The book concept of “Whatever for Dummies” is kind of cool. They are not very cool to have in your book collection necessarily, but as an introduction to a new field - they are quite brilliant.

They also have two books on sushi - one that’s called “Sushi for Dummies” and the other one “Cooking around the World for Dummies”.

Figuring out how to eat sushi politely can be confusing at first, but if you remember the tips in these books, you’re sure to display good sushi manners in a Japanese friend’s home or at a sushi bar. I also learned a bit more about the different types of sushi (I keep mixing up the names…). Following are descriptions of the different kinds of sushi from their website:

Nigirizushi: Fingers of vinegared rice topped with raw fish or other items, such as cooked shrimp or sweet omelet.

Makizushi: Sushi rolls made with a makisu, a mat made from thin pieces of bamboo that facilitates the rolling process. They usually consist of a sheet of nori seaweed filled with sushi rice and some sort of filling in the center. You also can find inside-out rolls, which have the rice on the outside and the nori and fillings on the inside.

Temaki: These are also called “hand rolls” as they’re made by simply stuffing sheets of nori with rice and fillings and rolling by hand into a cone shape. You eat these out of hand rather than with chopsticks.

Oshizushi: This sushi is a specialty of the city of Osaka, and you need a special mold to make it. You press sushi rice into a wooden (or sometimes metal) mold and then top it with fish or other toppings. The top of the mold is put into place and presses down on the whole shebang. When you remove the top, you have a large cake of sushi, which is then cut into bite-sized pieces. If you have the mold, you can see how this is an easy way to make many pieces of sushi at once — great for a party. You can find the molds at some Asian grocery stores.

Inarizushi: This is a simple-to-make vegetarian option for sushi lovers. You purchase aburage, which are fried pouches of tofu, so much of the work is already done. You simply stuff the pouches with sushi rice and some seasonings. These are great for picnics and lunch boxes.

Chirashizushi: Literally translated as “scattered” sushi, which is exactly what it is. This is the easiest sushi to make: You take a bowl of sushi rice and “scatter,” quite artfully, a selection of fish and vegetables. As with the oshizushi mentioned earlier in this list, this is a great party dish. You can make one big bowl and let guests serve themselves, or you can take a little more time to arrange individual bowls for a dinner party.

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