Nigirizushi (lit. hand-formed sushi).This consists of an oblong mound of sushi rice that is pressed between the palms of the hands,usually with a bit of wasabi and a topping draped over it.Toppings are typically fish such as salmon,tuna or seafood.Certain toppings are typically bound to the rice with a thin strip of nori,most commonly tako(octopus),unagi(freshwater eel),anago(see eel),ika(squid) and tamago(sweet egg).
When ordered separately,nigiri is generally served in pairs.A sushi set may contain only one piece of each topping.
- Gunkanmaki (lit. warship roll).A special type of nigiri-zushi;an oval,hand formed clump of sushi rice that has a strip of "nori" wrapped around its perimeter to form a vessel that is filled with some soft,loose or fine-chopped ingredient that requires the confinement of nori such as roe,natto,oysters,sea urchin,corn with mayonnaise and quail eggs.Gunkan-maki was invented at the Ginza Kyubey(kubei) restaurant in 1931,it's invention significantly expanded the repertoire of soft toppings used in sushi.
- Temarizushi (lit. ball sushi).It is a ball-shaped sushi made by pressing rice and fish into a ball-shaped form by hand using a plastic wrap.They are quite easy to make and thus a good starting point for beginners.
