Sushi

Allergens at a glance

• UsuallyFishRaw or cooked fish and roe; bonito dashi in the omelette and some sauces.
• UsuallySoySoy sauce for dipping or brushed on; sweet eel sauce (nitsume).
• OftenGlutenSoy sauce is brewed with wheat; imitation crab, tempura rolls and eel sauce too.
• OftenCrustaceansPrawn (shrimp) and crab pieces; boards, knives and hands are shared.
• OftenMolluscsSquid, octopus, scallop, clams and abalone; shared boards and knives.
• OftenEggsTamagoyaki omelette; mayonnaise in spicy and Western-style rolls.
• OftenSesameSesame seeds on inside-out rolls and in some sauces and dressings.
• SometimesMustardSome wasabi pastes and powders are horseradish blended with mustard.
• SometimesMilkCream cheese in Western-style rolls such as the Philadelphia roll.

Usually in the standard recipe. Often in many versions. Sometimes in some kitchens, or a cross-contact risk.

Diets

• Vegetarian pieces exist (cucumber, pickles, avocado), but tamago and inari are often cooked with fish dashi.
• Coeliacs (celiacs) need wheat-free tamari confirmed and must skip imitation crab, tempura and eel sauce.
• Halal questions are about the rice and sauces: mirin or sake can be in the seasoning, glazes and omelette.

Recipes change from kitchen to kitchen. If you have an allergy, confirm every ingredient with the restaurant before you order.

What is sushi?

Sushi is vinegared rice (shari) combined with toppings or fillings, most famously raw fish. The word refers to the seasoned rice, not the fish: raw fish on its own is sashimi. A sushi meal can be a cheap conveyor-belt lunch or a long chef's-choice counter dinner.

What's in it

The rice is short-grain, seasoned with rice vinegar, sugar and salt. The main forms are:

• Nigiri: a hand-pressed finger of rice with a slice of topping, often with a dab of wasabi in between.
• Maki: rolls wrapped in nori seaweed. Hosomaki are thin, futomaki thick, and uramaki (inside-out) have rice on the outside, often rolled in sesame seeds.
• Gunkan: a nori-wrapped cup of rice holding loose toppings like salmon roe or sea urchin.
• Chirashi: toppings scattered over a bowl of rice.
• Inari: rice stuffed into a pouch of sweet fried tofu.

Soy sauce, wasabi and pickled ginger (gari) come alongside. Western-style rolls (California, spicy tuna, dragon) add mayonnaise, avocado, cream cheese, tempura bits and sweet sauces.

Allergens and diets

Fish is the base assumption, and cross-contact is high: one chef, one board and one set of hands handle everything. Crustaceans (prawn, crab) and molluscs (squid, octopus, scallop, clam) sit on the same counter. Sea urchin (uni) is neither, but it shares the same space.

Soy sauce brings soy and gluten, as it's brewed with wheat. Gluten also hides in imitation crab (kanikama), tempura flakes and the glossy eel sauce. Tamagoyaki, the sweet rolled omelette, is egg, often with dashi, and traditional versions can include ground prawn or fish paste. Spicy rolls use mayonnaise. Uramaki are often coated in sesame.

Most "wasabi" outside high-end shops is horseradish with colouring, and some pastes and powders include mustard. Ask for real wasabi or none at all (sabinuki). Cream cheese rolls are a milk risk.

On the menu

Sushi is written 寿司, 鮨 or すし. Useful words:

• 握り nigiri, 巻物 makimono (rolls), 軍艦 gunkan, ちらし chirashi
• まぐろ maguro (tuna), トロ toro (fatty tuna), サーモン sāmon, えび ebi (prawn), かに kani (crab), いか ika (squid), たこ tako (octopus), ほたて hotate (scallop), うに uni, いくら ikura (salmon roe), 玉子 tamago, うなぎ unagi (freshwater eel), 穴子 anago (sea eel)
• おまかせ omakase: chef's choice; 時価 jika: market price
• 並 nami, 上 jō, 特上 tokujō: standard, premium and top grades of a set
• さび抜き sabinuki: no wasabi
• 回転寿司 kaitenzushi: conveyor-belt sushi, where plate colour sets the price

How to eat it

Nigiri can be eaten with fingers or chopsticks. Dip the fish side lightly in soy sauce, not the rice, and eat each piece in one bite. Ginger is a palate cleanser between pieces, not a topping.

Last checked 1 November 2026. Spotted something wrong? Email support@inventum.com.au.