« Food & Drinks

The Great Debate: Sushi vs. Sashimi

by Jeff Flynt

How many people don't know the difference between sushi and sashimi?

More than you would believe.

Before contrasting the two yummy treats, let's make sure we define them properly.

Sushi, one of the most popular Japanese dishes outside of Japan, is technically anything served, rolled or wrapped with vinegar-treated rice. It's usually rice wine vinegar. 

Does it have to be a fish? The answer is no. Is it usually...yes. But remember, you can also order vegetable rolls at some sushi restaurants.

There are different forms of sushi. 

  • Maki (or norimaki) rolls are usually what one thinks of when you say sushi. They come in both inside-out (rice on the outside) and with the nori sheet (seaweed) on the outside.
  • Temaki are the cone-shaped hand rolls.
  • Gunkan is a nori sheet shaped like a bowl, with a small bed of rice on the bottom and filled with roe, sea urchin or other things
  • Nigiri is when you take the rice and shape it like a brick, then lay a slice of fish over the top of it.
In fact, Miller Park's ode to sushi is technically accurate, although I'm sure it doesn't sound too pleasing for traditionalists.
Now on to sashimi: Sashimi is raw fish. Just the fish, and nothing else but the fish
In summation, all sashimi can be made into sushi, but not all sushi is sashimi.
Got it? Good. 
If you're still confused, maybe you should just go out for pizza instead.