Sushi Dictionary

Sushi a la carte
aji -- horse mackerel
akagai -- ark shell
ama-ebi -- raw shrimp
anago -- conger eel
aoyagi -- round clam
awabi -- abalone
ayu -- sweetfish
buri -- adult yellowtail
chUtoro -- marbled tuna belly
ebi -- boiled shrimp
hamachi -- young yellowtail
hamaguri -- clam
hamo -- pike conger; sea eel
hatahata -- sandfish
hikari-mono -- various kinds of "shiny" fish, such as mackerel
himo -- "fringe" around an ark shell
hirame -- flounder
hokkigai -- surf clam
hotategai -- scallop
ika -- squid
ikura -- salmon roe
inada -- very young yellowtail
kaibashira -- eye of scallop or shellfish valve muscles
kaiware -- daikon-radish sprouts
kajiki -- swordfish
kani -- crab
kanpachi -- very young yellowtail
karei -- flatfish
katsuo -- bonito
kazunoko -- herring roe
kohada -- gizzard shad
kuruma-ebi -- prawn
maguro -- tuna
makajiki -- blue marlin
masu -- trout
meji (maguro) -- young tuna
mekajiki -- swordfish
mirugai -- surf clam
negi-toro -- tuna belly and chopped green onion
ni-ika -- squid simmered in a soy-flavored stock
nori-tama -- sweetened egg wrapped in dried seaweed
Otoro -- fatty portion of tuna belly
saba -- mackerel
sake -- salmon
sawara -- Spanish mackerel
sayori -- (springtime) halfbeak
seigo -- young sea bass
shako -- mantis shrimp
shima-aji -- another variety of aji
shime-saba -- mackerel (marinated)
shiromi -- seasonal "white meat" fish
suzuki -- sea bass
tai -- sea bream
tairagai -- razor-shell clam
tako -- octopus
tamago -- sweet egg custard wrapped in dried seaweed
torigai -- cockle
toro -- choice tuna belly
tsubugai -- Japanese "tsubugai" shellfish
uni -- sea urchin roe
Maki-zushi (sushi rolls)
maki-mono -- vinegared rice and fish (or other ingredients) rolled in nori seaweed
tekka-maki -- tuna-filled maki-zushi
kappa-maki -- cucumber-filled maki-zushi
tekkappa-maki -- selection of both tuna and cucumber rolls
oshinko-maki -- -pickled-daikon (radish) rolls
kaiware-maki -- daikon-sprout roll
umejiso-maki -- Japanese ume plum and perilla-leaf roll
negitoro-maki -- scallion-and-tuna roll
chUtoro-maki -- marbled-tuna roll
Otoro-maki -- fatty-tuna roll
kanpyo-maki -- pickled-gourd rolls
futo-maki -- a fat roll filled with rice, sweetened cooked egg, pickled gourd, and bits of vegetables
nori-maki -- same as kanpyo-maki; in Osaka, same as futo-maki
natto-maki -- sticky, strong-tasting fermented-soybean rolls
ana-kyU-maki -- conger eel-and-cucumber rolls
temaki -- hand-rolled cones made from dried seaweed
maguro-temaki -- tuna temaki
Other sushi terms
nigiri(-zushi) -- pieces of raw fish over vinegared rice balls
Edomae-zushi -- same as nigiri-zushi
chirashi(-zushi) -- assorted raw fish and vegetables over rice
tekka-don -- pieces of raw tuna over rice
sashimi -- raw fish (without rice)
chakin-zushi -- vinegared rice wrapped in a thin egg crepe
inari-zushi -- vinegared rice and vegetables wrapped in a bag of fried tofu
oshi-zushi -- Osaka-style sushi: squares of pressed rice topped with vinegared/cooked fish
battera(-zushi) -- oshi-zushi topped with mackerel
-tataki -- pounded, almost raw fish
odori-ebi -- live ("dancing") shrimp
oshinko -- Japanese pickles
neta -- sushi topping
wasabi -- Japanese horseradish
gari -- vinegared ginger
shOyu -- soy sauce