There are several different types of food that fall under the comprehensive category of what we as Americans call ‘sushi’. The best-known variety, makizushi, is a long roll consisting of rice, nori, and fillings that has been cut into 6-8 pieces. Nigiri usually consists of just a piece of raw fish on top of a piece of rice. Sashimi is just a piece of raw fish.
Makizushi is normally divided into two varieties. Futomaki, or ‘fat sushi’ consists of a layer of nori on the outside, then sticky rice, then at least two different fillings in the middle. Hosomaki, or ‘thin maki’, usually consists of a single ingredient in the middle, usually a piece of raw fish, although vegetables and fruits can be used. If the nori is rolled inside the roll instead of showing on the outside, it is called uramaki or inside-out maki. This was done first because Americans didn’t like to see green nori on the outside of the roll.
Some of the most common varieties of maki rolls have emerged especially to appeal to and satisfy Western cuisines and palates. These are not technically considered authentic Japanese sushi, but they are very popular and can be quite tasty.
The most common and “westernized” recipe for maki rolls is the California roll. The California roll is usually made upside down and has imitation crab, cucumber, and avocado. The outside of the roll is sometimes covered with tobiko or flying fish roe. The California roll is popular because it is considered “risk-free” sushi, as it contains no raw fish. It grew out of a Japanese sushi chef in Los Angeles in the 1970s who realized that avacodo’s oily texture was a perfect substitute for raw tuna, which the original recipe called for. The California Roll is credited with spreading the popularity of sushi in the United States.
A common variant of the California roll is the Boston roll. In the Boston roll, the imitation crab meat is replaced with poached shrimp. Cucumber, avocado, rice and nori remain the same. Hot sauce is often added to a Boston roll, either in the roll on top.
A spicy shrimp roll is another variation on traditional sushi that is sure to appeal more to Westernized palates. It uses poached shrimp, like the Boston roll, but the shrimp are diced instead of whole. The hot sauce is now required, and the avocado is replaced with sliced scallions. Spicy shrimp roll is usually made as a thick outside roll, but can also be rolled as a hand roll or boat roll. It is sometimes topped with thinly sliced myoga.
The tuna roll is one of the easiest types of maki sushi to prepare. In Japanese, it is known as tekkimaki. It only consists of sushi rice, nori, and sashimi-grade tuna (raw tuna). The tuna roll is traditionally rolled on the outside thick or thin, depending on preference.
Dynamite rolls are a different take on a traditional tuna roll. In fusion sushi, dynamite refers to something spicy. Dynamite rolls are tuna rolls with spicy mayonnaise drizzled on them. The mayonnaise is then burned with a chef’s torch.
The spicy tuna roll is a little less basic than the regular tuna roll. It’s made with tuna cutouts prepared in a spicy tuna mix instead of tuna slices. Spicy tuna is made with tuna trimmings, scallions, chili oil, and a bit of Japanese mayonnaise. Cream can also be added to minced tuna to make the consistency silkier. It is then combined with cucumber bits to make a traditional spicy tuna roll. It is usually rolled up as a thick outside roll.
The Tijuana roll is served as a thin outside roll. It is made up of thinly sliced yellowtail tuna and sliced jalapeno peppers. You don’t need wasabi because the jalapeno is already hot.
The spider roll is an especially strange-looking sushi roll made with tempura-fried soft-shell crab rolled on its own. It is usually rolled up as a thick outside roll with the legs facing out.
The Michigan roll is a variation of the traditional spicy tuna roll that has smelt spicy roe and avocado sauce to balance the spicy flavor of the tuna. It is usually rolled up as a thick outside roll.
Besides maki rolls, another common type of sushi is nigiri sushi. Nigiri sushi doesn’t always have nori, like maki rolls, and usually just consists of a piece of raw fish on a ball of sushi rice. Different sauces or condiments can be used, but essentially it’s just some kind of raw fish and sushi rice.