Sushi originated as a way of preserving funa - a type of fish. The fish was salted and allowed to mature on a bed of vinegar rice, after which the rice was discarded. Before long vinegar rice came to be eaten together with the fish and then other ingredients. Thus the word sushi was derived: the marriage of vinegar rice with other ingredients. Many different combinations of sushi and ways of serving them evolved. It is not surprising that most people mistaken or associate the word sushi to raw fish. It may be because many sushi varieties are prepared using some type of fish or seafood and the raw part just happens to stick in peoples mind. But actually, sashimi means "raw fish". Sushi is the marriage of vinegar rice to other ingredients. Sushi is now one of Japans most popular foods and increasing in popularity all over the world. Listed below are the most common types of sushi.

Nigiri Sushi

The word sushi alone commonly refers to "nigiri sushi", a hand shaped sushi commonly served at sushi restaurants. Nigiri are made with small rice balls with fish, etc. on top. There are countless varieties of nigiri zushi, some of the most common ones being tuna, shrimp, eel, squid, octopus and fried egg. Nigiri sushi is representative of Tokyo food and many varieties use some type of seafood or fish. The reasons for this might relate to the fact that the city (known as Edo prior to 1868) was rich in seafood of all kinds.

Maki

Maki sushi is a "rolled sushi" with narrow strips of different ingredients (seafood, crisp vegetables or pickles) layered on a bed of vinegar rice and spread on a sheet of nori or seaweed, thus calling it "nori-maki sushi". Nori-maki is the most well known sushi in the U.S. and with the most variety because just about any ingredient can be rolled into the center from crisp vegetables, strips of omelet to strips of avocado.

Gunkan

Small cups made of sushi rice and dried seaweed filled with seafood, etc. There are countless varieties of gunkan zushi, some of the most common ones being sea urchin and various kinds of fish eggs.

Temaki

Sushi cones rolled by hand and filled with sushi rice, seafood, etc.

Sashimi

Thinly sliced, raw seafood. Many different kinds of fish (and other types of seafood) are served raw in the Japanese cuisine. Of course, the fish has to be as fresh as possible. Sashimi can be eaten just as sashimi, or as nigiri sushi, in which case the sashimi piece is placed on top of sushi rice. Sashimi pieces may be dipped into soy sauce before they are eaten. Depending on the kind of sashimi, wasabi or ground ginger is usually mixed into the soy sauce.