How to eat Sushi – The basics and Tips 1

Here are some of the basics of proper sushi eating and etiquette that you would not normally have the opportunity to learn. You may be surprised to learn that what you used to take for granted was wrong!

• Should I eat with my hands or chopsticks?

Many people think that it is good manners to eat sushi with your hands, but in reality, it does not matter whether you eat it with your hands or with chopsticks. There are advantages to eating with your hands, such as the rice being less likely to fall apart, and eating with chopsticks being less likely to change the temperature of the ingredients, but there is no problem with eating the way you feel comfortable or want to eat. When eating with your hands, the basic rule is to pick it up with your thumb, index finger, and middle finger from three directions. However, it is good manners to eat gari with chopsticks.

• How do I put soy sauce on it?

When dipping sushi in soy sauce, the correct way to eat it is to dip the topping in soy sauce, not the rice. The main reasons for dipping the rice in soy sauce is that "too much soy sauce will stick to the rice," "the rice will fall apart easily from the soy sauce," and "the rice will stay in the soy sauce dish and not look good. When eating with your hands, or even with chopsticks, it is easier to put soy sauce on the topping by tipping the sushi to the side on the plate or counter before you pick it up.

※ Gunkan maki, such as Uni (sea urchin) and Ikura (salmon roe), the most common way to eat them is to dip the gari (pickled ginger) in soy sauce, as if you were applying it with a brush, and then apply soy sauce to the sushi. However, this is just a case of being conscious of the beautiful way of eating. When eating it normally, it is fine to dip the rice in soy sauce to the extent that it does not spill.