Did you know that you’ve probably been eating sushi wrong this whole time? Check out this video from a pro sushi chef to see how you should be doing it if you want to be a real sushi gourmet.
In this short video, Naomichi Yasuda, owner of Manhattan’s Sushi Yasuda and Sushi Bar Yasuda in Tokyo, teaches us how to eat sushi properly.
For a pro like Yasuda, absolutely everything must be perfect down to the tiniest detail. Interestingly, he begins by saying that rice, not the fish, is the most important thing about sushi. After that everything from the topping to the seaweed, condiments, and even the temperature must be carefully chosen and balanced to make the perfect sushi. And of course the way you eat your sushi is also paramount when it comes to properly savoring it. Below are a few of the common mistakes that foreigners, and even some Japanese people, make when eating sushi.
Chopsticks: Did you know that you’re actually supposed to eat sushi rolls with your fingers?!
Wasabi: Real wasabi is a native Japanese vegetable. However, most wasabi sold outside of Japan is actually a mixture of horseradish, mustard, starch, and green food colouring, which is a poor substitute.
Ginger: The ginger is there as a palette cleanser. Don’t put soy sauce on it, and never ever eat it in the same mouthful as your sushi!
Soy sauce: Foreigners love dousing their sushi in soy sauce, but you’re only supposed to use a smidgen on just one side of your sushi, but even then it’s not essential. If it’s roll sushi (makizushi) then gently dip one end into your soy sauce. If it’s blocks of rice with a topping (nigirizushi) then use your chopsticks to pick the sushi up on its side so that you can easily turn it and dip the fish side lightly into the sauce. Remember, don’t ever shake it!
Check out the video for more insight from Chef Yasuda and his ‘amateur fish eater’.
Did you pick up any tips from this video? Despite being a long-time sushi eater it turns out there are a few faux pas I’ve been making this whole time! Then again, I’m not sure people really care at 100-yen rotating sushi restaurants!
Source: Next Shark, YouTube – Munchies
Screenshots: YouTube – Munchies
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