Nigiri vs. Sashimi

Main Difference

Both, Nigiri and Sashimi are the Japanese dishes. While differentiating between both these words one need to know about Sushi, which is also one of the Japanese dishes. Sushi is a cuisine consisting up of cooked vinegared rice that are served with fish meat, vegetables, eggs or other raw seafood. Nigiri is one of the type of sushi in which slices of raw fish are pressed over vinegared rice. On the other hand, Sashimi is a Japanese dish in which thin slices of raw meat or fish are served along with soy sauce, pickles and wasabi paste. Rice aren’t used in Sashimi and it is not even type of Sushi like Nigiri.

Nigiri vs. Sashimi — Is There a Difference?
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Difference Between Nigiri and Sashimi

Nigiri vs. Sashimi

Nigiri is one of the types of sushi in which slices of raw fish are pressed over vinegared rice. On the other hand, Sashimi is a Japanese dish in which thin slices of raw meat or fish are served along with soy sauce, pickles and wasabi paste.

Nigiri vs. Sashimi

Nigiri is a type of sushi, whereas Sashimi is not a type of sushi.

Nigiri vs. Sashimi

Fish in Nigiri can either be cooked or raw, whereas meat in Sashimi is always raw.

Nigiri vs. Sashimi

Sashimi can be made up of any meat, most notably it is the high quality raw fish, if not that can even be the chicken, mutton, beef or even other meats like horse meat, whereas Nigiri is always made up of fish meat.

Nigiri vs. Sashimi

In Nigiri slices of fish are pressed over vinegard rice, while their is no use of rice in Sashimi.

Nigiri vs. Sashimi

Nigiri can either be eaten by chopsticks or with using hands, whereas Sashimi is always eaten with help of chopsticks.

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Nigirinoun

Regular sushi: a piece of raw fish (or other topping) on top of a small oblong brick of sticky white rice.

Sashiminoun

A dish consisting of thin slices or pieces of raw fish or meat.

Sashiminoun

very thinly sliced raw fish

Comparison Chart

NigiriSashimi
Nigiri is one of the types of sushi in which slices of raw fish are pressed over vinegared rice.Sashimi is a Japanese dish in which thin slices of raw meat or fish are served along with soy sauce, pickles and wasabi paste.
Type of Sushi
YesNo
Cooked or Raw
Fish in Nigiri can either be cooked or raw.Meat in Sashimi is always raw.
Meat
Nigiri is always made up of fish meat.Sashimi can be made up of any meat, most notably it is the high quality raw fish, if not that can even be the chicken, mutton, beef or even other meats like horse meat.
Rice
In Nigiri slices of fish are pressed over vinegard rice.Their is no use of rice in Sashimi.
Chopsticks
Nigiri can either be eaten bey chopsticks or with using hands.Sashimi is always eaten with help of chopsticks.
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What is Nigiri?

A dish of Japanese origin, Nigiri is type of a Sushi in which vinegared rice are served along with slices of raw fish. Nigiri is usually of ball like or roll like shape as the slices of fish are pressed over vinegared rice. The fish can either be raw or even cooked, to add up the taste sauce, pickles and wasabi paste can also be served along with it. Other different sauces or ketchups can also be used along with it as the dish is being made around the globe and traditional touch would hit the taste buds rightly. Fish is an important ingredient of the recipe that lies at the top so generally higher quality fishes like tuna, eel, shad, squid, snapper, octopus, or shrimp are used.

What is Sashimi?

A dish of Japanese origin which is not a type of Sushi, though it is even included in the category of sushis in many of the known food chains menu. Sashimi has nothing to do with rice like in the case of Nigiri. It is all about the raw fish or any other meat served with soy sauce, pickles and wasabi paste. The servings along with it may differ globally, though the real difference between it and Nigiri is that Sashimi can be made up of any meat, most notably it is the high quality raw fish, if not that can even be the chicken, mutton, beef or even other meats like horse meat. Sashimi is always eaten using chopsticks as the pieces of meat in it may vary in size. Though it isn’t compulsory as in the serving but one can use it with different sauces or wasabi paste and ginger prickles.