Sushi Menu Words Explained: Ika, Ebiko, Shiro Maguro & More

Japanese menus can look like a secret code. What’s the difference between ebiko and ikura? What makes a sushi “aburi”? Here’s a friendly guide to the words you’ll see on the Sushi Hiro belt and menu — with the dishes to try once you know them.

Seafood and toppings

• Sake / salmon: the most popular sushi fish of all. Try our Salmon Sushi, or Salmon Harasu — rich salmon belly — as sashimi.
• Maguro: tuna. Akami is the lean, deep-red part of the tuna; our Tuna Akami Sushi uses bluefin tuna.
• Shiro maguro: “white tuna” — pale, soft and mild. Find Shiro Maguro Sushi on the blue plates, plain or with mentai, karamiso or plum sauce.
• Ika: squid, with a gently chewy bite. Ika Sushi is a black-plate favourite, also torched with mentai, karamiso or caramelised onion.
• Tako: octopus. Idako is baby octopus — our Chuka Idako is seasoned baby octopus, served as a starter, gunkan or inari.
• Ebi: prawn. Ebi King on our menu is tiger prawn.
• Hotate: scallop — try the torched Hotate Aburi Sushi.
• Unagi: grilled freshwater eel with a sweet glaze, a star of our signature rolls.
• Kani: crab (crabstick in many rolls). Kaori bako on our belt is snow crab leg.
• Kamo: duck — our Kamo Sushi is topped with smoked duck. Gyu means beef.
• Kurage: jellyfish, usually served chilled and seasoned.
• Wakame: a tender seaweed, seasoned in our Chuka Wakame gunkan and inari.

The little pearls: roe

• Ebiko (ebikko): shrimp roe — tiny, bright orange and slightly sweet. Try Ebikko Gunkan or Ebikko Inari.
• Tobikko: flying fish roe, with a crunchier pop. Look for Tobikko Gunkan on the black plates.
• Ikura: salmon roe — big, glossy orange pearls that burst with flavour, as Ikura Gunkan or Ikura Inari.

How it’s prepared

• Aburi: flame-torched, for a smoky, just-melting finish.
• Mentai: creamy cod roe mayonnaise, usually torched.
• Karamiso: spicy miso — a little heat, a lot of flavour.
• Tamanegi: onion. On our sushi it’s caramelised onion.
• Ume: Japanese plum, served as a tangy plum sauce.
• Chuka: “Chinese-style” — dishes like chuka idako and chuka wakame are seasoned in that style.
• Tamago: Japanese sweet omelette; atsuyaki tamago is a thick rolled omelette.

Sushi shapes

• Nigiri: a slice of topping on hand-pressed rice.
• Gunkan: “battleship” — rice wrapped in a band of nori holding soft toppings like roe.
• Maki: rolled sushi cut into pieces. Temaki is a hand roll; our taco temaki folds crispy nori like a taco.
• Inari: sushi rice in a sweet beancurd pouch.

Want the full story? Read our guide to sushi types.

Menu sections

• Zensai: starters and small plates.
• Agemono: fried dishes — including tempura, light and crispy batter. Tempura moriawase is an assortment of prawn and vegetable tempura.
• Moriawase: “assortment”. Our Matsu and Take Moriawase are assorted sashimi platters.
• Yakimono: grilled dishes.
• Donburi: rice bowls. Chirashi means “scattered”: our Bara Chirashi Don is sushi rice topped with assorted diced sashimi, egg and cucumber.
• Menrui: noodles like udon and soba. Nabemono: hot pots for sharing.
• Dezato: desserts. Nomimono: drinks.

Now you can read the menu like a regular. Browse the full Sushi Hiro menu or find your nearest outlet — and see how many new words you can taste!