If you eat sushi like this, you're doing it wrong: what a Japanese would never do
Sushi is much more than just a meal; it is a tradition with centuries of history, an art that balances flavors, textures and presentation with almost ritualistic precision. For many outside Japan, enjoying sushi has become a gourmet experience, whether at an Asian restaurant or preparing it at home. But did you know that there are certain unwritten rules about how to eat it properly? What may seem like a harmless gesture to us-such as mixing wasabi into the soy sauce or eating a piece bite by bite-to a Japanese person would be nothing short of disrespectful to the essence of this dish so popular in the West.
1. Drowning sushi in soy sauce
In Japan, soy sauce is used sparingly. Dipping sushi rice in it is a mistake because it absorbs too much liquid and alters the balance of flavors. The correct way is to lightly dip the fish, not the rice. Sometimes nigiris already contain soy sauce, so it is not necessary to dip them in it again.
Mix wasabi with the soy sauce.
Many Westerners create a kind of "soup" with wasabi and soy sauce, but in Japan this is unthinkable. The chef has already put just the right amount of wasabi in the sushi, and mixing it separately is considered disrespectful to the balance of the dish.
3. Eating sushi with a fork or knife
Sushi is eaten with chopsticks or directly with the hands, especially nigiri. Using western cutlery is seen as an aberration.
4. Separate the rice from the fish
Some diners disassemble the nigiri, leaving the rice on one side and the fish on the other. This is gastronomic sacrilege, as the chef has designed each piece to be enjoyed together.
5. Eating ginger with sushi
Pickled ginger (gari) is not a condiment for sushi, but a palate cleanser between bites. Eating it with fish interferes with the flavors. It is used to cleanse the palate, so we will take it between sushi with different types of fish.
6. Mixing sushi with Western sauces
It is not common, but we will never dress a sushi with ketchup, mayonnaise or barbecue sauce - what an aberration! Sushi in Japan is subtle and balanced. The chef will have already conceived his best piece. To ask for large quantities of wasabi or to bathe it in mayonnaise breaks the harmony of the dish and can be seen as an insult to the chef.
7. Sushi is eaten in one bite
Each piece of sushi is designed to be enjoyed in a single bite, respecting the balance of flavors and textures. Biting it in pieces makes it fall apart and alters the experience that the itamae (sushi chef) has thought for you.
8. Ordering sushi for dessert
In Japan, sushi is a main course, not an appetizer or dessert. Finishing a meal with sweet sushi or extravagant combinations (such as sushi with Nutella) is something you would hardly see in a traditional Japanese restaurant.
9. Sushi is eaten at room temperature and never cold.
Sushi rice should be at room temperature to maintain its texture and enhance the flavor of the fish. If it is too cold, the rice hardens and the fish loses some of its aroma and softness, affecting the experience.
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