Sushi is commonly thought of as consisting of rice and seafood. And although that's not accurate, seafood does indeed play a huge role in sushi. Typically people willl encounter seafood that they have not eaten before when exploring the world of sushi.

Traditionally the seafood used will vary based on what is available in a given location. This is less true in recent times, as fresh frozen seafood is packaged and shipped to many parts of the world.

Also the seafood served in sushi will vary according to the season, which determines what is available. That has changed a little, due to fish farming, but generally still holds true.

Seafood Toppings: Fish
aji (アジ)	Japanese mackerel
ayu (鮎)	sweetfish
chūtoro (中とろ)	fatty bluefin tuna belly
hamachi (はまち)	yellowtail
hirame (ヒラメ)	flounder
ika (いか)	squid
iwashi (鰯)	sardine
kajiki (旗魚)	swordfish
kanpachi (間八)	amberjack
karei (鰈)	flatfish
katsuo (カツオ)	bonito / skipjack tuna
kawahagi (皮剥ぎ)	filefish
maguro (鮪)	top loin of bluefin tuna
makajiki	blue marlin
ohyou (オヒョウ)	halibut
okoze (虎魚)	stonefish
ōtoro (大とろ)	fattiest part of bluefin tuna belly
saba (さば)	blue mackerel
sake (鮭)	salmon
samma (さんま)	pacific saury
sawara (鰆)	Spanish mackerel
suzuki (鱸)	sea bass
tai (鯛)	snapper
tara (鱈)	cod
toro (とろ)	fatty tuna belly

Seafood Toppings: Shellfish
ama-ebi (甘海老)	raw shrimp
ebi (海老)	boiled shrimp
aoyagi (青柳)	round clam
awabi (アワビ)	abalone
hamaguri (蛤)	clam
hokkigai (ホッキ貝)	surf clam
hotate (ホタテ)	scallop
kuruma-ebi (車海老)	black prawn
mirugai (海松貝)	geoduck clam
shiba ebi (芝海老)	grey prawn

Seafood Toppings: Other Seafood
anago (穴子)	conger eel
tako (タコ)	octopus
kani (蟹)	crab
namako (なまこ, 海鼠)	sea cucumber
unagi (鰻)	freshwater eel

Other Sushi Toppings
ikura (イクラ)	salmon roe
kazunoko (数の子, 鯑)	herring roe
masago (まさご)	smelt roe
tarako (たらこ, 鱈子)	Alaska pollock roe
tobiko (とびこ)	flying fish roe
uni (ウニ, 雲丹)	sea urchin roe

Chu Toro (Fatty Tuna)

Among the most prized sushi toppings is the belly cut of the blue fin tuna, known as toro. The blue fin tuna can grow to 6 feet long and weigh in at 300 pounds!

This meat is favored for sushi and sashimi because the blue fin tuna is fattier than the yellow fin tuna. The texture is enjoyable and the fresh chutoro seems to just melt in your mouth! Chutoro is the fatty cut from the belly right next to the Otoro.

To buy top quality chutoro from our partners at Catalina Offshore Products, click on the sushi products link!

Ebi (Shrimp)

Ebi (shrimp) is a favorite topping for nigiri sushi. The shrimp is boiled, and then the tail meat is split open and cleaned and then pressed onto the rice.

White shrimp tails from Thailand are available from our partners at Catalina Offshore Products, click on the sushi products link!

Hamachi (Yellowtail)

Hamachi usually refers to a delicious fatty fish called Yellowtail. Yellowtail is prized as a sushi ingredient because of it's buttery soft texture and distinctive taste.

Yellowtail Jack (Seriol landei), are related to the tuna family and are recognized by a yellow stripe across their body and their yellow tail. Yellowtail is caught year round, but more commonly during summer in the Pacific Coast and the Sea of Cortez.

Boneless, skinless Hamachi loins bought from our affiliate are the most flavorful because they are farmed and have a slightly higher fat content!

Hotate (Scallops)

Hotategai are scallops. The much sought-after giant deepwater scallops (Nodipecten subnodosus) are popular in sushi bars because of the great taste of their meat.

Hotate are usually prepared by taking specimens with an off-white color and slicing thin slices of the inner meat to present as sushi.

Read about getting the freshest in giant scallops from our partners at Catalina by clicking on "Sushi Products" link!

Ikura (Salmon Roe)

Ikura are salmon roe. They are large orange or reddish-orange spheres, much larger than other roe popular in the sushi world, such as tobiko or tarako.

Ikura are the fully ripe eggs from female salmon. In western cultures this is commonly used as fishing bait, but sushi-lovers know it's best eaten!

Ika (Squid)

Ika is the Japanese name for squid used in sushi. Squid is a common ingredient in many cuisines, but usually fried with plenty of spices. In many asian dishes the squid is cut into strips and stir-fried.

Strips of squid are common to southern European cultures as well, and whole roasted or grilled squid is popular in Thailand and Japan.

In sushi restaurants fresh squid is cut into strips and is commonly eaten nigiri style.

Kani (Crab)

Kani is the Japanese term for the crab meat that is a traditional ingredient in sushi. In sushi bars today, however, you'll typically find artificial crab meat (kani kama) used for everything from nigiri sushi to handrolls.

Artificial crab meat eaten in sushi bars every day is a product made from cold-water fish like pollack, and have crab extract added for flavoring. When real crab is used in sushibars it is often snow crab.

Katsuo (Bonito)

Katsuo refers to bonito, any one of a variety of related fish species. Skipjack tuna is the common variety typically found in sushi bars.

Bonito is a fish found in the deep ocean, and does not generally freeze well, so it's difficult to ship and store. In particular, it's fished from the Pacific Ocean and generally found close to the coast.

Maguro (Tuna)

Maguro is the generic Japanese word for tuna. Maguro usually refers to the red body meat of a yellowfin or bluefin tuna to be found in your local sushi bar. It has a hearty, meat-like quality and does not have a strong taste or fishy smell.

Different types of tuna, like white tuna, albacore, etc. can be commonly found and are clearly distinct from the red maguro found in the sushi case. Specialty cuts from the belly (toro) or along the backbone (Akami) are prized because the taste varies, just as do the various cuts of beef or pork.

Sake (Salmon)

Sake (pronounced shak-e) is the Japanese term for the raw salmon topping so popular in sushi bars. Although tuna will likely remain king of the sushi toppings in Japan, in some western cultures like the US salmon is the most popular topping.

Salmon has well-documented health benefits, especially wild salmon. Salmon was never part of the classic Japanese sushi diet, only included after the advent of refridgeration in the 20th century.

Toro (Fatty Tuna Belly)

Toro is the belly cut of the blue fin tuna, and is among the most prized of all sushi toppings. The blue fin tuna can grow to 6 feet long and weigh in at 300 pounds or more!

This meat is favored for sushi and sashimi because the blue fin tuna is fattier than the yellow fin tuna, giving the meat a delightful flavor. The texture is enjoyable and the fresh toro meat seems to be soft as butter!

Tako (Octopus)

Tako (octopus) is a common ingredient in sushi restaurants. It consists of the boiled tentacles meat sliced into thin strips. If cut too thick it will tend to be rather chewy or rubbery.

Sometimes it is sliced into very small pieces and used in a salad-like offering, usually prepared with sesame oil, chopped onions and shredded lseaweed.

To buy top quality tako from our partners at Catalina Offshore Products, click on the sushi products link!

Tobiko (Flying Fish Roe)

Tobiko is flying fish roe, and it is one of the most commonly used ingredients in sushi bars. These small crunchy eggs add a great color and flavor to rolled sushi and taste delicious as the main ingredient in gunkan sushi.

These orange or red eggs can often be found served with (raw) quail egg on top of gunkan sushi. Soemtimes found in maki sushi, they are usualy thought of as decorative orange for several varieties of inside-out sushi rolls.

Uni (Sea Urchin Roe)

Sea urchin roe (uni in Japanese) is prized as a sushi ingredient because of it's delicate flavor and soft texture. Sea urchins are the round spiny animals, typically weighing about one pound, found on the ocean floors throughout the world.

Uni is a delicacy that melts in your mouth, and is considered to be an aphrodisiac in some places. Getting fresh, top quality uni is crucial, and our partners at Catalina Offshore have perfected the harvesting technique over the past couple of decades.

Click on the sushi products link!