Roll Call!

Maybe you already know that the technical term for a sushi “roll” is makizushi. However, did you know that there are several different kinds of makizushi? Indeed, as rich as the sushi lexicon is, even the simple roll can be divided into distinct sub-groups. At our Seattle Japanese restaurant, the most important distinction you can make is that between the standard makizushi and the uramaki.

Uramaki, or “inside-out roll”, is the name applied to sushi rolls that have the nori inside of the rice, instead of on the outside. This represents a relatively recent sushi innovation, which largely came about during the rise of American-style fusion sushi. The fusion pioneers who came up with classics like the California roll realized that many Americans weren’t entirely ready for seaweed, so it was concealed within the rice to disguise its presence from the eye and tongue alike. To this day, uramaki like the California roll are highly recommended for sushi first-timers who need to gradually develop a taste for seaweed before moving on to the more traditional variety of maki sushi.