Today, I want to introduce three types of sushi that some foodies may not be aware of: oshi sushi, aburi sushi, and chirashi.
Typically, most sushi found in North America is "uramaki", which is a round roll-shaped sushi with rice on the outside and cut into 6-8 pieces. Just think of your typical California roll, and you get the idea. It usually looks like this:
Oshi style, on the other hand is a more traditional style that is sometimes called "hako-sushi" (or "box sushi"). This is sushi that is made in a rectangular box mold with rice on the bottom and fish on top. This rectangular sushi is more consistently shaped, but tends to be more prone to falling apart between the plate and the mouth if not picked up properly. A example of a pressed "oshi" style scallop sushi is seen here:
Aburi sushi is a type of lightly charred sushi from Osaka that is picking up popularity outside of Japan. It is lightly charred sushi that has been cooked briefly by a blowtorch on top. This takes away the raw flavor of the fish and leaves a bit of crispiness in the texture and a smokey taste to the fish. Aburi sushi is a good way to ease into eating more Japanese style sushi if you have difficulties eating 100% raw fish. Below is a picture of sushi from Sushi Hub in Vancouver that is a combination of both the aforementioned styles, in which you can see the rectangular oshi shape and the charred aburi top.
Finally, chirashi is a type of sushi that may look more like a rice bowl to Westerners. It is simply raw fish and/or vegetables served over a bowl of loose sushi rice.
How do you like your sushi to look?