Sushi, sashimi and maki are often considered synonyms. The most common one, sushi, is a typical Japanese delicacies prepared with cooked rice, vinegar, fish, condiments or other suitable ingredients. While sashimi and maki are distinct dishes in Japanese cuisine.
Sashimi refers to a thin slice of raw fish.
This dish is traditionally served with daikon (Japanese radish), soy sauce and wasabi.
You’ll see a sashimi section on most sushi menus, but surprise! This actually isn’t sushi at all. Technically speaking, sushi is not sushi unless it has rice, and sashimi refers to a simple preparation of sliced fish, served without rice or other ingredients. But just because sashimi’s presentation is simple, doesn’t mean its preparation is. Sushi chefs take great care selecting the best fish for sashimi, and they can even bring out different flavors in the fish depending on how they slice it or which garnishes they pair it with. This attention to quality and detail is why the best fish is often referred to as “sashimi grade”—it indicates that the fish you’re about to eat is of such high quality that it can be eaten raw and enjoyed on its own.
“Nigirizushi”, or “sushi”,
is prepared by putting a slice of fish on a hand-pressed rectangle-shaped rice block. It is the most common type of sushi in Japan.
Nigiri sushi isn’t rolled like maki. Instead, a thin slice of raw or cooked fish is layered atop a mound of vinegary rice. Typically, a small amount of wasabi is placed between the fish and the rice, though in some case, a small strip of toasted seaweed, or nori, may be used instead. In Japanese, nigiri translates to “two fingers,” which refers to the size of the rice portion.
“Makiushi”, a.k.a. “maki” a.k.a. “California roll”,
is a rice cylinder with nori. It’s usually stuffed with additional ingredients in the middle: fish, vegetables, condiments… There are several sorts of maki, including hosomaki which only has one ingredient, and futomaki; a roll with a diameter of 5-6 cm.
Maki is probably what you think of when you think of sushi. It’s fish, vegetables, and sushi rice layered atop one another, then rolled up in a sheet of seaweed. So chances are, if you’re eating a traditional sushi roll, you’re eating maki. However, there are some variations on the style. Temaki, for example, is prepared in a similar fashion, but uses less seaweed and is formed by hand, giving it a cone-shaped appearance. Hosomaki, on the other hand, looks just like a regular maki roll, but has only one single ingredient (plus rice).
Mix-It Restaurant – Sushi Bar has seduced the palate of all ages and has provided an accommodating atmosphere for all types of functions … business and pleasure alike.
A mix of Japanese, Thai, Chinese, Indonesian and Korean food is available at Mix-It in Cambridge.