Hamachi 101

Please take a moment to learn about some of our
Japanese fine cuisine terms.

Sushi a La Cart

aji - horse mackerel
akagai - ark shell
ama-ebi - raw sweet 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
hotate - 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 shrimp
oshinko - Japanese pickles
neta - sushi topping
wasabi - Japanese horseradish
gari - pickled ginger
shoyu - soy sauce