Question: Sushi etiquette

Thu 2 Sep 2010 - 5:22 pm UTC

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ANSWERED on Wed 14 Nov 2007 - 7:26 pm UTC by pinkfreud

Question: Sushi etiquette

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Asked by needhelp on Wed 14 Nov 2007 - 6:43 pm UTC:

Hopefully, someone just knows this from experience.  What's the proper way
to eat sushi?  

I tend to just pop the whole piece in my mouth, but it really seems a tad
too big for that (the piece, not my mouth).  But there's no obvious way to
cut the sushi into pieces without a knife, and biting it in half makes a
mess.

I always mean to watch other folks for technique pointers, especially some
Japanese natives, but I never quite remember to do it, so I'm turning to
Uclue instead.

Thanks.

needhelp

Uclue Researcher Answer by Researcher pinkfreud on Wed 14 Nov 2007 - 7:26 pm UTC:

I was taught that sushi should be popped into one's mouth whole. If it just
won't fit, bite off a piece or ask the sushi chef to cut it. Never
subdivide it with a knife. This basically seems to be the consensus of
online sushi pundits, too:

"How to Eat Sushi Properly...

Step One: Pour soy sauce on the small individual plate.

Step Two: Hold one piece of sushi (including the ball of rice on the
bottom) and dip the fish side into the sauce. Avoid dipping the rice into
the sauce.

Step Three: Place the whole piece of sushi in your mouth."

How to Eat Sushi Properly
http://www.ehow.com/how_3266_eat-sushi-properly.html

"Sushi is a finger food and not meant to be eaten with utensils or chop
sticks. It is expected you use your right hand to eat sushi, and pick it up
with your thumb and your forefinger to dip it and eat it...

Pop the entire piece of sushi in your mouth. Sushi is meant to be a one bit
'fast food' treat in Japan. You are not supposed to take bites from sushi
and then sit it back on the plate. This is considered unclean and
insulting. In Japan, only samurai and chefs wield weapons such as knives,
so it is not acceptable for you to cut your sushi into pieces. If a piece
of sushi is too large to put in your mouth in one bite, it is acceptable to
ask the sushi chef to cut the pieces for you."

Sushi Eating Etiquette
http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/172554/sushi_eating_etiquette_a_guide_to_how.html

"If the size... does not fit to your mouth, you can ask the sushi-chef to
cut it into two pieces when it is served, or ask to make it smaller from
the next. This is not an unusual situation at sushi bar counter and for
sushi chefs, especially for ladies or children. Do not hesitate to do
so."

Sushi Etiquette
http://homepage3.nifty.com/maryy/eng/howtoeat.htm

"Dip the fish part into the soy sauce. Flip it back over and pop it into
your mouth and eat it. If it’s too big, gingerly bite the first half
off. Here’s where things could get messy. Be prepared that your rice
might crumble apart if you bite into a piece of sushi, leaving half on your
chopsticks. A gentle hold and a gentle bite will help to avoid this, but
still won’t guarantee avoiding problems. The other way that rice falls
apart is when people dip the rice side of the sushi into the soy sauce.
This will most definitely cause the whole thing to fall apart, so avoid,
avoid, avoid it! Dip just the fish side."

First Time Eating Japanese Sushi
http://www.foodvirgin.com/columns/Sushi.htm

Hope this helps!

Best regards,
pinkfreud

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Wed 14 Nov 2007 - 10:34 pm UTC:

In an emergency, I wait until no-one is looking. Holding a chopstick
exactly horizontally, I press it down hard onto the sushi. Perhaps
surprisingly, I can usually cut the sushi this way provided the nori
(seaweed) is not too thick.

At the end of the cut, the chopstick is positioned at the bottom of the
sushi piece, which means I can lift it (using the other chopstick too)
without any risk of losing stray bits of rice. Very neat and tidy.

There. My guilty secret is out.

I must admit, it had never occurred to me that a sushi chef would be
interested in cutting up my sushi. I must try that next time the pieces are
too big (which doesn't happen often).

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher pinkfreud on Wed 14 Nov 2007 - 10:40 pm UTC:

When I think of asking the sushi chef to cut my sushi, my mind conjures up
an image of John Belushi as the Samurai Sushi Chef, chopping the entire
table in half with a giant blade.

Comment by User markvmd on Thu 15 Nov 2007 - 7:55 am UTC:

I'm a rice dipper. I use chopsticks and dip the bottom in my carefully
prepared soy sauce and wasabi. In the US the quality of fish, sushi rice,
and sushi chef are not up to exacting Japanese standards (though there is a
delightful place in DC that is) and it needs a tiny bit of help. And none
of that California Roll stuff, either-- raw fish and rice for me, liver
flukes be damned!


Now am I the only one noticing the contradictions above?

The photo at http://www.ehow.com/how_3266_eat-sushi-properly.html shows
chopsticks being used though the article says, "Sushi is a finger food and
not meant to be eaten with utensils or chopsticks." The other sites have
similar disagreement in word and picture.

The Food Virgin article says "They’ll often have... a cat or badger with
a paw raised by the front door for luck." If you spot a "badger" (actually
a racoon dog) try to check out the testicles. The alcoholic deadbeat
Tanuki-- don't take an IOU from him!-- is traditionally portrayed with a
whomping huge set, though recent versions available for general sale have
been decidedly lacking for some reason.

Accepted and rated by needhelp on Mon 19 Nov 2007 - 3:43 am UTC:

Thanks.  I learned quite a bit about the do's and dont's of sushi eating,
and even a few maybes.  A very thorough answer (though I'm still going to
watch the other diners next chance i get).

And thanks to all those who added comments, as well.

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Tue 12 Feb 2008 - 2:04 pm UTC:

Here's a video which could be regarded as a "definitive" guide:

"YouTube - How to eat at a Sushi Bar"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=bc6v8IUe_0g

It includes several clear shots of the sushi being eaten whole.

( Thanks to mukthar at Google Blogoscoped Forum for the link:
http://blogoscoped.com/forum/123223.html#id123338 )

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Tue 12 Feb 2008 - 2:20 pm UTC:

Or, on a more serious note:

"YouTube - How to eat Sushi"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=n-o-2U1WXTk

Comment by User myoarin on Tue 12 Feb 2008 - 9:32 pm UTC:

Those were great additions, Eiffel.  Thank you.  I didn't know the Japanese
appreciated that kind of humour.  And I learned to to use the other ends of
my chopsticks for getting things from the communal pot.

But the link  - "thanks to mukthar" -  raises a question:  do I know this
guy?

   "Roger B ... 

    It looks like this device has been designed to facilitate
    copyright infringement.

    It could be used to copy photos and other still images, or
    even (shudder) entire books! [...]

    Some parents even give these to their children. How
    irresponsible can that be? How many parents really keep a
    close eye on their children while they're using these?"

Myo

Uclue Researcher Comment by Researcher Roger Browne (eiffel) on Tue 12 Feb 2008 - 10:43 pm UTC:

Myoarin: yes you do "know this guy".

For everyone else, here's the context:

"Color Pencils Reviewed"
http://blogoscoped.com/archive/2008-02-11-n78.html

"Color Pencils Reviewed - Forum Comments"
http://blogoscoped.com/forum/123223.html

Comment by User myoarin on Wed 13 Feb 2008 - 3:50 pm UTC:

8-D

I know where you can find me when I'm not here.

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