Sushi Etiquette

Have you ever wondered what the proper way to eat sushi was? Are there any rules about how to eat sushi? Can you eat sushi with your hands?

Well... Hiroko Shimbo, cookbook author, teacher, and Japanese food guru has the answers. 

1. When eating nigiri sushi (rice topped with fish) or sushi rolls, use your hands, not your chopsticks (since the loosely packed in well-made sushi will fall apart if pinched). For sashimi use chopsticks. 

2. Don't drown the fish. Some people immediately dump salt on their food and among sushi fans, the equivalent is a person who immediately dunks into soy sauce. A little is fine, but don't dip the sushi rice-side first-it will crumble. Instead, flip the piece over and let the fish barely touch the liquid. What to do with wasabi? Nigiri sushi already contains a bit of wasabi between the rice and fish; when eating sashimi a little wasabi mixed into your soy sauce is okay. 

3. Bite once. Sashimi, nigiri sushi, and maki rolls should be consumed in one bite if possible. The size of fish and rolls in Japan tend to be much smaller than what we have in the U.S. So, if you can't eat your sushi in two bites, you probably shouldn't be eating it at all. 

4. Eat in order. Start with sashimi, then sushi with rice, then miso soup. Picked ginger should be eaten only as a palate cleanser between bites. If what you are eating contains cream cheese, pineapple, barbecued pork, or fried chicken, it's not really sushi. 

We hope these tips were helpful and we definitely learned a thing or two that will have us adapting several of our sushi habits...