Etiquette Time: Sushi & Sashimi

By BankersBall on Jun 7, 2007 in Etiquette Time, Lifestyle

that green stuff is fake.

YOU. You wasabi-abusing, soy sauce-drenching, chronic spicy tuna-eater, you. You think you know sushi? You’re wrong. Here are some tips to rachet up your sushi sophistication.
Sashimi should be eaten with a small amount of soy sauce and wasabi.

Sushi (nigiri) should not be eaten with any wasabi as the chef has already included some in the preparation of the sushi. It’s actually perfectly acceptable to eat nigiri with your hands, and usually in one bite, whereas sashimi should always be eaten with chopsticks.

Sushi can also be dipped in soy sauce (sparingly), fish-side down, to prevent the rice from absorbing tons of soy.

And some more tips from Vanity Fair — did you know that the best bluefin depends on the season? In winter, look for fish from NE Japan, in summer, the best is from the Northeast.

Back to wasabi — most of the real wasabi we eat is farmed, instead of the wild wasabi. Masayoshi Takayama, the chef of Masa, searches the stuff out in the mountains of Japan during his summer vacations. You’ll just have to pay $500 to try it. The wild variant needs to be consumed quickly after grinding. Then there’s the green powder stuff above, which is fake, fake, fake.

As for “spicy” anything: you knew deep down it was somehow wrong, but beware of spicy stuff at the cheapie joints — it’s often used to cover up subpar fish.

6 Comment(s)

On Jun 12, 2007, Laura said:

As long as people eat politely, what difference does it make if someone wants extra wasabi on their sashimi? To your point, 98% of all wasabi is dyed horseradish anyway. Who cares?
On Jun 13, 2007, dirtchutewarrior said:

laura,

you are stupid.

best,

DCW
On Jun 18, 2007, Hugh Jorgen said:

so what if I like more soy sauce on my sushi, or an extra nugget of fake wasabi…or heaven forbid, order another order of spicy whatever…that makes me less sophisticated because i like a spicy dish, or the taste of soy sauce? So to be “in” and “hip” and all “big baller”, I need to forego the tastes that I like….just to fit in….in a restaurant where people come to eat and satisfy their appetite….brilliant….geesh.
On Jun 20, 2007, ast said:

To the posters above, sure you COULD put A1 on your filet mignon - but WHY!?!?
On Jul 4, 2007, Mike Smote said:

It’s not so much about being hip as being polite.

I’m not sure that it matters if you’re tucking into to sushi with your mates, but if in Japanese company, or at a bonafied sushi restaurant then it would probably be best to abide by the etiquette.
On Aug 16, 2007, caroline said:

I am m really just left with the question:

Who would want to eat raw fish with their hands in the first place?