How To Eat Sushi (Or At Least Look Like You Know How)

Sushi gained popularity in the US about 10 years ago. It continues to live up to its chic and trendy reputation. However fun and eclectic this traditional Japanese food may be, it still bewilders many man, and women, today.

Whether it’s a first date or a business dinner, you will definitely need to look as though you have mastered the basics of sushi. Below are a few etiquette tips and the essentials of sushi.

There are three basic types of sushi: Nigiri Sushi, Maki Sushi, and Sashimi Sushi. Let’s first discuss Maki Sushi.

Maki Sushi: If you have stepped foot into at least a SuperTarget in the last year, you have seen this type of sushi. Maki Sushi is rolled sushi. It is made with fish, rice, and a multitude of vegetables. Traditional maki sushi has seaweed on the outside (the dark green weird stuff). The most popular sushi in the states is an “inside out roll.” It is “inside out” because it has the rice on the outside, with the seaweed on the inside. Crunchy rolls, or fried rolls, are also considered inside out rolls. Whether it’s inside-out or right-side-out, maki sushi is in the lowest price bracket.

Nigiri Sushi: Nigiri sushi is nothing more than rice with raw fish on top. Based on the type of fish, you will typically get 4-6 pieces with an order of nigiri sushi. This type of sushi is a bit more pricey than the maki sushi.

Sashimi: (My personal favorite.) Sliced raw fish. That’s it. You pay the biggest bucks for sashimi out of the 3 types of sushi. It should have the highest quality fish and be very fresh. My advice is not to eat this unless you are at a *legitimate* sushi restaurant. (Chinese buffets DO NOT qualify as *legitimate* sushi dining.)

Now just a bit on manners. It doesn’t matter who you are with, girlfriend, first date, boss, coworker, etc., looking like a clown while eating is not advised. Sushi is no exception to this rule. While everyone is given some leeway when eating Japanese food, cluelessness is not excused.

· Eat sushi how you want. Eating it with your hands is very old school and completely acceptable. If you aren’t able to embrace this Eastern tradition, use the chopsticks or the best way possible to get it from the plate to your mouth, within reason.
· A HUGE misconception is to mix your wasabi in the soy sauce. Don’t do that. If you want additional wasabi, let the sushi chef know and they will put it on your rice.
· The most important suggestion is how to properly dip your sushi in the soy sauce: DO NOT EVER, under any circumstance, dip it rice side down. (I realize that is impossible with inside-out sushi, but for everything else this applies.) Flip your sushi, fish side down, and dip! This keeps your sushi from falling apart everywhere and you from looking like an idiot.

Now that you have the basics of sushi, grab some friends, or a date, and test out your new found sushi-intellect. Plus you’ll impress everyone by knowing what to do. Plus, the better you are at managing sushi after a few saki bombs, the better off you are; in my opinion!