Sushi. There are two types of sushi most commonly served to the Kosher consumer; Maki (the Sushi roll) and Nigiri (an oblong shaped finger of rice covered by a piece of fish).

Although sushi products have been available for a number of years, very little discussion exists as to their appropriate brachos. Because sushi products generally involve a mixture of food items (sushi literally refers to the rice - sashimi is the actual term for the fish), e.g., fish, rice, vegetables and fruit, the Ikar/Tafel rules must be applied.

Maki sushi contains strips of fish or vegetables rolled in rice and wrapped in crisp, thin sheets of dried seaweed. As all items are wrapped together and eaten together and no one item can be deemed as merely enhancing another item, i.e., the Maki connoisseur enjoys the combination of all ingredients present, one should make the brocha on the majority ingredient, which is usually the rice (thus a Mezonos), which will exempt all of the other ingredients. If one cannot discern which ingredient is in the majority, e.g., the fish or the rice, one should obtain a Mezonos product and a Shehakol product and make brachos on those with the intent of exempting the Maki.

If no other products are available, one should pull out a piece of rice and make a Mezonos, and then pull out a piece of fish, put it down in a separate location for a little bit, and then make a Shehakol on the fish with the intent of exempting the Maki. (See, e.g., Sefer V'zos HaBracha p. 94)

Nigiri, on the other hand, although eaten together, would not be considered a mixture; instead, it is treated as one food placed on another (as it is clearly discernible as two separate food items), both of which are desired.

In such circumstances, according to the Mishne Berurah (Orach Chayim 168: seif katan 45), a Mezonos should be made first on the rice and then a Shehakol on the fish.

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