marketing in the 1980s.

Sashimi 刺身

Sliced raw fish without rice.

Pristine cuts of raw seafood served alone, judged purely on knife work, freshness, and presentation. Typically served with daikon, shiso, and soy sauce.

Shamoji 杓文字

Flat rice paddle.

A wide, flat paddle (traditionally wood, now often plastic) used to fold sushi-zu into cooked rice with a cutting motion to avoid crushing grains.

Shari 舎利

Seasoned sushi rice.

Short-grain Japanese rice seasoned with sushi-zu (rice vinegar, sugar, salt) and cooled. The foundation of all sushi; a Buddhist term originally meaning 'Buddha's bones' for the white color of the grains.

Shinogi 鉎地

Knife blade ridge line.

The ridge line running along a single-bevel Japanese knife blade where the flat primary bevel meets the concave hollow. It guides food away from the blade during cuts.

Shoyu 醤油

Soy sauce.

Fermented sauce from soybeans and wheat. In sushi, lighter usukuchi or tamari is preferred. At omakase bars the chef applies nikiri directly, making table soy unnecessary.

Sushi-zu 寿司酢

Sushi vinegar seasoning.

The mixture of rice vinegar, sugar, and salt dissolved together and folded into hot rice. Ratios vary by chef but a common starting point is 1:0.5:0.25 (vinegar:sugar:salt by weight).

Tane 種

Sushi ingredient/topping.

Formal word for the main sushi ingredient. Reversed in colloquial speech to 'neta.' Encompasses all toppings from fish to egg to vegetables.

Tataki たたき

Seared exterior, raw center.

A preparation where the surface of fish (usually bonito or tuna) is briefly seared over high heat then immediately chilled, leaving the interior completely raw. Sliced and served with ponzu.

Temaki 手巻き

Hand-rolled cone sushi.

A sheet of nori rolled into a cone shape and filled with rice, fish, and vegetables. Meant to be eaten immediately while the nori is still crisp. Popular for casual home sushi parties.

Tezu 手酢

Hand-wetting vinegar water.

A mixture of water and rice vinegar used to moisten hands while shaping nigiri. Prevents rice from sticking without affecting flavor.

Toro トロ

Fatty tuna belly.

The prized belly section of bluefin tuna, graded from chu-toro (medium-fatty) to o-toro (fattiest). Melts on the tongue. One of the most expensive neta, though historically discarded as too oily.

Tsuma 穬

Sashimi garnish.

Finely shredded daikon radish served as a bed or mound beneath sashimi. Also refers to other garnishes like shiso leaves, myoga, and benibana. Functional: aids digestion and presentation.

Uni 雲丹

Sea urchin gonads.

The creamy, golden-orange reproductive organs of sea urchin. Grades range from A (firm, bright, sweet) to C. Served as gunkan or in a temaki. Prized for its ocean-sweet, custardy richness.

Uramaki 裏巻き

Inside-out roll.

A maki roll with rice on the outside and nori on the inside, often coated in sesame seeds or tobiko. An American invention (California roll era) now common worldwide.

Usuba 薄刃

Thin vegetable knife.

A single-bevel knife with a thin, flat blade designed for precision vegetable cuts: katsuramuki peeling, fine julienne, and decorative work. The Kanto-style has a squared tip.

Wasabi 山葵

Japanese horseradish.

A rhizome grated into a spicy green paste placed between neta and shari. True wasabi (Wasabia japonica) is expensive and volatile; most restaurants use horseradish dyed green.

Yanagiba 柳刃

Sashimi slicing knife.

A long, narrow, single-bevel knife (24-33cm) used in a single pulling stroke to slice fish. The willow-leaf shape creates minimal cell damage, preserving texture and appearance of each cut.

Zuke 漬け

Soy-marinated fish.

An Edomae technique of briefly marinating fish (typically tuna) in a blend of soy sauce, sake, and mirin. Originally for preservation, now valued for the depth of flavor it adds.

Akagai 赤貝

Ark shell clam.

A bivalve prized for its vivid red color and firm, slightly crunchy texture. Requires skilled cleaning and trimming. One of the classic Edomae neta.

Anago 穴子

Salt-water conger eel.

Unlike freshwater unagi, anago is lighter and more delicate. Simmered in a sweet soy broth (nitsume) then brushed with the reduced glaze. A hallmark Edomae topping.

Battera バッテラ

Pressed mackerel sushi.

An Osaka specialty: vinegar-cured mackerel pressed over rice in a wooden mold with a thin sheet of translucent kelp on top. Named from Portuguese 'bateira' (boat) for its shape.

Dashi 出汁

Japanese stock base.

The foundational broth made from kombu and katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). Provides the umami backbone for nikiri, tamago, and many sauces in sushi cuisine.

Futomaki 太巻き

Thick sushi roll.

A large-diameter maki roll using a full sheet of nori, typically containing 5-7 fillings. Often features egg, kanpyo, cucumber, and fish. Popular in bento boxes.

Hamachi ハマチ

Young yellowtail.

Farm-raised yellowtail (buri at maturity) with rich, buttery flesh. One of the most popular sushi fish outside Japan. Best in winter when fat content peaks.

Hosomaki 細巻き

Thin single-filling roll.

A narrow maki roll using half a sheet of nori with just one or two fillings (e.g., tuna=tekka-maki, cucumber=kappa-maki). The simplest roll form and a test of consistency.

Kanpyo 干瓢

Dried gourd strips.

Strips of calabash gourd, dried then reconstituted and simmered in sweetened soy. Used as a filling in futomaki and as ties for securing ingredients. A vegetarian staple of traditional sushi.

Katsuobushi 鰹節

Dried bonito flakes.

Skipjack tuna fillet that has been smoked, fermented, and dried into a block harder than wood. Shaved into flakes for dashi. The source of inosinic acid, a key umami compound.

Nimono 煮物

Simmered preparation.

In sushi context, refers to ingredients simmered in seasoned broth (anago, shiitake, kanpyo). The gentle cooking concentrates flavor while maintaining tenderness.

Tamago 玉子

Layered sweet egg omelet.

A multi-layered omelet made in a rectangular pan (makiyakinabe), sweetened with sugar and dashi. Traditionally served as the final course at omakase. Its quality is said to reveal a chef's true skill.

Tobiko 飛び子

Flying fish roe.

Small, crunchy orange eggs from flying fish. Often used to coat uramaki or as gunkan topping. Available in flavored/colored varieties: wasabi (green), yuzu (yellow), squid ink (black).

Sujime 酢締め

Vinegar-cured fish.

The process of curing fish with salt followed by rice vinegar. The duration and flavor depend on the complete recipe. Curing does not replace documented sourcing, applicable parasite controls, or careful cold handling. Associated with hikari-mono.

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