Sushi | Definition, Description, & Facts - Britannica

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External Websites

• Live Science - Is Sushi Safe to Eat?
• Healthline - What�s the Difference Between Sashimi and Sushi?
• History Today - A Short History of Sushi
• NPR - Dissecting a Delicacy: the Story of Sushi
• BBC Travel - The 'right' way to eat sushi: Tips from the experts on sushi rules to follow
• Queensland Government - Health and wellbeing - Sushi
• PBS - Food - The History Kitchen - Discover the History of Sushi
• CORE - Sushi: Globalization through Food Culture:Towards a Study of Global Food Networks
• The Spruce Eats - What is Sushi?
• WebMD - Sushi: Is it good for you?
• Workforce LibreTexts - Sushi Production
• Centre for Food Safety - Sushi and Sashimi
• State University of New York - Canton - The History of Sushi Is Shrouded in Ancient Legend
• Cleveland Clinic - The Healthiest Sushi Options you should Order � And Why

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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).

Related Topics: rice seafood omakase California roll wasabi paste (Show more) On the Web: NPR - Dissecting a Delicacy: the Story of Sushi (Jan. 15, 2026) (Show more) See all related content

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.