How to Eat Sushi and Not Look Like a Complete Moron

If you've never tried sushi, odds are you will eventually, seeing how it's become so popular in America. This is a good place to start for sushi basics, so you don't feel quite so lost your first time. If you're a sushi regular, you may want to read this anyway, just to be sure you know what you're doing.

I would love to delve into the history of sushi...it's really interesting, but I suppose that's a subject to be saved for another blog. So, instead I'm just going to cover some basics here, to give you an understanding of common things you'll come into contact with when ordering and enjoying sushi. (Note that this is not an exhaustive list, but just a few basics to cover the things most commonly encountered while eating sushi in the US.)

Kosara

The kosara is the small dish that's been placed to the side of your sushi plate. You will use it to hold the shoyu used for dipping your sushi.

Shoyu (Soy Sauce)

Americans have a nasty habit of over doing things. We have turned condiments into main dishes, and the foods once adorned by condiments have become nothing more than vehicles with which to convey said condiments to our mouths. I have seen many Americans make this same mistake with sushi. SUSHI is the main dish, never forget that. All other things present when eating sushi are only there to make the sushi more complete, more fabulous. So, please, please refrain from drowning your sushi in shoyu. Instead, dip it lightly into the shoyu plate.

Wasabi

That small glob of green paste resting near your sushi is, of course, the wasabi. It's common to mix the wasabi in with the shoyu, and use it as a dipping sauce, and doing so will by no means get you kicked out of the establishment. It should be noted, however, that this is actually incorrect. Add nothing to your shoyu, and simply enjoy the sushi with whatever amount of wasabi was placed on each individual piece by the itamae (sushi chef).

Shoga

This is the pickled ginger you find in a little pile on your plate next to the wasabi and sushi. You may have seen people eat the whole mound, or add a slice to their sushi and eat it, or dip the shoga into the shoyu....All of these are incorrect. The only purpose of shoga is to cleanse the palate. For that purpose, only a couple of slices are needed. Eat a couple before you begin your meal, and when switching between different types of sushi. The point is to ensure each bite can be fully appreciated. Cleansing the palate helps to facilitate that.

There are other condiments and side dishes of sushi, but these are far less common, and won't be covered in this blog.

Beverages

We've established that the key to properly enjoying sushi is to avoid drowning out it's subtle flavors and textures with other things. So, what you drink with it is important as well.

• Tea - YES! (poured into yunomi, or teacups, tea goes so well with sushi because it's astringent, meaning it also aids in cleansing the palate. No drinkable liquid does this better than tea.)
• Water - yes!
• Beer - yes!
• Sake - NO!
• Soda - NO!
• Liquor - NO!
• Iced tea - no!
• Mixed drinks - no!
• Hot chocolate - no!
• Eggnog - no no no!
• Milk - no!
• Fruit juice - no!

Do not let Western pseudoexpertise fool you into believing that sake is a suitable accompaniment to sushi....It's overload! Sushi is mostly rice, and sake is made from rice. In Japanese restaurants and at meals, sake is rarely served where rice is present. Sushi and beer, however, are an okay combination, so if you crave some alcohol with your sushi, don't despair. Tea, however, is the best drink to enjoy with your sushi, for historical reasons, and those noted above.

Ohashi (Chopsticks)

Ohashi (pronounced oHAshi) are often misused in this country, and there are several things that should be kept in mind when using them to eat sushi.

• If you have seen people take the waribashi (chopsticks machine milled, with a groove that allows them to be split) out of their paper sleeve, snap them apart, and then proceed to vigorously rub them together, do not feel any urge to follow suit. Their excuse is that it removes rough edges, so you can avoid getting splinters stuck in your lips. Let's think about this: these waribashi are made from very soft wood, so rubbing them together is only going to increase any danger there may be of getting splinters. It's pointless, and rude. Besides, it looks silly, so don't do it. (Note that, when eating some things, like noodles served in soup, roughing up the waribashi can actually serve a useful purpose, allowing you to get a better grip on the slippery noodles. There is no reason to do this with sushi, however.)
• Try to avoid shoving a quarter length of ohashi into your mouth every time you take a bite. Ohashi are not forks. Use them to bring the bite to your lips, then eat it, but don't go overboard and then sliiiiide the ohashi out of your mouth, ready to do it again. Keep it simple.
• Many people have trouble with their ohashi because they hold them with their hand placed near the center or front third of their length. Try holding them with your hand placed as far back as you can handle. This will give you more control.
• When eating a bowl of rice, the rice is picked up and held a few inches below the mouth. So, if you have a bowl of rice with your sashimi (essentially sushi without the rice) try using this technique to avoid tossing rice all over the table.
• Don't wave your ohashi around during conversation or use them to point at something. Never spear food with them. Never use them to pull a dish closer to you. Don't keep them in your hand if a server hands you something.
• Do not use your ohashi as drumsticks....about 30 years ago some got the idea that rapping on your plate or teacup with your ohashi was a good way to get the attention of a server. Don't do it...you might as well just chuck something at their head, if you're going to be that rude.
• When not in use, ohashi are laid horizontally across the plate, pointing to the left. Most establishments have given in to Western concepts of correct service placement, but give extra points to those places that lay them horizontally, as they would in Japan.
• Things you should never, NEVER do, to avoid offending people who know: Do not pass food directly from one pair of ohashi to another. Do not stick your ohashi into a bowl of rice and leave them standing there, like you just stuck a flag in the top of Everest. These actions are reminiscent of certain funeral gestures, and should always be avoided.

More Sushi Etiquette

If the staff of an establishment busts out with a hearty "Irrashaimasssse!" when you walk through the door, you may feel the urge to reply. But how? Simply nod. Do not bow. As a guest, you're not in a position to initiate a bow, or to do so in response to the welcome. Then take your seat, and if you like, say "good evening".

If you are there simply to eat sushi, by all means, sit at the sushi bar. If you are there to eat sushi and enjoy conversation, please take a table. Lingering at the sushi bar and talking amongst your party is rude, and limits seating for those who simply wish to eat their meal.

The oshibori, which you may or may not find at the establishment you've chosen, is a traditional damp hot or cold towel to wipe your hands and face. If it's there, it's the only napkin you're going to get. Resist the urge to place it in your lap (unless you have no problem sporting odd stains on your pants) and instead place it beside you on the table, folded.

Do not use your ohashi to lift the tane, or topping, off of nigiri sushi, dip it in shoyu, replace it on the rice, and then eat it. In Japanese culture, this is considered a lower-class habit, and will not make you look good.

Don't smoke.

When eating off a communal plate of sushi and using chopsticks, turn them around and use the rear ends to take food from the plate.

Try to avoid leaving leftovers.

When eating nigiri sushi, the trick is to dip the topping-side, not the rice-side, in the shoyu. You'll have to practice. ;)

Well, those are the basics. There is much more to know, and maybe I'll sit down and expound on the different styles of sushi some time, or the different toppings. Until then, enjoy your sushi!

My thanks to Dave Lowry and Edohai - Sushi and Japanese Restaurant.