Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, salmon, crab, avocado, cucumber, mayonnaise

Preparation: Inside-out

Popularity: Low

So you’ve tried the California Roll, and you’re like, okay, not bad. A little bland, but good lunchtime filler.

So what’s the next step up? Try the Tiger Roll.

The Tigey is a California Roll with baked salmon draped over the top, which while it might sound like only a slight variation on the usual theme, if the fish is fresh, it’s really frickin’ good.

Of course, the majority of Americans will order this because it has a funky name and the white and orange of the salmon gives it a somewhat tiger-like appearance, but there’s more to this dish than meets the eye (alone).

Think of it this way – if you usually order salmon sashimi and a california roll… doesn’t it make sense to save time and combine the two?

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, lobster tempura, onion, orange tobiko (fish eggs), mayonnaise

Preparation: Cooked, inside-out

Popularity: Feh.

Not an item found in many sushi bars, the lobster roll tends to be made using lobster tempura rather than raw lobster, simply because raw shellfish is often a bad idea.

The roll is made inside-out style, and though our default lobster roll recipe uses onions and mayo on the inside and orange flying fish roe on the outside (to give that orange cooked lobster look), there’s no hard and fast rules about what might make a good lobster roll.

Cucumber? Avocado? Nothing but meat?

Really, it’s going to come down to the ingenuity of the sushi chef at hand, but don’t be fooled by the presence of lobster into paying a ridiculous amount for the dish – you’re really only going to get a thin strip of lobby meat worth maybe $4 beyond the standard sushi roll price.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, yellowtail tuna, scallions, mayonnaise, sometimes lettuce

Preparation: Standard

Popularity: Low

A neat little dish, the Hamachi (Yellowtail) Roll is a creamy delight, with the scallions and mayonnaise combining beautifully, and the yellowtail (and sometimes lettuce) finishing it off with a taste explosion.

On occasion, shiso (sometimes known as perilla, beefsteak plant, or Japanese Basil) is added to the mix.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, shrimp, cucumber, mayonnaise

Preparation: Inside-out

Popularity: Medium to low 

An east coast special, but virtually unknown on the other side of the US, the Boston Roll (sometimes known as the Ebi Roll) puts good old-fashioned New England shrimp in bed with Japanese mayo and cucumber to make a simple, yet tasty sushi menu item that is essentially a slight variation on the California Roll.

Some versions feature tobiko (flying fish roe) on top for a splash of yellow color, and a can’t-be-beat shot of flavor.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, tuna, mayonnaise

Preparation: Standard roll

Popularity: Moderate 

Essentially, Tekka Maki Roll is red tuna wrapped in rice and surrounded by seaweed. That’s it. Nothing beyond that is needed.

Well, maybe some Japanese mayonnaise… But that’s it.

The tuna is sashimi grade ahi, or ‘red tuna’, seasoned with wasabi and wrapped in nori (seaweed).

Unlike some of the more American-oriented sushi dishes, this one leaves the seaweed on the outside, which is the more traditional method of preparing – something that can make it difficult for less experienced sushi eaters to enjoy.

If you see a Spicy Tekka Maki Roll on the menu, the difference is that it contains spicy mayonnaise, so be sure to ask just how spicy the dish is before you order.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, tuna, salmon, crab, shrimp, avocado

Preparation: Inside-out

Popularity: Moderate in the US, not so much in Japan

If you like stuff the comes from the sea, this is truly the sushi dish that will get you there. A Rainbow Roll is essentially seafood on seafood on seafood on seafood, wrapped in seaweed, with a California Roll in the middle.

The salmon usually comes in the form of a piece of sashimi draped over the top of the roll, leaving the tuna, crab, shrimp mix to combine inside, often with Japanese Mayonnaise as a means of keeping it smooth and together.

Usually, to create the ‘rainbow’ appeal of the dish, sushi chefs will add lines of tuna, yellowfin, albacore, and shrimp to the top, so that each piece has a different colored (or even multi-colored) appearance.

The Rainbow Roll is part of the California-family of sushi, which is all made inside-out, and frequently comes with cucumber, avocado and mayonnaise.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, prawn tempura, crab, cucumber, avocado, mayonnaise

Preparation: Inside-out

Popularity: High in the US, not so much in Japan

The Dynamite Roll sounds like it would give you a big hot kick, and that’s a mistake some less educated sushi first timers sometimes make.

In reality, this is a nice variation on the California-family of sushi menu items – think of it as one step beyond the Spider Roll, which is a step beyond the California Roll.

Generally, when dynamite Roll is served, the last piece of sushi on the roll features a prawn tail sticking out the end. Just so you know, it’s not offensive to leave the tail uneaten.

As one of the ingredients in this dish is deep-fried, be aware that it’s just a little more calorific than many other dishes.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, crab meat, avocado, cucumber, daikon sprouts, mayonnaise

Prepared: Inside-out

Popularity: Huge

The spider roll, though not exactly named for those with a queazy stomach, is essentially a california roll with the addition of daikon sprouts (sometimes) and with the crab meat deep-fried before preparation.

The crab, cucumber, avocado, mayonnaise combo goes down well with a Western tongue that is perhaps unfamiliar with more exotic types of sushi, but the crunchiness of the fried crab makes for a more ’substantial’ meal for those who feel rice and a piece of crab isn’t a ‘real’ menu item.

Because it involves frying, a spider roll has about 15% more calories than a Cali Roll, but so be it – we love it!

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, crab, avocado, cucumber, mayonnaise

Prepared: Inside-out

Popularity: Huge

If you’re looking for a simple, easy-to-eat sushi item for beginners, the California Roll is a nice one to start with. It’s the sort of menu item that contains nothing ’scary’ for westerners, nothing chewy for those who get queazy with new textures, and let’s face it – crab, avocado and a little mayonnaise sounds like something you’d order from a corner deli. That means, if your dinner date has never tasted sushi before and is a little timid about the experience, start with a california roll.

Lots of sushi restaurants will use imitation crab meat for a California Roll, which means you’re really getting shark meat colored to look like crab, but the difference isn’t overly noticeable unless you’re a sushi snob.

Usually a Cali Roll will be covered with sesame seeds on the outside, though better establishments will use tobiko (or flying fish roe) which looks like yellow or orange caviar. In some areas, such as the Philippines, a slice of mango is added to the California Roll.

A great base dish – try the Spider Roll variation, with fried crab!