A Sushi Platter Trivia Quiz

Tuna roll, or tekkamaki, is a variety of hosomaki (a small wheel of rice surrounded by nori) that is filled with raw tuna. It is standard practice for hosomaki to contain just a single ingredient whether it be fish or vegetarian. There can occasionally be varieties of hosomaki with more than one ingredient being present such as negitoromaki, a morsel that features both tuna and spring onions (scallions).

Kappamaki is an elegant and simple piece of hosomaki that features sliced cucumber at its heart. Cucumber rolls can often be used as a palate cleanser - making use of cucumber's high water content - but can also serve as a quick vegetarian snack in its own right.

Kappamaki takes its name from "kappa", a creature from folklore that has a penchant for cucumber.

Nigiri is a type of sushi that consists of a hand-shaped oblong of rice that can be topped by a variety of different ingredients. The topping can be held in place through the use of nori (dried seaweed) as a ribbon. Whilst nigiri is often decorated by seafood, vegetarian nigiri is not at all an unusual sight. Avocado nigiri is a nice addition to a sushi platter as it provides a distinctive texture to the meal as well as a plethora of vitamins and minerals.

Tuna nigiri lives and dies by the freshness of the fish and the skill and dexterity of the chef tasked with the preparation. Preparation of sushi is an art form and it can often take decades of dedication to the craft to be considered worthy of the title "itamae".

The crab stick (originally named kanikama in Japan) certainly divides the crowd! The crab stick rarely contains any crab (it is "white fish") and this has led to restrictions being put on the naming of the product in a number of countries to prevent misleading advertising. You may instead see this ersatz red and white stick referred to as seafood sticks or variants thereof.

The California roll "celebrates" this peculiar foodstuff with a portion of crab stick featuring in the filling of the roll along with cucumber, avocado and seaweed.

Squid nigiri (ika nigiri), a personal favourite, consists of a mound of rice topped with a piece of squid that has been thinly sliced and scored. The squid should have a little bit of a bite but should certainly not be chewy. Ika nigiri can sometimes be seen served with a slice of lemon to add a blast of citrus to an already tasty morsel.

Salmon nigiri can be presented in a number of ways; on the platter in our picture, the salmon remains totally raw and a lot of the flavour comes from the fattiness of the fish. For those who wish to experience nigiri but struggle with raw fish, the piece of salmon can be seared using a blowtorch to provide a different flavour profile.

Tobiko (flying fish roe) is a commonly seen ingredient on sushi platters and is the roe of choice for coating the ever so controversial California roll. For those who may not wish to consume fish roe, the California roll can instead be coated with sesame seeds.

Flying fish roe takes the form of mini orange spheres and tends to be smaller in radius when compared to other commonly used roe such as that from salmon (ikura or red caviar).

Wasabi or Japanese horseradish belongs to the brassica family which includes relatives such as the mustard flower, radish and broccoli. A dab of wasabi is a superb accompaniment for sushi and sashimi and it is known for stimulating the sinuses. The likelihood of being served genuine wasabi (Eutrema japonica) outside of Japan is fairly low; replacements such as horseradish are instead used to create the "western wasabi" condiment.

Pickled ginger usually takes a slightly yellow or pink/red colour. The pink or pale red colour occurs when the pickling liquid (sugar and vinegar) interacts with anthocyanin, a flavonoid that naturally occurs in ginger. That said, the pinkish hue can be achieved using natural (beetroot) or artificial (E numbers) colouring.

Pickled ginger, known as gari in Japan, cleanses the palate and keeps the sushi dining experience clean and fresh.