Uramaki is an inside-out sushi roll with rice on the outside.
Uramaki is a type of makizushi in which the rice surrounds the nori, or seaweed sheet, while the filling sits in the center. In a conventional maki roll, nori forms the outside layer and rice is inside. The reversal gives uramaki its name: ura means “inside” or “reverse,” and maki refers to a roll.
The style is especially familiar in sushi restaurants outside Japan, where rolls such as the California roll are commonly served uramaki-style. Sesame seeds, fish roe, or other toppings are often added to the exposed rice, both for flavor and appearance.
Uramaki should not be confused with nigiri, which is a hand-shaped mound of rice topped with seafood, or temaki, which is a cone-shaped hand roll. Gunkan is also different: it is a small oval of rice wrapped with a strip of nori to hold soft toppings such as roe. Uramaki is rolled, usually with a bamboo mat, then sliced into individual pieces.