Nigiri Sushi Guide: Tuna, Salmon, Eel, Octopus and More
Nigiri (握り) is a hand-pressed oval of sushi rice topped with a slice of fish or other topping. Here are the nigiri you are most likely to see on a menu — tuna, salmon, eel, octopus and more — with what each tastes like and whether it is raw or cooked.
Common nigiri at a glance
| Japanese name | Topping | Raw or cooked | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maguro / akami | Lean tuna | Raw | Deep red, clean and meaty |
| Chutoro / otoro | Fatty tuna belly | Raw | Rich, melts in the mouth; priced higher |
| Sake / shake | Salmon | Raw (often previously frozen) | Buttery and mild |
| Hamachi | Yellowtail | Raw | Soft, rich, slightly sweet |
| Unagi | Freshwater eel | Cooked (grilled, glazed) | Sweet-savory, tender |
| Anago | Saltwater conger eel | Cooked (simmered) | Lighter and fluffier than unagi |
| Tako | Octopus | Cooked (boiled) | Mild, pleasantly chewy |
| Ebi | Shrimp | Cooked (boiled, butterflied) | Sweet, firm |
| Amaebi | Sweet shrimp | Raw | Soft, very sweet |
| Hotate | Scallop | Raw (sometimes seared) | Creamy, sweet |
| Tamago | Sweet rolled omelette | Cooked | Sweet, custardy |
Tuna nigiri (maguro)
Maguro covers several tuna species — bluefin, bigeye and yellowfin are all used. The cut matters as much as the species: akami is the lean red meat, chutoro is medium-fatty and otoro is the fattiest part of the belly. In US restaurants, standard “tuna nigiri” is usually lean yellowfin or bigeye; toro is listed separately at a higher price.
Salmon nigiri (sake)
Salmon is the most popular nigiri in many countries, but it is a relatively recent addition to sushi: raw salmon only became common in Japanese sushi in the late 1980s and 1990s, helped by a Norwegian campaign to export farmed salmon to Japan. Most sushi salmon is farmed Atlantic salmon. In the US, the FDA’s Food Code calls for fish served raw to be frozen first to kill parasites (with exceptions such as some tuna and certain farmed fish), so “previously frozen” is normal and not a sign of low quality.
Eel nigiri (unagi and anago)
Eel is always cooked. Unagi is grilled freshwater eel brushed with a sweet soy glaze; anago is simmered sea eel with a lighter flavour. Both are often wrapped with a thin belt of nori. More in our unagi guide.
Octopus nigiri (tako)
Tako is boiled before slicing, so it is cooked. It has a mild, slightly sweet taste and a springy texture; good octopus is tender rather than rubbery. Some restaurants also serve ika (squid), which is usually raw.
Tamago nigiri
A slice of sweet layered omelette on rice, often tied with nori. It is a good choice for anyone avoiding raw fish. See our tamago sushi guide.
How nigiri is served and eaten
- Menus usually price nigiri per piece or per pair (two pieces of the same fish).
- The chef often puts a little wasabi between the fish and the rice already.
- Eat each piece in one bite. Fingers are perfectly acceptable for nigiri.
- If you use soy sauce, turn the piece over and dip the fish side lightly — dipping the rice makes it fall apart.
Ordering nigiri for delivery
Raw nigiri is the most perishable type of sushi: eat it as soon as it arrives and don’t keep leftovers for more than about a day in the fridge. Cooked nigiri (eel, shrimp, octopus, tamago) handles travel better. To find nigiri near you, pick your city and check the menus of the restaurants listed.