You can think of sushi as the Japanese equivalent of the western bun - portable, easy to eat, available in many varieties and essential. If you are new to sushi or are not very familiar with the correct methods for eating sushi, this article will introduce you to the correct sushi etiquette. Put your knowledge into practice the next time you taste this Japanese delight.
Steps
Step 1. Eat sushi in one bite
Two bites are acceptable, but "don't" put the sushi on your plate if you've already eaten half of it. Once taken, eat it all and keep the parts to eat between the chopsticks, ready to be consumed.
Step 2. Go easy on the soy sauce
Dipping your sushi in soy sauce is disrespectful because it means the original flavor was not to your liking without soy sauce. Use it in small doses to enhance the flavors.
Put your "nigiri-sushi" turned in soy sauce and eat it with "rice facing up". Don't submerge it too hard and catch it so that the fish touches your tongue. (Soy sauce causes the rice grains to separate.)
Step 3. Use the towel
It is the "oshibori", placed in front of you when you are seated. It is a small damp cloth to clean your fingers before and after meals. After cleaning your hands, fold it and place it in its container (usually a small basket or tray). It can be reused during the meal and it is also polite to use it to dry the face.
Step 4. Feel free to use your fingers as tools instead of chopsticks
Even though most people use chopsticks, sushi is traditionally "finger food" and it is entirely acceptable to eat it that way. Try not to ask for forks or knives. Sushi is not a steak. Some restaurants are more forgiving of this request than others, and may have some forks and knives on hand. Other people may think that you are a little rude if you haven't even applied yourself to using chopsticks, so it is advisable to apologize for your inability.
- Nigiri-sushi (hand-shaped) is usually eaten with the hands. It's not too compressed, meaning it might open before it reaches your mouth if you use chopsticks.
- Cone or roll sushi is eaten with your hands.
- Rolled sushi and reverse rolled sushi are eaten with both hands and chopsticks.
- Chirashi-zushi (scattered sushi) is eaten with chopsticks. You can also use a fork if the restaurant allows it.
Step 5. Clean the plate
It is rude to leave even a single grain of rice on your plate.
Method 1 of 3: Part 1: Wand Label
Step 1. Rubbing wooden sticks (waribashi) against each other is bad manners
If you do, it means that the chopsticks are cheap and have splinters, thus insulting your host. Avoid rubbing them; if your chopsticks really have splinters, ask discreetly and politely for a new pair.
Step 2. If you are in a sushi bar, place the chopsticks in front of you under the plate, parallel to the edge of the counter
Put the narrowest tip on the has-hi oki (chopstick rest). Instead, it is not polite to place them on the plate; if you do, place them diagonally on the plate, do not lean over the plate.
- Don't cross the chopsticks when you put them down; it's not much different than crossing a knife and fork once they are put down.
- When the sticks are down, the tips should face left if you are right handed, and right if you are left handed.
- Never put straight chopsticks in a bowl of rice; in fact it represents a funeral rite and, as such, is disrespectful when eating.
Step 3. Use the large, rounded part of the chopstick to take sushi from a common plate, if there is no other cutlery
Taking sushi from a common plate with the end part, which you use to put sushi in your mouth, is as rude as serving food from a buffet using the cutlery from your plate and licking it while serving each food, or drinking from another's glass.. Also use the large part to pass the sushi from your plate to that of another person, if you want to divide the food.
Step 4. Do not pass food from one pair of chopsticks to another
As part of the Japanese funeral ritual, family members pass the bones of the deceased to each other with chopsticks. Passing food from one pair of chopsticks to another is reminiscent of this ritual, and is therefore considered extremely rude and offensive. If you have to pass something to someone, take it and place it on their plate. The other person will catch it with his wands.
Passing sushi with chopsticks is tolerated only between parents and children or between lovers, as a gesture of intimacy
Method 2 of 3: Part 2: Ordering Label
Step 1. Know the difference between the different types of sushi
Sushi etiquette also includes knowing what you are eating. The types of sushi are:
- Nigiri: pieces of fish, shellfish or fish roe on rice balls
- Maki-zushi: Rolled in seaweed leaves, sometimes just called "maki". They are large sushi rolls, made by hand. The filling is encased in rice wrapped in nori and is known as nori maki. (Nori means seaweed)
- Futomaki-zushi: thick sushi rolls that have a whole seaweed leaf containing vinegared rice, various fillings and sometimes a piece of wasabi. It is a very versatile type of sushi.
- Hosomaki-zushi: Thin sushi rolls that have half a seaweed leaf, less rice and only one type of filling.
- California Upside Down Roll: The rice is on the outside and can be decorated with fish roe, sesame seeds, or tempura flakes.
- Molded Sushi: Made using a Japanese mold.
- Temaki: sushi in the shape of a cone or roll. It has the shape of a cone or a trunk. It is usually made by the person who will eat it.
- Sashimi: chilled or sliced raw fish without rice; And
- Chirashi-zushi: “scattered sushi”, sliced / chilled raw fish served as sashimi, but on a bed of rice. A mix of vegetables is also common. This is the most common form of sushi to put together.
- Sushi Wrapper: Sushi wrapped in something other than nori, such as bags of tofu (inari-zushi).
Step 2. Ask the cook what's good and let him choose for you, especially if it's your first time eating sushi
This shows respect for his work, and maybe you will get a good meal. If you are in Japan, offer the cook a drink, such as sake or beer, as a form of thanks.
If you eat at a table away from the sushi counter, let the waiter or waitress be the liaison between you and the cook. If, on the one hand, approaching the cook to ask for advice is welcome when sitting at the table, on the other hand it is always better to order from the waiter assigned to us, this also applies to regular customers. If you prefer to order from the chef yourself, it is recommended that you sit at the sushi counter to avoid confusion or delays in your order
Step 3. Learn some courtesy words or phrases in Japanese
(Note that in Japanese pronunciation, all syllables have the same intonation.) Learn phrases like:
- Thanks: Arigato gozaimasu (ah-ri-gah-toh go-zah-i-mahs su) - means many thanks.
- Before eating you can say "Itadakimasu!" (i-tah-dah-ki-mahss) and when you are done 'Gochisousama deshita!”This is what the Japanese say before and after eating.
- When you want to call the waiter / waitress you can say "Sumimasen" (su-mi-mah-sen). It is the equivalent of "excuse me".
- Note that if you are outside of Japan, the restaurant employees may not speak Japanese; use phrases when you know they will be understood.
Step 4. It is okay to put a small amount of wasabi on the sushi; likewise, it's okay to tell the cook (itamae-san) that you don't want wasabi - it won't be treated as an insult
Use the phrase "wasabi nuki de." Some don't like wasabi and the customer is the king or "God" as they say in Japanese: "okyaku-sama wa kami-sama desu."
Method 3 of 3: Part 3: Drinking Label
Step 1. If tea is served, drink it by holding it with one hand, while holding it from underneath with the other, and holding the cup with both hands
Step 2. If there is sake, it is rude to pour it to yourself
Pour it into other people's cups and let your mates pour the sake for you.
Step 3. If you are serving soup as part of your sushi menu, lift the lid off the bowl and sip directly
Advice
- Japanese words and phrases are optional; not every employee of a sushi restaurant will speak or understand Japanese if you are not in Japan.
- Be aware that sushi and zushi mean the same thing, but they indicate a change in vowel. Sushi is the correct word for vinegar rice roll, but when two nouns join in Japanese, the second one changes vowel type, so you can sometimes read “zushi” if two nouns are in combination, like in "inari- zushi ".
Warnings
- Don't ask for a spoon. The spoon is not used for sushi (or other Japanese dishes).
- Avoid puffer fish unless you are in a three or four star restaurant. Puffer fish is poisonous and even deadly if not prepared in the right way.
- Don't expect the cook to handle money. Ask for another employee's intervention. Whoever touches food never handles money.
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Image Don't play with chopsticks! Avoid playing with chopsticks.
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