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Plate of sushi rolls with salmon, vegetables, and rice wrapped in seaweed, served with chopsticks and a small bowl of soy sauce on a wooden table.
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Plate of sushi rolls with salmon, vegetables, and rice wrapped in seaweed, served with chopsticks and a small bowl of soy sauce on a wooden table.
maki-zushi

sushi

food
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Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Sushi burrito shop with a higher calling closes in RTP after 8 years • Oct. 26, 2026, 4:26 PM ET (The Raleigh News & Observer)
Sushi, Yemeni coffee and more coming to The District at Tustin Legacy • Oct. 16, 2026, 12:00 PM ET (The Orange County Register)

sushi, a staple rice dish of Japanese cuisine, consisting of cooked rice flavoured with vinegar and a variety of vegetable, egg, or raw seafood garnishes and served cold. Restaurants specializing in sushi abound in Japan, where subtleties of preparation find a discriminating clientele, and the dish has gained popularity in the United States and elsewhere (see also sashimi).

The spicy truth about real wasabi
The spicy truth about real wasabiLearn the truth about wasabi (Eutrema japonicum).
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Nigiri-zushi is a hand-formed oblong of rice topped with sliced raw seafood and a dab of wasabi (a green paste made of true wasabi or horseradish); the ingredients of oshi-zushi are pressed to shape in a mold. For maki-zushi, a sheet of nori (laver, a seaweed) is spread with rice, then with seafood or vegetables and garnishes. The whole is rolled into a cylinder and sliced. In chirashi-zushi, a homestyle version, the ingredients are not formed, rather the vinegared rice is strewn with toppings and garnishes. Vinegar-pickled ginger root (sūshoga) is a traditional palate-clearing accompaniment to sushi.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia BritannicaThis article was most recently revised and updated by Melissa Petruzzello.