Many people associate sushi with one specific dish, such as a tuna roll or California roll. However, sushi is simply vinegared rice served with a variety of different ingredients, such as seafood, vegetables, or even tropical fruits. It can come in many different shapes, from nigiri-zushi (made from mounds of rice topped with ingredients) to maki-zushi (in which the ingredients are wrapped with seaweed). Here are some of the most popular types of sushi you’ll find in a sushi bar or Japanese restaurant. 

5 Most Popular Types of Sushi 

1. Tiger Roll

Tiger rolls are rice, crab, and cucumber rolls topped with shrimp tempura and avocado. The sushi chef rolls the rice and crabmeat with a sour-spicy sauce in seaweed sheets and then tops the rolls with shrimp tempura and avocado. Some chefs replace the crabmeat in the roll with additional shrimp. The name comes from the type of shrimp used: the tiger prawn. 

2. California Roll

One of the most popular types of sushi on any sushi bar menu, California rolls are made “inside out,” with the rice wrapped on the outside of the seaweed surround the filling of shrimp or crab meat, cucumber, and avocado. Some Japanese restaurants offer a vegetarian version of a California Roll without the seafood. 

3. Spicy Tuna Roll

Another popular choice at the sushi bar, a spicy tuna roll typically only has three ingredients: fresh tuna, nori seaweed, and sushi rice. Some chefs mix sesame seeds into the rice for extra flavor and add avocado or cucumber to the roll. The tuna and rice are rolled up in the seaweed, and then cut into six pieces for eating. These pieces are then topped with a spicy sauce made with ichimi togarashi, a dried red chili pepper. 

4. Yellowtail Roll

A yellowtail roll features yellowtail sashimi wrapped in seaweed with rice, cucumber, and scallion. The finished roll is then topped with additional pieces of yellowtail sashimi, and some chefs add a spicy sauce as well. Although some people think that yellowtail is a type of tuna, it’s actually a species of amberjack that features a yellow stripe on its body. 

5. Rainbow Roll

If you can’t decide what type of fish you want, a rainbow roll gives you plenty of options. Another inside-out roll, the rainbow roll typically features crab and cucumber wrapped in seaweed and sushi rice, topped with avocado and 5 kinds of fish: tuna, salmon, yellowtail, whitefish, and red snapper. 

Whether you prefer a California Roll or something a bit more adventurous, the menu at Kabuto Japanese Steakhouse & Sushi Bar in Greensboro, NC is bound to delight your taste buds. Whether you want a casual meal or a multi-course feast to celebrate a special occasion, the sushi bar has a wide selection of classic sushi rolls and unique flavors to tempt any palate. Call (336) 852-5550 to reserve a table or visit them online to learn more about their sushi menu.