Maybe you love sushi, but you’re not sure you’re completely familiar with all the different types of sushi or the items available. Fortunately, you can find that information here, as well as key phrases that can have you talking to your Japanese sushi chef like a native.How to read the menu at a sushi barWhen you go out for sushi, the number and variety of dishes on the menu can be overwhelming.

This light, refreshing cucumber and wakame salad possesses just the right amount of thin, crunchy cucumber in proportion to delightfully chewy wakame seaweed, to tease your palate into wanting more.Tip: Make the dressing, and soak and drain the wakame and cucumbers well in advance, refrigerating them until needed.

Miso soup with Manila clams is a big hit in Japan, and for good reason. The nutty flavor of miso finds a perfect partner in the sweet flavor of clams. If you can’t find Manila clams, choose another type of clam, preferably small ones.A rich and diversified world of miso is waiting to be enjoyed. You can use any salty (not sweet) miso, red or white, for this soup; this recipe recommends shinshu miso, which is a pale salty miso.

This recipe takes the classic crème brûlée and bumps up the flavor with an Asian twist, crystallized ginger. Crème brûlée is a custard that’s baked in the oven, chilled until firm, and finally covered with a thin crackling crust of caramelized sugar. Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 40 minutes Yield: 8 servings 1 1/2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup whole milk 4 eggs 1/4 cup plus 1/3 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 3 tablespoons (about 3/4 ounce) finely minced crystallized ginger Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Keep sushi dry goods in a cool, dry, dark pantry or cupboard —as for all dry food ingredients. Sushi dry goods quickly deteriorate if exposed to heat, moisture, or light. Most of these sushi dry goods are best used within six months of opening, and should be refrigerated or frozen after opening: Dashi konbu (dried kelp): Resembles broad, leathery, wrinkly ribbon.

Some of the ingredients you use in sushi need to be refrigerated — and not only the fresh, raw fish that you can use to create sushi magic. Look for these refrigerated sushi ingredients in your local Asian market: Pickled ginger: Sweet and tart at the same time, sliced pickled ginger plays a major role in sushi.

What distinguishes Japanese sushi knives from Western-style knives is that many types of Japanese sushi knives are honed on only one side, the right side, to create the sharpest cutting edge possible. Sushi knives primarily fall into three categories: A heavy duty cleaver: Used for tough jobs, such as cutting through thick fish bones and filleting whole fish.

Chilled seasoned tofu is a hot-weather favorite in Japan, but this tofu dish is a favorite year-round with sushi lovers worldwide. Custardlike tofu soaks up the flavor of the soy sauce it’s served with, so use the highest-quality, naturally brewed soy sauce you can get. This dish is yummy with sliced avocado, broiled eggplant, or steamed asparagus.

Sweet Tuna and Snow Peas Pressed Sushi offers contrasting texture: crunchy snow peas; soft, slightly sweet tuna; and chewy vinegared sushi rice. Make this appealing pressed sushi an hour or two ahead and keep it covered in a cool corner of the kitchen. Special sushi tools: Sushi mold that makes 5 pieces Preparation time: 30 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Yield: 20 pieces 1 teaspoon vegetable oil 1 can (6 ounces) albacore tuna, packed in water 4 teaspoons sugar 4 teaspoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons sake 1/4 pound snow peas 2 teaspoons mirin 4 cups prepared sushi rice 1 tablespoon reroasted white sesame seeds Drain the tuna well.