Ever place an order at your local sushi restaurant only to be served something you weren’t expecting? Even those who eat sushi regularly can often find themselves baffled by all the different types of rolls and dishes.

Use this quick guide to make sense of the sushi menu before you place your next order.

While we often use sushi as a blanket term for anything at a Japanese restaurant that includes raw fish, this is misleading. The word “sushi” comes from a Japanese word that means sour rice. So sushi has nothing to do with fish. It’s all about the rice!

This means that sashimi—sliced raw fish, served on its own—isn’t actually sushi at all.

Nigiri is a combination of sushi (rice) and sashimi (raw fish). The fish is laid on top of a compact rectangle of rice to be eaten as one bite.

One order of nigiri is usually two pieces, but it’s best to double-check with your server before ordering.

Maki is what most Americans envision when they think of sushi. Maki is sushi rolls made with raw fish, sushi rice, and some additional ingredients like vegetables, tempura bits, or sauces. Within the maki umbrella, there are lots of different types of sushi:

The original sushi rolls were called makizushi or makimono. These are made of sushi rice, fish, and vegetables, all rolled up in seaweed and sliced into bite-sized pieces.

Many sushi rolls in American restaurants are uramaki. These rolls have rice on the outside instead of seaweed. For example, California Rolls and Philadelphia Rolls are uramaki.

Temaki are hand rolls wrapped up in a cone shape. Since they’re not cut into bite-sized pieces, these are not best for sharing.

Gunkan maki is a roll that sits upright on its end. It’s made of a rice ball wrapped in seaweed, topped with roe or fish. It’s also called battleship maki because its upright oval shape makes it look like a little ship.

These terms describe the size and complexity of a roll. Futomaki are larger rolls with more ingredients, like all the 88’s Favorite Rolls. Hosomaki are smaller, simpler rolls, usually including rice and just one other ingredient. Our classic tuna roll is hosomaki.

There are some other types of sushi that aren’t as common in American restaurants but are found more often in Japan.

Oshizushi are pressed rolls made by compacting rice and other ingredients into a rectangular box. When the box is removed, the sushi is sliced into uniform shapes.

Chirashi is a bowl of sushi rice topped with ingredients like raw fish, cucumbers, roe, and condiments. The word chirashi means “scattered”—as the ingredients are scattered across the fish.

If you find yourself unsure about a type of sushi on a menu, just ask! Your server or sushi chef will be happy to help you navigate the choices at HIRO 88.