NIGIRI Definition & Meaning

nigiri

[ ni-geer-ee ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

Japanese Cooking.

cold boiled rice moistened with rice vinegar, shaped into bite-size pieces and topped with raw seafood.

nigiri

/ �Ծ�ːˈɡ��ː��ː /

noun

(in Japanese cuisine) a small oval block of cold rice topped with wasabi and a thin slice of fish, prawn, etc, and sometimes held together by a thin band of seaweed

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of nigiri¹

First recorded in 1945–50; from Japanese nigiri-zushi, literally, “hand-pressed sushi, rolled sushi,” from nigiri “a gripping or grasping, handmade rice ball,” from nigiru “to grip, grasp, roll a lump of rice in the hand” + -zushi, combining form of sushi ( def )

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�y��vlog History and Origins

Origin of nigiri¹

from Japanese, literally: grasp, as the rice is shaped by hand

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How does nigiri compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

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Example Sentences

The sushi joint serves sushi by the pound and offers over 30 sushi and nigiri varieties.

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Lee said he only picked out 10 pieces of sushi and nigiri because most of the other options contained shellfish, to which he’s allergic.

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But the signature nigiri, dressed to drive the unique flavors of each variety of fish home, is a close second.

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Juno now offers omakase, a set tasting menu of 20 bites, including appetizers, nigiri, sashimi, warm plates and dessert.

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Biologist Jacob Katz, lead scientist for the group California Trout, said this effort, called the Nigiri Project, has shown over the past 13 years that flooded fields are highly effective feeding grounds for salmon and other fish.

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