|
|
|
|
 |
 For some people, heaven is a Kobe steak; for others, it’s exquisite sushi like this tuna tataki (the equivalent of tartare) with ikura (salmon roe), wasabi-flavored tobiko (capelin roe) and nori flakes (seaweed). Photo by Kelly Cline | IST.
|
|
Product Reviews / Main Nibbles / Fish, Seafood & CaviarTypes Of Sushi & SashimiAnd A Glossary Of Sushi & Sashimi Terms
Sushi has gone from being an exotic food to one that is found almost everywhere in America. Learn the types of fish and much more in our comprehensive guide to sushi and sashimi.
The Difference Between Sushi And SashimiSushi is a dish made of vinegared rice combined with seafood, vegetables, egg and, in the world of nouvelle cuisine, other items from beef to barbecue chicken. Sushi does not mean “raw fish,” but “vinegar[ed] rice.” While much of the fish used to make sushi is raw, some of the items are blanched, boiled, broiled, marinated or sautéed. Sushi was originally developed as a snack food—as the story goes, to serve at gambling parlors so the gamblers could take quick bites without stopping the action. There are three principal types of sushi served in the U.S.:
There are other styles of sushi not often found in this country, for example, Oshi-sushi, squares of pressed rice topped with vinegared or cooked fish, and fukusa-sushi, wrapped in a thin egg crepe.
While this is not meant to be a glossary of Japanese food in general, we’ve included definitions of other items that often accompany a sushi meal. We have not included definitions for every type of fish, but only those that are generally available in the U.S. We’ve also included some phrases to say to the sushi chef. If you’d like to suggest additional words, or think we should consider other definitions than those we have provided, let us know. You may also enjoy one of our 40-plus other food glossaries. You can click on the letter of the alphabet in the bar below to get to a term a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Abalone or Awabi: The “king of clams,” has exquisite pearlized coloring on the inside of its shell that is used for jewelry and decorative items. The meat has a crisp, chewy texture.
Aji: Spanish mackerel, also known as horse mackerel. It is fillet marinated in vinegar to cure it before serving. Ahi: Ahi tuna is also known as big-eye and yellow-fin (not to be confused yellowtail, or hamachi, which is not tuna but a different species). Ahi is also used for tuna tataki (see photo at top left), and is frequently the type of tuna served seared. Photo above, of ahi tuna, by Robert Simon | IST.
Ama-ebi: Sweet shrimp, served raw. If it is served with the deep-fried shells of the shrimp they are to be eaten as well. Photo of ama-ebi, at right, by Radu Razvan | IST. Amberjack: Hamachi or yellowtail. American Sushi: California Rolls, Philadelphia Rolls, Spicy Rolls, Spider Rolls, even Salmon Skin Rolls were born in the U.S.A. Read more about them under the individual listings. Anago: Salt water eel, a.k.a. conger eel. Salt water eel is less fleshy and rich than fresh water eel (unagi), but “richness” is a relative term: As apple lovers enjoy different varieties of apples, eel fanciers welcome both types. Eel is not served raw, but is pre- Ana-kyu-maki: Eel and cucumber rolls (the salt water eel, anago). Ankimo: Monkfish liver, generally served in a marinade. The Japanese “foie gras,” but much more affordable! Awabi: Abalone. Aoyagi: Yellow round clam. Bakagai: Orange clam, a beautiful orange color, like a creamsicle. They are harvested off of Long Island; the adductor muscle of the clam is called kobashira and is served separately as a “boat roll.” Battera-sushi: Oshi-zushi topped with mackerel. Beef Sushi: Top quality beef, including wagyu, is served as sushi, both raw and cooked. Sliced very thin, it is absolutely delicious (and one our favorite ways to eat wagyu, cooked and raw). Blowfish: See Fugu. Bonito: Bonito, also known as skipjack tuna (an all-dark-meat tuna), is eaten as a cooked fish, but is also smoked and dried into a popular Japanese seasoning called katsuo-bushi. Dried bonito flakes are used to make stock for miso soup, stews, sauces, dips and other foods. In sushi bars, they are often used as a garnish atop mackerel sushi, spinach and other dishes. Buri: Older yellowtail. Younger yellowtail are called hamachi. Hamachi is unusual in that the same fish is called by a different a name at different stages of life. Buri Toro: Fatty yellowtail, the belly strip of the fish. Given the fatty richness of yellowtail to begin with, this is an extremely rich piece of fish with a buttery flavor. It is a delicacy and rarely found in the average sushi bar.
Continue To Glossary Page 2, Definitions C To E Return To Glossary Index Bar, Above
© Copyright 2005- 2008 Lifestyle Direct, Inc. All rights reserved. Images are the copyright of their respective owners.
|
|
|
 |
|
Spread The Word: Each icon below links to a site where you can bookmark, share and comment on this article:
|
Aburage: A rectangular, fried bean curd (tofu) pouch used for inari sushi. They are prepared by cooking the bean curd in mirin (sweet cooking saké), shoyu (soy sauce) and water.
Akagai: Red clam.
boiled and then freshly grilled prior to serving. In Japan, each restaurant is judged by its anago, since the recipe each uses to steam, boil, marinate and grill differs. Most of our anago supply comes from Japan.