Glossary · シャリ · shari
Shari
Shari is the seasoned, vinegared rice of sushi — and the thing the word 'sushi' literally refers to. Get the rice wrong and nothing else matters.
Shari is cooked rice seasoned with vinegar, a little sugar and salt, then cooled to around body temperature and shaped loosely so it falls apart the moment it hits your tongue. Chefs will tell you it’s half the craft — the topping gets the glory, but the rice is the test.
The word “sushi” itself refers to this vinegared rice (“sour rice”), not the fish — which is why technically sashimi (fish alone) isn’t sushi at all.