Which sushi roll is a California roll topped with multiple types of fish?

The rainbow roll is a California roll topped with multiple types of fish. Its colorful arrangement of tuna, salmon, white fish, yellowtail, snapper, eel, or other seafood gives the roll its “rainbow” name.

A California roll typically combines cucumber, avocado, and crab stick or imitation crab, often in uramaki form with the rice on the outside and nori inside. A rainbow roll keeps that California-roll foundation, then layers slices of different fish and often avocado across the top. Recipes vary by restaurant, so there is no single universally fixed list of fish.

The roll is a North American sushi creation rather than a classic Edo-period Japanese form. It belongs to the family of Western-style rolls that expanded after the California roll became popular. The inside-out format was useful for diners unfamiliar with the texture or appearance of nori, while the colorful topping made the dish visually distinctive.

A common mistake is to identify any multicolored sushi roll as a rainbow roll. The key clues are the California-roll base and the assortment of fish layered over it. A spider roll, by contrast, is associated with fried soft-shell crab, while a Philadelphia roll commonly features smoked salmon and cream cheese.