What sushi roll contains cream cheese and smoked salmon?

The sushi roll containing cream cheese and smoked salmon is the Philadelphia roll. It is a Western-style makizushi usually made with smoked salmon, cream cheese, and often cucumber, with the rice on the outside and nori inside.

The roll’s name reflects its association with Philadelphia’s famous cream-cheese tradition rather than a traditional Japanese sushi recipe. Like other American-style sushi creations, it adapts Japanese techniques and ingredients to local tastes. Putting rice on the outside makes it an uramaki, or inside-out roll, a presentation developed in Western sushi culture.

Recipes are not completely standardized. Some restaurants use raw salmon instead of smoked salmon, while others add scallions, sesame seeds, or imitation crab. These variations explain why two Philadelphia rolls may look or taste different while sharing the same name.

The roll is sometimes called a Seattle roll in the Pacific Northwest. It should not be confused with a California roll, which is typically associated with imitation crab, avocado, and cucumber, or with a dragon roll, whose ingredients and appearance vary widely. The defining clue here is the smoked salmon-and-cream-cheese pairing.