Glossary

This page contains a glossary of sushi terms and will serve as a reference for all the sushi vocabulary you will ever need to navigate trough the menu at any sushi bar in the world.

 

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There are currently 250 names in this directory
ahi
yellowfin tuna

ahiru
duck

aji
mackerel, horse mackerel

aka miso
red soybean paste

akagai
red clam

akamachi
red snapper

akami
tuna back, leaner part of the fish (often called maguro)

ama-ebi
sweet shrimp

anago
conger eel (saltwater eel)

ankimo
monkfish liver

anko
monkfish

anko-nabe
monkfish stew

aonori
dried seaweed powder

aoyagi
yellow clam, round clam, hen clam

atsuage
deep fried tofu

awabi
abalone

awaze-zu
sushi vinegar

ayu
sweetfish

baigai
water snail

basahi
raw horse meat

bata
butter

beni imo
purple sweet potatoe

bento
traditional boxed lunch

binnaga maguro
albacore tuna

biru
beer

bodushu
wine

botan
wild boar

buri
adult yellowtail

buri toro
fatty yellowtail belly

burokkori
broccoli

buta
pork

butaniko
pork

cha
tea

chikuwa
fish cake

chu toro
medium fatty tuna belly's side between akami and o toro (not as fatty as o toro)

daidai
bitter orange

daikon
giant white radish

daizu
soybean

dashi
basic soup, cooking stock

dojo
loach

donburi
bowl for noodle and rice dishes

ebi
shrimp, prawn

edamame
boiled soybeans

engawa
flounder

enoki
white mushrooms

fugu
blowfish

fugu-chiri
blowfish soup

fuki
Japanese butterbur plant

funa
crucian carp

futo-maki
big roll

gari
pickled ginger

geso
squid tentacles

geta
wooden sushi plate

gobo
burdock root

gohan
boiled rice

goma
sesame seeds

gunkan
battleship sushi, nori leaf wrapped around an oval shaped rice base with topping

gyoza
dumplings

gyu
beef

gyu tataki
beef tataki

ha-gatsuo
skipjack tuna

hakusai
cabbage

hama guri
manila clam

hamachi
yellowtail

hamachi suna-zuri
yellowtail belly cut

hamachi-kama
yellowtail collars

hamadai
red snapper

hamaguri
clam

hamo
pike conger

hanakatsuo
dried bonito fish

harumaki
spring roll

harusame
transparent bean gelatin noodles

hashi
chopsticks

hata
grouper

hatahata
sandfish

himijako
giant clam

himo
fringe around outer part of clam

hiramasa
amberjack

hirame
flounder, halibut, turbot

hiyashi
cold

hocho
cooking knives (general term)

hokkigai
surf clam

hon magurop
bluefin tuna

horenso
spinach

hotategai
scallops

i-gai
mussel

ibodai
Japanese butterfish

ika
squid

ika maru-yaki
whole grilled squid

ika-geso
squid tentacles

ikura
salmon roe

imo
potato

inada
young yellowtail

inoshishi
wild boar

ise-ebi
lobster

iwana
char

iwashi
sardine

kabayaki
grilled eel on skewers

kabocha
squash

kabu
small white turnip

kai
shellfish (generic term)

kaibashira
eye of scallop

kajiki
swordfish

kaki
winter oysters

kamaboko
cured surimi (fish paste)

kamasu
barracuda

kani
crab meat

kani-kama
fake crab meat

kanpachi
amberjack

kappa
cucumber

karei
flounder, flatfish

katsui-boshi
dried bonito fish

katsuo
bonito fish

kawahagi
filefish

kazunoko
herring roe

kenmedai
golden eye snapper

kibinago
silver herring

kidai
yellow seabream

kihada maguro
yellowfin tuna

kikurage
dried fungus

kimachi
small yellowtail

kinoko
mushrooms (generic term)

kohada
gizzard shad

konomono
pickled vegetables

kosho
pepper

koyadofu
freeze-dried tofu

kujira
whale

kuro goma
black sesame seeds

kurodai
snapper

kuruma-ebi
tiger prawn

madai
red seabream

maguro
tuna

makajiki
blue marlin

maki
sushi roll

makisu
mat for making sushi rolls

mame
beans

masago
capelin roe, very similar to tobiko but with orange color

masu
trout

mate-gaio
razor clam

matsutake
pine mushrooms

mebachi maguro
big eye tuna

meiji magura
baby bluefin tuna

meji
young tuna

mekajiki
blue marlin

mentaiko
spiced, marinated cod roe

mikan
mandarin orange

mirin
sweet rice wine (used for cooking)

mirugai
long neck clam

miso
paste of fermented soybeans with spices

mizu
water

mizutaki
cooked in water

momo
peach

moyashi
bean sprouts

murasaki
soy sauce

mutsu
bluefish

nama-tako
raw octopus

namako
sea cucumber

nasu
aubergine

natto
fermented soy beans

negi
green onion

neta
piece of fish placed on top of rice for nigiri

ni-ika
cooked squid

nigiri
fish or other topping on top of rice

niika
cooked Monterey squid

nijimasu
rainbow trout

niku
meat

nishin
herring

nori
sheet of dried seaweed used to make makis

nori maki
roll with nori seaweed on the outside

o toro
fetty tuna belly (underside), fattiest part of the tuna

ocha
tea

odori ebi
large prawns served alive ("dancing shrimp")

ohyo
pacific halibut

omakase
chef's choice

onagai
red snapper

oshi-zushi
sushi dish with rice pressed in a box

oshibako
used to press rice for oshi-zushi

oshibori
moisturised heated towel

oyaka
chicken and egg

renkon
lotus root

ringo
apple

roe
fish eggs

saba
mackerel

sake
salmon

sanma
Japanese mackerel

sansho
green peppercorn

sarada
salad

sashimi
raw seafood

sato
sugar

sawagani
small crabs

sawara
spanish mackerel

sayori
halfbeak, needlefish

sazae
topshell clam, sea snail

seigo
young sea bass

senbei
rice crackers

shako
mantis shrimp

shima aji
striped jack

shimesabe
salted mackerel

shio
salt

shira-uo
whitebait, icefish

shirako
milt sac of male codfish

shiro goma
white sesame seeds

shiro maguro
albacore tuna

shiro miso
white soybean paste

shiromi
white fish (general term)

shiso
perilla plant leaf

shitake
Japanese forest mushrooms

shoga
ginger

shoyu
Japanese soy sauce

soba
buckwheat noodles

somen
white noodles

su
rice vinegar

suika
watermelon

suimono
clear soup

surimi
imitation crab meat (also called kamaboko)

suzuki
sea bass, striped bass, rockfish

tai
sea bream, snapper

tairagai
razor-shell clam

takenoko
bamboo shoots

tako
octopus

tamago yaki
egg omelet

tara
cod

tarabagani
king crab

tarako
cod roe

tataki
grilled on the surface

tekka
tuna

temaki
hand rolled sushi, cone shaped

tempura
battered and deep-fried

tidako
small octopus

tobiko
flying fish roe

tobiuo
flying fish

tombo
albacore tuna

tori
chicken

torigai
cockle clam

toro
fatty tuna belly (generic term for fatty part of tuna)

tsubugai
Japanese shellfish

tsukimi
raw egg yolk

udon
thick wheat noodle soup

una-don
grilled eel, served on rice

unagi
grilled freshwater eel

unagi maki
freshwater eel roll

unagi no kimo
eel innards

uni
sea urchin

uramaki
inside out sushi roll

uzura
quail egg

wakame
dried lobe-leaf seaweed

wasabi
Japanese horseradish

yaki
grilled

yakitori
skewer grilled food

zuwai gani
snow crab