【Reading】なかまき

【English Name】Naka maki

Chu-maki (medium roll) is a type of rolled sushi that falls between the hosomaki (thin roll) and the futomaki (thick roll). It generally uses a half-sheet of nori (half of a full sheet) and is finished to a diameter of about 3–4 cm.

Whereas hosomaki limits the ingredients to a single kind, chu-maki often combines two or three kinds of ingredients. Representative ingredients include the negitoro roll, combining tuna and green onion, and the kaisen roll, combining several kinds of sashimi. While it does not have the volume of futomaki, it is characterized by allowing one to enjoy more variation in flavor than hosomaki.

It has become established as a standard menu item at conveyor-belt sushi and takeaway sushi, and is cherished as an easy-to-handle size for hand-roll (temaki) sushi parties at home. In English-speaking countries it is sometimes called a "Medium Roll," but at overseas sushi restaurants the distinction between hosomaki and futomaki is mainstream, and the chu-maki classification can be said to be a designation peculiar to Japan.