There are several different types of food that fall into the general 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 generally consists of just a piece of raw fish on a piece of rice. Sashimi is just a piece of raw fish.

Makizushi is normally divided into two varieties. Futomaki, or ‘fatty sushi’ consists of a layer of nori on the outside, then sticky rice, then at least two different fillings in between. 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 maki from the inside out. This was done first because Americans did not like to see the green nori on the outside of the roll.

Some of the more common varieties of maki rolls have emerged especially to appeal to and satisfy Western cuisine and palates. Technically these are not considered authentic Japanese sushi, but they are very popular and can be very tasty.

The most common and ‘westernized’ recipe for maki rolls is the California roll. The California roll is usually made upside down and contains faux crab, cucumber, and avocado. The exterior of the roll is sometimes covered with tobiko or flying fish roe. The California roll is popular because it is considered a “no risk” sushi, because it does not have raw fish. It emerged from a Japanese sushi chef in Los Angeles in the 1970s who realized that the oily texture of avacodo was a perfect substitute for raw tuna, which required the original recipe. 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. On the Boston roll, the imitation crab meat is replaced with poached shrimp. Cucumber, avocado, rice, and nori remain the same. Often times, hot sauce is added to a Boston roll, either on the roll on top.

A spicy shrimp roll is another variation on traditional sushi that is sure to appeal more to westernized palates. Use poached shrimp, like the Boston roll, but the shrimp are diced rather than whole. Now the hot sauce is required and the avocado is replaced with sliced ​​chives. The spicy shrimp roll is usually made as a thick outer roll, but it can also be rolled as a hand roll or a boat roll. It is sometimes covered with thinly sliced ​​myoga.

The tuna roll is one of the simplest types of sushi maki to prepare. In Japanese, it is known as tekkimaki. It only consists of sushi rice, nori, and sashimi quality tuna (raw tuna). The tuna roll is traditionally rolled out thick or thin, depending on preference.

Dynamite rolls are a different version of a traditional tuna roll. In sushi fusion, dynamite refers to something spicy. Dynamite rolls are tuna rolls with spicy mayo 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 is made from tuna trimmings prepared in a spicy tuna mix instead of tuna slices. The spicy tuna is made with garnishes of tuna, chives, chili oil, and a bit of Japanese mayonnaise. To the minced tuna you can also add cream to make the consistency more silky. It is then combined with diced cucumber to make a traditional spicy tuna roll. It is usually rolled up as a thick outer roll.

The Tijuana roll is served as an exterior thin roll. It consists of thinly sliced ​​yellowtail tuna and sliced ​​jalapeno peppers. You don’t need wasabi because the jalapeno is already spicy.

The spider roll is an especially strange looking sushi roll made with fried soft shell crab in tempura rolled up on its own. It is usually rolled as a thick outer roll with the legs facing out.

The Michigan roll is a variation on the traditional spicy tuna roll that has smelled spicy roe and avocado sauce to balance the spiciness of the tuna. It is usually rolled up as a thick outer roll.

Aside from 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 sushi rice ball. Different sauces or seasonings can be used, but essentially it’s just some kind of raw fish and sushi rice.