Sushi is a treat that few can resist. But do you know how to eat it properly? With the help of reports and recommendations from digital artists Sachi Tanaka and Let’s Ask Shogo, we’ve put together these five things you should never do when eating sushi, especially if you’re doing it in Japan.
1. No bits
Sushi is eaten in one piece. According to YouTuber Shogo, from Let’s Ask Shogo, “Part of the experience of eating sushi lies not only in its appearance but also in the relationship between the guest and the chef.” For the Japanese, “Destroying sushi before eating it is disrespectful.”
That’s why both Tanaka and he insist that you should always eat it in one bite. Of course, Shogo clarifies: “If it’s too big for you, you can always ask to have it given to you.”a smaller piece of fish or less rice”.
2. Do not wet the rice
According to Shogo, there are three reasons that make greasing rice with soy a complete taboo in Japan, his country of origin. The first is that You can accidentally put too much soy in your sushi and ruin it.
But it is also like that: You risk the rice falling apart before putting it in your mouth. Or even that rice crumbs are floating in the soy bowl.
To simply dip the fish, the Kyoto native recommends: “First turn the piece of sushi on the plate, then pick it up with chopsticks and dip it into the soy.” Shogo also advises, “Don’t overdo it with soy,” because “it can change the taste of sushi.”
3. Do not mix wasabi with soy
Wasabi, explains Tanaka on his Instagram, is never mixed with soy, something we are very used to. Instead, you can put some on the fish to enhance its flavor.
Something similar happens with pickled ginger or automobiles: Don’t eat them with sushi, otherwise the taste will be completely destroyed. The automobile is used to cleanse the palate and avoid mixing flavors in your mouth. Take a bite between pieces to enjoy the different flavors of sushi.
4. Do not use forks or chopsticks
“Even if you don’t know how to use chopsticks, Do not use a fork”, indicates Tanaka. And he recommends that you use your hands in this case. Remember that you must do this He oshibori u Otefuki is a wet, hot, or cold towel offered in restaurants and tea rooms in Japan.
Also, do not stick your chopsticks into rice or other foods. According to Shogo on his YouTube channel, “This act gives the impression that you don’t know how to eat and that you are an immature person.” And again: “It is a way to destroy food before consumption.” It is considered disrespectful to whoever cooked it.
But that’s not all: the gesture of sticking the chopsticks into the rice is also taken into account as a call to bad luck. And in Japan, at funerals, a bowl of rice with a few chopsticks stuck in it is left as an offering to the dead.
5. Do not separate the rice from the fish
Shogo explains that even among the Japanese, there is a growing tendency to eat only the fish and leave the rice on the plate in order to “consume fewer calories.” However, this is a reminder It was “something disrespectful to the chef”. And he insists: “You should always eat rice and fish together,” because If you don’t want rice, “you can order sashimi instead.” and avoid offending anyone.
