Sushi Complete Guide: Types, Etiquette, and Home Recipes

Introduction

Sushi is Japan’s most internationally famous food — but most non-Japanese have only met one tip of the iceberg. This guide walks through every major type, how to eat each correctly, and how to make a few at home.

Types of sushi

Nigiri

Hand-pressed sushi rice with a slice of fish on top. The most classic and difficult to make well — the rice should hold together when picked up but fall apart in your mouth.

Common toppings:

Maki (rolled sushi)

Rice and fillings rolled in nori seaweed.

• Hosomaki — thin roll, single filling (e.g. tekkamaki = tuna)
• Futomaki — fat roll, multiple fillings, often vegetarian
• Uramaki — inside-out roll (rice on outside) — popular abroad as “California roll”, rare in Japan

Temaki (hand rolls)

Cone-shaped hand rolls, eat immediately so the nori stays crispy.

Chirashi

Scattered sushi — a bowl of vinegared rice topped with assorted sashimi and vegetables.

Inari

Sweet seasoned tofu pouches stuffed with rice. Vegetarian and beloved by kids.

How to eat sushi (etiquette)

1. Eat in one bite — never bite a piece in half
2. Hands or chopsticks both fine for nigiri; chopsticks only for maki
3. Dip the fish side, not the rice side, into soy sauce
4. Don’t mix wasabi into soy sauce — chefs already added wasabi between the fish and rice
5. Eat ginger between pieces to cleanse your palate, not on top of sushi
6. No need to flip the piece to get fish onto your tongue — just eat normally
7. Tamago last is traditional; try sweeter pieces at the end
8. Don’t ask the chef for “California roll” at a traditional sushi-ya — different cuisine

Conveyor-belt sushi (kaiten-zushi)

Big chains: Sushiro, Kura Sushi, Hama-zushi. Plates ¥110-¥300 each.

How it works:

• Sit at a counter, plates pass by on a conveyor
• Take what you want as it goes by
• For specific orders, use the touchscreen tablet
• Plates have colour-coded prices
• Pay at the end based on plate count

Tips:

• Off-conveyor orders are fresher — touchscreen-ordered pieces come straight from the kitchen
• Eat tuna, salmon, shrimp for best value — exotic items are often hit or miss
• Try seasonal items — chains rotate them weekly
• Family-friendly; great first sushi experience for kids

How to make sushi rice (the foundation)

The rice is more important than the fish. Get this right and home sushi is achievable.

Recipe (4 servings)

• 2 cups Japanese short-grain rice (Koshihikari or similar)
• 2.2 cups water
• 60ml rice vinegar
• 30g sugar
• 5g salt

Method

1. Wash rice 5 times in cold water until water runs clear
2. Drain in sieve 30 minutes
3. Cook in rice cooker or pot (1:1.1 water ratio)
4. Whisk vinegar + sugar + salt in a small saucepan over low heat until dissolved (don’t boil)
5. Spread cooked rice in a wide bowl, pour vinegar mixture over while fanning to cool
6. Fold (don’t stir) with a wooden paddle
7. Keep covered with damp cloth until use — never refrigerate, it ruins the texture

Common mistakes

• Too much water when cooking → mushy rice
• Vinegar mixture not dissolved → grainy texture
• Refrigerating → rice goes hard
• Stirring instead of folding → broken grains

Easy first sushi to make at home

California-style maki (uramaki)

Approachable for beginners. You’ll need a bamboo mat (makisu).

Ingredients:

• Sushi rice (above)
• Nori seaweed (toasted)
• Imitation crab sticks (or real crab)
• Avocado, sliced
• Cucumber, julienned
• Sesame seeds

Method:

1. Place nori on mat, shiny side down
2. Spread thin layer of rice across, leaving 1cm at far edge
3. Sprinkle sesame, flip nori (rice side down)
4. Place fillings near the close edge
5. Roll firmly using the mat
6. Slice with a wet, sharp knife into 8 pieces

Where to buy ingredients

• Sushi rice: Asian supermarket — look for “short-grain” or “premium Japanese rice”
• Nori: Pre-toasted sheets, any Asian section
• Sushi-grade fish: “Sushi grade” or “sashimi grade” labelling at Japanese supermarkets, frozen-then-thawed often safer than fresh for raw consumption
• Sushi vinegar: Mizkan brand pre-mixed seasoned vinegar saves a step

Summary

Sushi at home is more about technique than ingredients. Master the rice and you’re 70% there. For maki rolls, you can make excellent sushi in 30 minutes with $15 of ingredients. For real nigiri, watching a sushi chef work for years is a different journey — eat that out.

Related:

• Tokyo Travel Guide
• How to Make Ramen
• Japan etiquette