Various ingredients are used in sushi making, including the basic rice and vinegar, the seafood and other toppings and the condiments commonly served with sushi. Many other ingredients can and are used, and modern fusion cuisines often incorporate non-traditional ingredients into the traditional forms. Many of these ingredients and toppings can be found in our sushi products section, including fresh and frozen seafood.

In the United States, where sushi has gained popularity in recent years, unusual ingredients include cream cheese, avacado, and smoked salmon. In other places you may find unusual ingredients such as kimchi or tropical fruit. Infact there is plenty of traditional fruit used as sushi ingredients, such as plum and strawberry. Now mango seems to be gaining considerable popularity.

Other Sushi Toppings
ninjin (ニンジン)	carrot
kyuuri (キュウリ)	cucumber
gobō (牛蒡)	burdock root
kampyō (かんぴょう)	dried gourd
nori (海苔)	dried, pressed seaweed
takuan (たくあん, 沢庵)	pickled daikon (radish)
tamago (玉子)	sweet egg omelette
tofu (dried strips)	used in inarisushi
wasabi (わさび)	wasabi paste

Tamago (Egg)

Tamago is a sweet egg omelette made from very thin layers carefully cooked in a special square pan. Sushi chefs show their skill by piling up layer after thin layer of sweet omelette until the finished result almost resembles a pastry.

Typical ingredients include egg, water, bonito shavings, sugar or sweet sake, and rice wine vinegar. Order this next time you go out to enjoy sushi - you're giving the itamae (sushi chef) a chance to show his skill!

Wasabi

Real wasabi is made from the ribosome of a plant closely related to the fiery horseradish plant that westerners are familiar with.

But wasabi that's typically available for sale as a powder or paste is usually horseradish powder - not wasabi! Even fresh wasabi is not always free of fillers like cornstarch or horseradish powder.

Go with a brand name from a reputable company - you can get fresh, real wasabi here at the Sushi Pro. Click on the sushi products link!