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Eating
Sushi: Fingers Or Chopsticks?
Richard asks: In sushi bars, some people are always trying to tell everybody else the "right" way to eat sushi and sashimi. I'm especially curious as to how you should pick it up: with your fingers or with chopsticks. Some of these guys also say you should always eat a piece of sushi in one bite, which seems absurd to me. What say you, O Master? Tom sez: Stop that Master stuff. How you pick up the works of the sushi bar--which differ over a wide spectrum--depends on its size and shape. Generally, sashimi (the raw fish without the rice) is picked up with chopsticks. So are the pieces of pickled ginger that you use to change the channels of your palate when you move from one kind of sushi to another. Rolls and nigiri sushi (the kind with the ball of rice under the fish or whatever) can be picked up with chopsticks, but they're usually eaten with the fingers. (That's why you clean your hands with that hot towel they bring out when you sit down.) As for the one-bite rule, that's for real. But in Japan they're used to having this uncomfortable mouthful. And the pieces seem smaller to me over there. If you think you need to take a bite out of a piece, go ahead. But two bites is about it. (Although some of those absurdly large rolls that some places are maming these days may test that.) One thing you didn't ask about, but that I thought I'd bring up, is this: although the nigiri sushi is presented fish side up, rice side down, you always turn it over to dip it into the soy sauce, as well as to put it into your mouth. Revised 3/10/08 Copyright © 2008 Tom Fitzmorris. All rights reserved. |
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