Sushi terms, explained
What omakase means, otoro vs chutoro, what uni and ikura are. The sushi words I use without thinking, explained for people who have never sat at a sushi counter.
- Akami, chu-toro and o-toro 赤身・中トロ・大トロ
- The three main tuna cuts at a sushi counter. Akami is the lean red meat, chu-toro is medium fatty, and o-toro is the fattiest belly.
- Ikura いくら
- Salmon roe, usually cured in soy sauce or salt with a little sake. Every shop has its own seasoning.
- Kohada 小肌
- Gizzard shad cured in vinegar, a signature of Edomae sushi. Chefs are judged on how they balance the salt and vinegar.
- Kuruma-ebi 車海老
- Japanese tiger prawn. Sushi counters usually cook it and serve it warm, and the good ones keep the head innards with it.
- Modori-gatsuo 戻り鰹
- Autumn bonito on its way back south. Cold water puts fat on it, so it is richer than the lean spring bonito (hatsu-gatsuo).
- Omakase お任せ
- Leaving the menu to the chef. At a sushi counter that means one course, usually small dishes first and then nigiri, at a set price.
- Uni: murasaki, bafun and aka 雲丹
- Sea urchin. Sushi counters mainly use murasaki uni (purple), bafun uni (more orange and richer) and, in western Japan, the rarer aka uni.