While eating sushi may seem all about chopsticks, it is slightly more than just that. One needs to know the best ways to take in the flavours, eat it in a group respecting everyone’s presence and most importantly acknowledge the hard work of the chef.
Once you have a plate of sushi in front of you, you tend to dip it in soy sauce, wasabi, and thinly sliced ginger and put it inside your mouth. But do you know the sushi-eating practices that are traditionally followed while you eat this delicacy? Let’s have a look.
Clean your hands
Even before you sit to eat the sushi, the first thing that needs to be done is to clean your hands. Use a wet towel to make sure your hands are neat. There can be a few reasons for this. While the first stems from pure hygiene, where one goes for a hand wash before eating, the second can be for removing any oil, dirt or impurities from the hands so that the delicate chopsticks do not slip and cause any discomfort. Moreover, since eating in Japan is mostly a sit-down meal with other people, dirty hands should not be an eyesore to the others.
How to eat sushi?
Sushi eating should mostly be done with chopsticks. Although there are some kinds like the nigiri which can be eaten via hands as well as chopsticks, most sushi and sashimi are only eaten via chopsticks. In case you are not a pro, it is suggested that you practice a few times before actually sitting down to eat sushi in a group. You might not be perfect, but at least you can save yourself from some embarrassment and earn some appreciation for the effort you put in to respect traditional customs.
Soy Sauce ritual
Sushi is a burst of flavours in itself. From tuna or salmon, to sticky rice, avocado, mushroom, seaweed, and sesame seeds on top, you get spicy, umami, savoury, sweet and sour all wrapped up in a parcel. The salty soy sauce only enhances the flavours making it hydrated and adding a hint of salt to it. All you need to do is pour the soy sauce in the sauce dish and dip the fish side. It is also recommended not to dip the wasabi inside the sauce, a common practice that is a traditional mistake.
Wasabi power
Wasabi is a very overpowering ingredient while eating sushi. If not taken in the right amount, it can choke you with its pungency. Ideally, take just a blob of wasabi, place it on the sushi and that’s all that you need to add a hint of pungency to the dish.
Packed in a bite!
Once you are done arranging the wasabi, hold it firmly with your chopsticks, bring it near your mouth and eat it in a gulp. Many people do take a few bites but that is not seen very highly in sushi eating etiquette. Although forgivable for children, adults must try to finish it in one bite.
Ginger Cleanser
Ginger was originally not meant to be laid on the sushi and eaten with it. It is supposed to serve as a palate cleanser between eating different types of sushi. Also, it is not supposed to be mixed with soy sauce but eaten separately.
Respect the sushi chef
Just like sushi eating is an art, sushi making is also one. The chef painstakingly puts together all the right ingredients in different combinations and permutations to serve you the best sushi platter. Eating the sushi right after it is served hot, is the best way one can acknowledge the hard work of the chef. Sometimes, guests are encouraged to greet the chef with Itadakimasu which translates to ‘I humbly receive’. This shows your appreciation towards the chef.
Different plates
To allow each flavour to settle in your palate, it is recommended that you order different sushi one after the other, after the previous plate is finished. Usually, one starts with the lighter fish and ends with the richer, heavier fish or seafood.
No rubbing chopsticks
Chopsticks are seen as an instrument to eat your meal on point. However, they are still sticks and rubbing them against each other or tapping them makes a sound that is considered rude when you are sitting with people to have food. Thus, consciously it is best not to brush the chopsticks against each other.
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