Sushi Terminology
(And pronunciation guide)
 

Over the years we have tried to make this the most comprehensive list of terminology for foods one might find in a Japanese restaurant. We have tried to include items found in sushi, sashimi, courses, beverages, and accompaniments. You may notice that some of these items are links. Click on these links to go to a page devoted to that particular item to learn more about it and view images. While we have worked hard, this list is by no means complete and we would love to hear any suggestion for additions from viewers out there. Please contact us with anything you would like us to include that we may have missed. Thank you.

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Abura Bouzu (ah-boo-rah boh-zoo) or Abura Sokomutsu (ah-boo-rah soh-koh-moo-tsoo) - This is Escolar (Oilfish) and sometimes called Shiro Maguro, although it is not tuna and should not be confused with that fish. Bright white in color and quite fatty, this fish is not always easy to find. Due to the high levels of fatty esters, this particular fish may cause digestive issues with some individuals, and for that reason has been prohibited in Japan since the 1970's. If your body can tolerate it, the creamy texture and clean taste can be quite appealing.

Aburage (ah-boo-rah-ah-geh) - Fried tofu pouches usually prepared by cooking in sweet cooking sake, shoyu, and dashi. Used in various dishes, in Miso Shiru and for Inari Zushi.

Aemono (ah-eh-moh-noh) - Vegetables  (sometimes meats) mixed with a dressing or sauce.

Agari (ah-gah-ree) - A Japanese sushi-bar term for green tea.

Agemono (ah-geh-moh-noh) - Fried foods -- either deep-fat fried or pan-fried.

Ahi (aaa-hee) - Yellowfin Tuna.

Aji (ah-jee) - Horse mackerel, Jack Mackerel (less fishy tasting than Spanish mackerel). Purportedly this is not actually a mackerel, but member of the Jack family. It is small - about 6" in length - and they fillet it and serve marinated in vinegar.

Aji-no-moto (ah-jee-no-moh-toh) - Monosodium glutamate (MSG).

Aka miso (ah-ka-mee-soh) - Red soy bean paste.

Akagai (ah-ka-gah-ee) - Pepitona clam, red in colour, not always available.

Ama Ebi (ah-mah-eh-bee) - Sweet Shrimp, Red Prawns. Always served raw on nigirizushi. Sometimes served with the deep-fried shells of the shrimp. Eat the shells like you would crayfish.

An (ahn) - Sweetened puree of cooked red beans. Also called Anko. Not to be confused with Monkfish.

Anago (ah-nah-goh) - Salt water eel (a type of conger eel) pre-cooked (boiled) and then grilled before serving, less rich than unagi (fresh water eel).

Ankimo (ahn-kee-moh) -  Monkfish liver, usually served cold after being steamed or poached in sake.

Anko (ahn-koh) - Monkfish.

Aoyagi (ah-oh-yah-gee) - Round clam. Also called Hen Clam.sur

Awabi (ah-wah-bee) - abalone. 

Ayu (ah-yoo) - Sweetfish. A small member of the trout family indigenous to Japan, usually grilled.

Azuki (ah-zoo-kee) - Small red beans used to make an. Azuki connotes uncooked form.

Beni shoga (beh-nee shoh-gah)- Red pickled ginger. Used for Inari Zushi, Futomaki, and Chirashizushi, but not for Nigirizushi.

Bonito (bo-nee-toh) - See Katsuo (kah-tsoo-oh).

Buri (boo-ree) - Yellowtail. Hamachi refers to the young yellowtail and Buri are the older ones.

Buri Toro (boo-ree toh-roh) - Fatty Yellowtail. The belly strip of the yellowtail. Incredibly rich with a nice buttery flavour.

Butaniku (boo-ta-nee-koo) - Pork. Buta means pig.

California Roll - A California roll is an american style maki (roll) created in California for the American palate. It usually consists of kamaboko (imitation crab meat) and avocado, sometimes including cucumber.

Chikuwa (chee-koo-wah) - Browned fish cake with a hole running through its length.

Chirashi-zushi (chee-ra-shee-zoo-shee) - translates as "scattered sushi", a bowl or box of sushi rice topped with a variety of sashimi. 

Chutoro (choo-toh-roh) - The belly area of the tuna along the side of the fish between the Akami and the Otoro. Often preferred because it is fatty but not as fatty as Otoro.

Daikon (Dah-ee-kohn) - giant white radish, usually served grated as garnish for sashimi.

Dashi (dah-shee) - Basic soup and cooking stock usually made from, or from a combination of Iriko (dried Anchovies), Konbu (type of Kelp) and Katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes). However any form of stock can be called “dashi”.

Donburi –(dohn-boo-ree) - A large bowl for noodle and rice dishes. Also refers specifically to a rice dish served in such a large bowl with with the main items placed on top of the rice, Examples include Tendon (Tenpura Donburi) and Unadon (Unagi Donburi).

Ebi (eh-bee) - Shrimp. Not the same as Sweet Shrimp, as Ebi is cooked, while Ami Ebi is served in raw form.

Edamame (eh-dah-mah-meh) - Young green soybeans served steamed and salted and usually still in the pod.

Fugu (foo-goo) - Fugu is puffer fish which is a delicacy, though its innards and blood contain extremely poisonous tetrodotoxin. In Japan only licensed fugu chefs are allowed to prepare fugu or puffer fish.

Fuki (foo-kee) - Fuki is a Japanese butterbur plant which contains a bitter substance called "fukinon" (a kind of ketone compound), but upon blanching fukinon is easily washed out from its petioles (edible parts) and is prepared for an excellent Japanese vegetable dish.

Futo-Maki (foo-toh-mah-kee) - Big, oversized rolls.

Gari (gah-ree) - Pickled ginger (the pink or off-white stuff) that comes along with Sushi.

Gobo (goh-boh) - Long, slender burdock root.

Gohan (goh-hahn) - Plain boiled rice.

Goma (goh-mah) - Sesame seeds.

Gunkan-maki (goon-kahn-mah-kee) - Battleship roll. This is where the maki is rolled to form a container for the liquid or soft neta. Used for oysters, uni, quail eggs, ikura, tobiko, etc...

Gyoza (gi-yoh-zah) - A filled wanton dumpling that has been either fried or boiled. Shumai (shoo-mai) (another type) is always steamed

Ha-Gatsuo (ha gat-soo-oh) - Skipjack tuna. This meat is similar to bonito but is a lighter, pinker product.

Hamachi (hah-mah-chee) - Young Yellowtail tuna, or amberjack, worth asking for if not on menu. 

Hamaguri  (hah-mah-goo-ree) - Hard shell Clam. Includes American littlenecks and cherrystones.

Hamo (hah-moh) - Pike Conger Eel. Indigenous to Japan.

Hanakatsuo (hah-nah-kah-tsoo-oh) - Dried bonito fish, shaved or flaked. Usually sold in a bag. Also called Katsuobushi (bonito flakes).

Harusame (hah-roo-sah-meh) - Thin, transparent bean gelatin noodles.

Hashi (hah-shee) - Chopsticks. Also called O-Hashi.

Hatahata (hah-tah-hah-tah) - Sandfish. Indigenous to Northern Japan.

Hijiki (hee-jee-kee) -  Black seaweed in tiny threads.

Hirame (hee-rah-meh) - Fluke or summer flounder.

Hikari-mono (hee-kah-ree-mo-no) - A comprehensive term for all the shiny fish. However usually refers to the shiny oily fish, such as Aji, Iwashi, Sanma, Kohada.

Himo (hee-moh) - The fringe around the outer part of any clam.

Hocho (hoh-choh) - General Japanese term for cooking knives. Can be classified as Traditional Japanese style (Wa-bocho) or Western style (yo-bocho)

Hokkigai (hohk-kee-gah-ee) - Surf Clam (also called Hokkyokugai). Sort of a thorn-shaped piece, with red coloring on one side.

Hotate-Gai (hoh-tah-teh-gah-ee) - Scallops.

Ika (ee-kah) - Squid. As sushi or sashimi the body is eaten raw and the tentacles are usually served parboiled then grilled or toasted.

Inada (ee-nah-dah) - Very young yellowtail.

Inari-Zushi (ee-nah-ree-zoo-shee) - Aburage stuffed with sushi rice.

Kaibashira (kah-ee-bah-shee-rah) - large scallops, actually giant clam adductor muscle, though often scallops are served, much like cooked scallops but more tender and sweeter. Kobashiri are small scallops and like kaibashira may or may not come from scallops or other bivalves. 

Kajiki (kah-jee-kee) - Billfish including Swordfish and Marlins. Swordfish specifically is called Me-Kajiki or Kajiki-Maguro.

Kaki (kah-kee) - Oysters.

Kampyo (kahn-piyoh) - Dried gourd. Unprepared is a light tan color. Prepared it’s a translucent brown. It comes in long strips, shaped like fettuccine.  

Karei (kah-reh-ee) - Flounder.

Katsuo (kah-tsoo-oh) - Bonito. It is usually found in sushi bars on the West Coast because it lives in the Pacific Ocean, and doesn't freeze very well. Sometimes confused with Skipjack Tuna, which is incorrect as Skipjack Tuna is called "ha-gatsuo."

Katsuobushi (kah-tsoo-oh boo-shi) - Bonito flakes. Smoked and dried blocks of skipjack tuna (katsuo) that are shaved and uses usually to make dashi, or stock.

Kamaboko (kah-mah-boh-ko) - Imitation crab meat (also called surimi) usually made from pollack. Generally used in California rolls and other maki, it's not the same thing as "soft shell crab."

Kani (kah-nee) - Crab meat. The real stuff. Always served cooked, much better if cooked fresh but usually cooked and then frozen.  

Kohada (koh-hah-dah) - Japanese shad (or young punctatus, it's Latin species name). Kohada is the name when marinated and used as sushi neta. Prior to this the fish is called Konoshiro (ko-no-shee-roh).

Kuro goma (koo-roh-goh-mah) - Black sesame seeds.

Maguro (mah-goo-roh) - Tuna, which is sold as different cuts for the consumer, listed below in order of increasing fattiness:

Akami (ah-kah-me) - the leaner flesh from the sides of the fish. If you ask for 'maguro' at a restaurant you will get this cut.
Chutoro (choo-toh-roh) - The belly area of the tuna along the side of the fish between the Akami and the Otoro. Often preferred because it is fatty but not as fatty as Otoro.
Otoro (oh-toh-roh) - The fattiest portion of the tuna, found on the underside of the fish.

Toro (toh-roh) is the generic term for the fatty part of the tuna (either chutoro or otoro) versus the 'akami' portion of the cut.

Makisu (mah-kee-soo) - Mat made of bamboo strips to create make-zushi.

Maki-zushi (mah-kee-zoo-shee) - The rice and seaweed rolls with fish and/or vegetables. Most maki places the nori on the outside, but some, like the California and rainbow rolls, place the rice on the outside.

Matoudai (mah-toh-dai) - John Dory.

Mirin (mee-rin) - Sweet rice wine for cooking.

Mirugai (mee-roo-ghai) - Geoduck or horseneck clam, slightly crunchy and sweet.  

Miso (mee-soh) - Soy bean paste.

Moyashi (moh-yah-shee) - Bean sprouts.

Murasaki (moo-rah-sah-kee) - meaning “purple” an old “sushi term” for Shoyu.

Namako (nah-mah-koh) - Sea cucumber. This is much harder to find in North America than in Japan. As a variation, the pickled/cured entrails, konowata (koh-noh-wah-tah), can be found for the more adventurous diners. The liver, anago no kimo (ah-nah-goh noh kee-moh) is served standalone as well.

Nasu (nah-soo) - Eggplant. Also called Nasubi.

Natto (naht-toh) - Fermented soy beans. (Not just for breakfast anymore) Very strong smell and taste, also slimy. Most people don't like it. Order it once, if for no other reason that to see the confused look of the chef.

Negi (neh-gee) - Green Onion. Scallion. Round onion is called Tama-negi.

Neta (neh-tah) - The piece of fish that is placed on top of the sushi rice for nigiri.

Nigiri-zushi (nee-ghee-ree-zoo-shee) - The little fingers of rice topped with wasabi and a filet of raw or cooked fish or shellfish. Generally the most common form of sushi you will see outside of Japan..

Nori (noh-ree) - Sheets of dried seaweed used in maki.

Odori ebi (oh-doh-ree-eh-bee) - ('Dancing shrimp')- large prawns served still alive.

Oshibori (oh-shee-boh-ree) - The wet towel one cleans one's hands with before the meal.

Ocha (oh-chah) - Tea.

Ohyo (oh-hyoh) - Halibut. Also called Karasu Garei.

Ono (oh-noh) - Wahoo. As much fun to catch as to eat, ono (Hawaiian for 'delicious') has a very white flesh with a delicate consistency, similar to a white hamachi (yellowtail).

Oshibako (oh-shee-bah-koh) - Used for pressing the sushi to make Oshi-zushi.

Oshi-zushi (oh-shww-zoo-shee) - Sushi made from rice pressed in a box or mold.

Ponzu (pohn-zoo) - Sauce made with soy sauce, dashi and Japanese citron, such as Yuzu or Sudachi.

Ramen  (rah-mehn) - 'Instant' noodles, created by extrusion and often bought in packets for easy preparation. Chinese style noodles served in broth in a bowl. Traditional Japanese “fast food.” Instant ramen invented in the 1960s and now found worldwide. Today Cup-Ramen which is even easier to make is popular worldwide.