Sushi, with its light flavors, low calories and eat-on-the-go convenience, is a favorite by many young locals, eager to eat healthily while keeping in sync with fast-paced city life.

Shanghai sushi traditionally shows influences from further afield than Japan’s style and to complicate things further, of late many chefs in the city — including Japanese ones — are increasingly incorporating rich Western flavors in their sushi rolls.

“If I have early meetings in the afternoon, I will buy a box of sushi from the convenience store, which is both time-saving and nutritious,” says Ding Ding, a marketing professional and sushi fan.

She is not alone, as sushi is one of the most popular foreign foods in town.

According to Sato Shigeru, head chef at Sushi Bar, Pudong Shangri-La East Shanghai, sushi was brought to Shanghai in the 1980s, when overseas Chinese students in Japan returned to Shanghai, making and selling it.

Chef Sato says the first sushi outlet of that time in Shanghai is opened on Huaihai Road.

With Chinese returnees rather than Japanese chefs pioneering sushi in Shanghai, the city’s sushi culture is often described as not traditional Japanese, instead taking inspiration from a range of sources.

California played an important role modernizing sushi, says Saito Masami, head chef at Nadaman Restaurant, known for its authentic kaiseki cuisine — characterized by small portions, seasonal ingredients and numerous courses.

Japanese settlers in America, especially California, introduced sushi to Americans. However, many Californians considered rice and raw fish wrapped in black seaweed an unappealing prospect.

To win over Western palates, Japanese migrants changed their recipe and created the “inside-out” California roll, with seaweed on the inside of a rice roll that also contains the likes of cucumber, crab meat and avocado.

Salmon sushi is popular in Shanghai, and again this shows an American influence. According to chef Saito, most Japanese traditionally prefer light and delicate white fish or tuna to make sushi rather than rich and fatty salmon.

Nowadays, many sushi restaurants in town have Japanese chefs — especially in Hongqiao and Gubei where many Japanese expats live — and authentic sushi is becoming more popular.

At the same time, some Japanese chefs have started to incorporate Western ingredients, such as foie gras, in their sushi or use rich sauce to marinate delicate fish to create more flavors.

Quality sushi relies on the freshest ingredients and rigorous hygiene standards, so choosing a restaurant is never an easy job.

According to some insiders, ingredient sourcing in Shanghai can be divided into three classes.

The top level is from Japan, including northern island Hokkaido and Nagasaki on southwestern island Kyushu. The distinctive temperatures and ocean currents off Japan give its fish and shrimps freshness and natural sweet flavor, according to chef Suzuki Yuji at Tsukiji Aozo Sandaime.

Second tier ingredients come from northern Europe, especially Norway, while the third class is from Dalian, in Shandong Province.

This week we recommend five Shanghai sushi restaurants, and provide a handy glossary of key sushi vocabulary.