Is There Any Type Of Sushi That Comes Cooked?

Sushi can be an intimidating experience for a first timer if you have misconceptions about the freshness of sushi fish or if the thought of eating raw fish itself makes you squeamish. Traditional sushi, such as nigiri, is a simple preparation of sliced raw fish on a portion of warm, hand-shaped rice flavored with vinegar. However, if you don't like the idea of uncooked food, there are still several sushi options in which the featured protein is cooked. Types of seafood commonly found cooked at a sushi restaurant include shrimp, salmon, and eel.

Shrimp (aka ebi) is almost always presented cooked in sushi. The one exception is sweet shrimp, or ama ebi. Cooking this type of shrimp will leech the famous sweet flavor out, so it is served raw, often with a crunchy side of its fried tail and head. Salmon is commonly found baked in maki rolls. Maki rolls have a portion of fish or vegetables wrapped with rice and seaweed (nori) into a cylindrical shape. Cooked salmon skin is also sometimes used as an ingredient for maki rolls.

Eel, also known as unagi, is always served cooked no matter what. It must be precisely grilled to avoid it getting too rubbery, so chefs are trained specifically in how to prepare eel for sushi. Eel has a sweeter, stronger flavor than other seafood. It is also makes use of eel sauce, a sugary topping for popular maki like caterpillar rolls or spider rolls.

A cautious sushi beginner can try out one of the maki roll options at your local sushi buffet. What is likely the most well-known sushi roll, the California roll, was allegedly invented to comfort Western diners who wanted to try sushi but were wary of raw fish. This roll is typically filled with avocado and steamed crab. Sometimes, the more affordable "imitation crab", also known as crab sticks, is swapped in. Imitation crab is still seafood, but instead of shellfish, a paste made of white fish is shaped to resemble crab.

Shrimp tempura often factors into maki rolls. This crunchy, fried treat has a namesake roll but is also the filling for popular options like the dragon roll topped with eel or one of its variations, the red dragon roll, which swaps eel for spicy tuna on top. One caveat here: Spicy tuna is prepared raw, but the fish is ground and blended with seasonings and a savory sauce, so it's a good entry point for getting comfortable with raw fish.

Then there are cooked rolls that don't contain fish at all. Tamago, a staple of sushi menus, is cooked egg suffused with sweet flavorings and served on a nigiri-style portion of rice wrapped with a thin band of seaweed. Another popular choice is inari, which is a fried tofu pocket filled with seasoned rice. Or, as vegan sushi gains in popularity, one can sample the traditional flavors of this cuisine without eating any fish in the process.