Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, spicy tuna, fresh tuna, cucumber

Preparation: Inside-out

Popularity: Low to moderate

It looks nice on a plate, that’s for darn sure, but in reality, this is tuna on tuna with some rice thrown in. And maybe that filler of all fillers, cucumber. But mostly tuna.

Those who enjoy a spicy tuna roll will like the added touch of fresh tuna draped over the top, in what gives this dish its two-tone appearance, but more seasoned tuna diners will forego the sushi roll altogether in getting their fishy-fix, and just dig in on some tuna sashimi.

But hey, not everyone is down with the act of slurping down mouthfuls of straight fish, so if you need the comfort of a little rice and seaweed (and sesame seeds and rice and…), then by all means, ‘enter the dragon’.

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, yellowfin tuna (Ahi), cucumber, daikon, avocado

Preparation: Standard roll

Popularity: Moderate

A relatively simple sushi roll recipe, this is one of those menu items that confuses North Americans because many sushi restaurants prefer to call it by the Japanese name for Yellowfin – Ahi – which requires a little translation to non-Japanese speakers.

In essence, this is just a tuna roll with a little veg thrown in, but if the yellowfin is of high quality, that can be more than enough to make it a great dish for sushi fans.  With some roe (tobiko) on top and wasabi on the side, it beats a freakin’ cheeseburger, that’s for darn sure.

There is some variation on this recipe from chef to chef, with some preferring to use Bigeye Tuna (Thunnus Obesus) instead of Yellowfin (Thunnus Albacares). You can usually spot the difference because Bigeye has a much richer pink/red color than Yellowfin, though if the fish is large and old enough, a Yellowfin will eventually find its meat of a similar deep red color.

You may also find crab used in some ahi rolls, or even tempura, but put those down to the usual variations from sushi restaurant to sushi restaurant and assume you’re dealing with tuna and veges, and you can’t go wrong. 

Ingredients: Rice, seaweed, spicy tuna, salmon, white tuna, scallions, gold tobiko (flying fish caviar)

Preparation: Inside-out

Popularity: Small, but growing

This is one tasty piece of sushi roll, especially if you like yourself a little seafood in your diet.

The inner portion varies from restaurant to restaurant, but our default dish has two types of tuna (white and spicy, but you could use yellowtail or, really, any kind of flavorful fish), with salmon alongside for a flavor contrast, and the bite of the scallions giving it a little tang to finish.

The gold tobiko is more for looks than taste, but it does the job and completes a really memorable sushi roll menu item. We likey! 

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, 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.