If you enjoy sushi, or if you think you’d like to give sushi a try, or if you want to learn what sustainable sushi is about, this document is for you. Sushi etiquette is not complicated, but it’s rich in traditions that you may want to become aware of. When a custom is discussed this HOWTO chooses the “Japanese way” of doing things over “the local way”. The most important thing to remember is that sushi is just fast food! If it gets too fancy, or too expensive, it’s probably not that good.
Choosing a Sushi Restaurant:
Many people I’m met told me that they don’t like sushi; upon pressing the matter, I learned that the place where they ate it was far less from ideal. It’s sad to think that many people cannot enjoy sushi because of a bad first experience. The usual culprit for this is a combination of lack of tradition in the place where they ate and poorly prepared fish. All fish swim in the ocean, but not all fish are suitable for sushi because how the fish is handled, from the water to the sushi bar, influences its quality. The Japanese word for sushi restaurant is “Sushiya”. Eat only at the best place you can find. Many sushi bars are a bit expensive, but quality usually sucks, so price is no indicator of quality. Ask Japanese people where they go to eat sushi and go there. Stick to one or two good places once you find them. Regulars get better sushi and better overall service than casual patrons. The best sushi places I’ve been to in San Francisco, Mexico City, Zürich, Manhattan, Beverly Hills, Waikiki, Guadalajara, Paris, Moscow, Boston, Columbus OH (yes, you read that correctly), London, Amsterdam, Dallas TX, Milano, Toronto, Chicago, and Oslo have one thing in common: They have a very small sushi bar, i.e. they seat fewer than 12 people at the bar. A good Japanese restaurant is most often not a good sushi place. A good sushi place is usually a good Japanese restaurant. Count the number of Japanese sitting at the sushi bar. The more Japanese people eating there, the better the sushi. Remember: Japanese people are manic about quality. Most often than not, avoid the restaurants with little boats of sushi parading along a large sushi bar. It’s a great gimmick, but remember that those restaurants are to sushi what McDonald’s is to prime rib. Warning signs that you probably won’t get good sushi here bellow. If four or more of the conditions above are met, head to a different restaurant.
– The fish and other seafood are not on display at the sushi bar.
– The fish and other seafood on display look dry.
– The sushi chef or (worse) a food server wants to take your order for all sushi items at once.
– The sushi chef doesn’t give you a chance to order “one or two pieces at a time”, Japanese style.
– The restaurant advertises “all you can eat sushi” for a fixed price.
– The menu items are not listed in Japanese followed by a translation; they appear only in the native language.
– The menu consists mostly of rolled sushi with names like California Roll or Oriental Delight.
– More than half of the available ingredients are cooked.
– The sushi chef hasn’t the vaguest idea of what you’re talking about if you ask for kazunoko, shiso, inago, chirashi, or yama gobo.
– The morsels of fish atop nigiri pieces are so large that you can barely see the rice underneath (some people think that the sushi place is good because you get big pieces of fish); big pieces of fish are good as long as the fish quality is good.
– The sushi rice is flavorless; sushi rice must have a delicate aroma and flavor.
– The restaurant is part of a chain or franchise
How to Order Your Food ?
Eating sushi is not about filling yourself with raw fish. Eating sushi is an experience–some say a ritual–that involves all your senses. Serious sushi can only be eaten at the bar because that’s the only place where you’ll see the colors, inhale the aromas, share the laughter, and taste the food fully immersed in the environment. Plan on a one and a half to two hour meal.
Eat at the Sushi Bar:
Greet the other people at the bar and start a conversation with them; sushi is about community. If you cannot eat at the bar, walk to it and check the quality of the fish before ordering. Greet the itamae (sushi chef) even if you don’t eat at the bar. He’ll recommend special stuff if he recognizes you as a regular and/or someone who truly knows how to eat sushi. Remember that itamae are not just “cooks”. They have traditions dating back to the time of the samurai. These same guys fed the meanest leanest macho hombre warriors of Japan. Be respectful and you shall enjoy the best sushi. Order all sushi items from the itamae, everything else from the food servers. Order sashimi (selection of fresh fish slices) first; ask the sushi chef for his choice of fish. He knows what’s fresh today better than you. “Please prepare what you think is freshest,” is the best way to order. Let him be creative. Order one kind of sushi at a time, maximum three if the bar is busy. That could be nigiri, maki or temaki. Big plates are for the table only. If you are a regular, let the itamae decide what you’re having and at what pace it is served. Don’t rush through your meal. Eat at McDonald’s if you want to eat fast. If you’re at the bar and in a bit of a hurry (i.e. have a half hour to eat or so), order a chirashi, a small lacquered box with a bed of sushi rice, a bit of sugar, some pickled veggies and a chef’s selection of fish and mollusks. This way you’ll get all your sushi at once in a single serving and then leave. Eat it with chopsticks. Pickled vegetables, sprouts, and some things like ankimo (monkfish liver) are OK to order from the sushi chef if you see them advertised at the bar. Don’t be afraid to ask for things not listed in the menu. Chances are the chef has them under the counter for those people (like you) who truly know what they’re doing. Kazunoko, inago, hebo and idtakko fall in this category. If the bar is busy and you feel like you can’t wait, order some edamame (boiled soy beans), suimono(clear broth) or chawanmushi (egg custard with shiitake, ginko nuts, and seafood) to keep you busy until the sushi chef can take care of you. Eat sushi with moderation. More than 10 kinds of fish, crab, and clams are too much because your palate numbs. Drink beer, cold sake, or green tea with your sushi. Soft drinks spoil the taste and white wine is for tourists. Remember there are more than 300 kinds of sake, so at least one will be better than the cheap Chardonnay they offer by the glass. If you’re drinking sake, keep in mind that not all sake is heated for consumption. Nigori (unfiltered) sake looks like milk; drink it cold. For hot sake, ask for Sho Chiku Bai. Ask the itamae for more exotic drinks like gold sake (with real gold flakes in it!) If the sushi is excellent and you’re having a good time, offer to buy a drink for the itamae and his assistants. You will discover that most Japanese itamae drink Budweiser (as observed in San Francisco, Beverly Hills, Chicago, New York, and Moscow). Don’t offer to buy drinks during lunch; this is an evening tradition. Don’t be surprised if your itamae pours you a glass of the special reserve sake he keeps under the bar if he realizes that you know your sushi and how to order it. Thank him, raise your glass and toast by saying “kampai!”. The itamae and rest of the staff are tipped separately unless you pay the bill with a credit card. The bulk of the tip must go to the itamae. Note that this applies only in the US! There is no tipping in Japan. Adhere to local customs in other countries.
Types of Sushi:
Sashimi: Raw seafood served chilled and sliced, and elegantly arranged. It’s usually prepared with fish fresh from the water, refrigerated but never frozen. How to slice the fish for sashimi is one of the most rigorous skills to learn during the itamae’s training. Fish cut too thick or too thin make a different impression on the taste buds, and different fish require applying different techniques. Depending on what was served, you will be handed soy sauce, ponzu, or red pepper to dress it.
Nigirizushi
Nigiri means something like “hand pressed”. This type of sushi is the most common type at the sushi bar: A small oval made with rice, with an expertly cut slice of fish on top, and with a dab of wasabi on it. Most types of nigirizushi are meant to be dipped in soy sauce, and must be eaten in one bite, slowly. Close your eyes and feel the different textures in your mouth while you eat every piece.
Gunkan ( Battleship Sushi )
This looks like a nigiri piece wrapped once in seaweed. It’s called “battleship sushi” because it resembles the cylindrical sail of a submarine or battleship. Most caviar sushi (e.g. uni, tobiko, ikura, masago) are wrapped in the gunkan style.
Makizushi
Maki means “rolled”. This kind of sushi consists of fish (or crab) and vegetables rolled in a sheet of nori (roasted seaweed) and rice. Makizushi is usually served sliced into bite-size portions. In some restaurants it will be listed as norimaki (seaweed roll) in the menu. Makizushi is an excellent choice for those venturing into the sushi bar for the first time, particularly if they are squimish about eating raw fish. The taste and crackling texture of the the seaweed, the visual delight from its appearance, and the combination of salty seaweed, sweet rice, and delicate fish and vegetables soon win even the most reluctant experimenters.
Temaki
Te = hand. Temaki describes the hand rolls, something like a Japanese nori taco, that you bite into. Many of the ingredients you’ll find in makizushi also exist in temaki. Kansai-style sushi is not covered here because it’s not very common in western countries. Osaka-style sushi, made with more vinegar (or some times pickled fish), and set in a box. See the photo for details. Its history and tradition require a whole chapter contrasting it with Edo-sushi, the one you’ll find at most western sushiyas.
The Details of Enjoying Sushi
The waitress will bring you an oshibori (hot towel) as soon as you seat down. Wipe your hands with it before touching the food; some restaurants leave the towel throughout the meal for you to wipe your hands; others take it away before your sashimi arrives. Either way you’ll get a napkin for your lap. Your wooden chopsticks will come joined at one end; separate them and feel them lengthwise. Rub them together only if you feel splinters. Never rub high quality, smooth chopsticks; you will insult the restaurant if you do. You may eat sushi with your hands or with chopsticks, whatever is more comfortable (See? That’s why you want to keep the oshibori).
Use chopsticks to grab morsels from a shared plate, holding the end that you put in your mouth with your fingers so that only the opposite end touches the food. You may use your fingers after depositing the sushi piece on your plate; turn your chopsticks around to grab it if you’re using them. Some sushi bars have a small canal with thin springs of running water between you and the itamae; use these to rinse your fingers. Never ask for a spoon to eat your soup; simply grab the bowl with one hand and dig the bits of tofu, seaweed, or mushrooms with your chopsticks as you bring it to your lips.
It’s perfectly polite to slurp, specially if the soup is hot. Ignore the patrons glaring at you from the other side of the bar; chances are they haven’t read this HOWTO nor been to Japan. Never dip the sushi rice in soy sauce; turn your piece so that only the fish or whatever you have on it touches the sauce. Never dip in soy sauce something that already has a sauce or decoration on it, like unagi (fresh water eel served with some Teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds). If it looks elaborate or like it has some sauce on it, ask the itamae whether you should dip it. Always dip your sashimi or nigiri if they don’t appear to have anything on them. Your plate will have some gari, or pickled ginger, on it. Eat a little bit of it in between sushi pieces to clear your palate. Eating gobs of it is bad form. Ask for some oshinko (various pickled roots like radish) if you don’t like pickled ginger.
Meal Order
Sashimi first; Fresh fish and molluscs (nigiri or maki); Exotic stuff because it tends to have a stronger flavor; Spicy anything like hand rolls (temaki) should be last. Exception: Fugu (poisonous blowfish) should probably be your only course if you eat it – explanation in the section living dangerously. Edamame, and oshinko may be ordered and enjoyed at any time during the course of your meal. Cooked stuff like unagi (grilled fresh water eel), and/or California rolls*, tempura, etc. go at the end because these things tend to coat the tongue and numb the taste of other things. If you must have it, wait until the end. Miso soup (shiro miso, nameko miso, etc.) is enjoyed at the end of the meal; you drink it off the cup, and feel free to slurp it if it’s too hot. Feel free to ignore the spoon if one is provided (in fact, it’s better etiquette to pretend like that spoon isn’t there).
People who know how to eat sushi don’t order California rolls. They’re for wimps who can’t handle raw fish. Rule of thumb: if it has mayonnaise or tomatoes, or if it’s cooked and lacks an exotic name like ankimo, it’s probably not real sushi.
Omakase
Omakase is a dining style in which the itamae picks the sunomono, sashimi, nigiri, makizushi, etc. in the order, variety, presentation, etc. that he deems appropriate. Omakase works best if you’re a more adventurous patron. It’s not unusual for the itamae to go exotic on you and serve things like odori (dancing, live shrimp), for example… some people tend to dislike when their food is staring them back from the plate.
Fugu
Fugu sashimi is so special that it’s often eaten as a main course. Fugu is a blowfish from Japan. In the United States, I found only one or two restaurants in New York City that serve it. All other states prohibit (as far as I know) its consumption. This blowfish is so poisonous that minimal amounts of venom are enough to kill a large, healthy adult, in less than a half hour. Its effects are similar to those of curare, a nerve poison used by the natives in the Amazonas. If fugu isn’t prepared correctly, chances are good that you’ll die of respiratory and cardiac failure. Here are some tips on how to best enjoy fugu: Always call the restaurant in advance and make a reservation; a skilled itamae who knows how to prepare fugu is hard to find, and may come to the restaurant just to prepare the fugu for you. Beware of a restaurant that will prepare fugu for you without a reservation unless you’re a regular patron. Plan on eating fugu sashimi and little else for that meal; don’t worry, fugu sashimi is rather abundant, usually enough for two people. Never eat fugu if you’re sitting at a table. Order it only if sitting at the sushi bar where you can watch its preparation.
Watching the preparation is part of the fun. The itamae will hand you a large plate with very thin slices of fish arranged like flower petals, and a small mound of fugu skin will be piled in the centre. It will be decorated with chopped scallions and spicy radish (not wasabi). A small halved sudachi (Japanese lime) will be somewhere on the plate or handed to you separately. When adding the Japanese lime, add only a few drops. This isn’t ceviche. Eat fugu s-l-o-w-l-y with your chopsticks. Enjoy its delicate flavor. Your lips and tongue should tingle, like after a sensuous kiss, making every bite taste better than the previous one. Drink smooth sake every two or three bites to cleanse your palate. Can you feel your tongue? No? Stop eating and call the ambulance. Alternate between eating the flesh and the skin. Never dip fugu in soy sauce. If the sushi chef recommends a sauce, it will be a very mild ponzu sauce (sudachi and soy sauce dilluted with a bit of sweet sake and rice vinegar) and he will give it to you without asking. Take your time after eating fugu before ordering anything else. It’s better if you just let it settle. Skip dessert. Tip the itamae generously. You will notice that he is much older (and presumably experienced) than other sushi chefs you might have run into. In fact, avoid eating fugu from a itamae who looks younger than forty. Experience is a friend of caution in this case.
What is Wasabi?
People think that wasabi is a form of horseradish or Japanese mustard. It is neither, though it is a distant relative to the mustard green plant. Wasabi (wasabia japonica) is a plant that grows almost exclusively in Asia. It became a sushi dressing in the mid-1800’s when the sushi preparers noticed that people who took small amounts of wasabi did not get sick. It turns out that one of wasabi’s best properties is killing parasites in the fish. Its delicate aroma and sweet undertones enhance the flavor of the fish with which it’s eaten. Studies in the United States and Japan confirm that wasabi inhibits microbes, prevents or aids treatment of blood clotting, asthma, and it’s helpful with some forms of cancer (J. A. Depree, T.M. Howard & G.P. Savage, Food Research International Vol 31, No5, pp.329-337, 1999). At least one study indicates that it may also help prevent tooth decay (Hideki Masuda, Ph.D. 2000).
Good Japanese restaurants offer fresh wasabi; the best buy the plant and grind it in the premises. Most restaurants outside of Japan will give you horseradish with food colouring; ask for real wasabi and you will get it in most cases. Once you try the real thing, however, you will be able to discriminate its delicate flavor and benefit from its many properties. The image next to this paragraph shows the difference between fake and real wasabi. The real thing is noticeably “greener”. If you manage to get some real, fresh wasabi, it’s probably OK for you to bring it to the sushi bar for the itamae to prepare it for you.
The itamae will either produce a traditional wasabi grater made with shark skin, made of steel called oroshigane (like the one in the enclosed photo), or made of porcelain and called oroshiki. Both oroshigane and oroshiki have fine grating slots, and they are used for wasabi, daikon, or gari (ginger). If the opportunity arises, try fresh wasabi with your sushi.
The good news is that you’re in for a fantastic treat. The bad news is that at some point you’ll end up eating crappy wasabi substitutes and you’ll be able to tell the difference. How much Wasabi we shoud use ? Put as much as you like, directly on the fish or mixed with soy sauce. Beware that wasabi mixed with soy sauce loses its flavor within 10 minutes or so. Trust your itamae regarding how much wasabi should go with your morsels.
Kinome and Sansho
If you want to try something beyond wasabi, kinome and sansho are for you. Kinome is the leaf of the prickly ash. This plant is native to eastern North America and has prickly twigs and folliage similar to the unrelated ash tree. Itamaes use the young leaves as a decoration and edible condiment. They taste like a combination of mint, basil, and a hint of anise. It goes well with any nigiri and replaces wasabi as a condiment. Eat only a tiny leaf at a time or its flavor will overwhelm everything else. Sansho are the peppercorns of the kinome plant. Bite half of one before eating delicate morsels of sushi (i.e. hamachi, tai, suzuki, waloo, etc.) and wait a couple of minutes before you put the fish in your mouth. The sansho peppercorn (or berry as some itamaes call it) will explode in flavor, almost numbing your tastebuds, but then it’ll create a tingling sensation on your tongue and palate. Eat the sushi when the tingling starts. The best wasabi taste won’t come close to how delicious sushi with sansho is. Sansho and kinome have similar medicinal properties to wasabi. It’s used as an antibacterial and for anti-candidiasis. It’s known to reduce swelling and it’s thought to aid in dealing with colds and coughs.
Why the Rice Tastes So Good ?
The white rice used for making sushi is cooked differently than the rice you eat with other Japanese food. Sushi rice is made with: Short-grained rice; Water; Rice vinegar (different kinds produce different colors); Sugar; Salt; Konbu, a form of kelp specifically used for sushi rice; Some itamae add a bit of sake.
Nyotaimori ( Naked Sushi )
Nyotaimori is the art of serving sushi atop the beautiful body of a model. Very few places in the United States provide this serving option. The history behind this Japanese custom is muddled by legend and hearsay. Some sources quote it as a long-standing tradition. Others claim it was introduced by the Yakuza gangsters. Nyotaimori means “served atop a woman” in Japanese. A nude woman, usually a model, lays atop a platform or table dressed only with leaves in strategic places; bare breasts are acceptable in some locations. Sushi is served atop the model, using the leaves as serving plates. The leaves are necessary to insulate the sushi from the model’s body heat, which would warm it up and spoil its quality if it takes too long before it’s eaten.
The leaves are optional depending on the party. Because this isn’t an everyday occurrence at the sushi bar, here is some additional information that you’ll need prior to enjoying this experience: The best place to enjoy nyotaimori is by invitation to a private party. The few restaurants in the US that offer nyotaimori are too gimmicky, tend to wrap the model in cling wrap, and the sushi itself will almost certainly suck; make some friends instead and get invited to, or organize, a private party. If you are in Japan or other parts of Asia, expect the model to be Caucasian, usually blonde; if you are elsewhere expect the model to be Asian. Restaurants that offer nyotaimori have strict rules for their patrons; adhere to them or expect to get kicked out. The model should be dressed in nothing more than a tiny G-string and perhaps a flower or leaf covering each of her breasts; if she’s got a layer of cling wrap as well, head for the sushi bar because that defeats the self-indulgent pleasure of enjoying nyotaimori. Don’t try to be funny or to engage in conversation with the model unless she starts; laying on that table without moving for several minutes is hard work and some models prefer not having the extra distraction; ‘hello’ and a friendly ‘thank you’ are the best way to go.
Pick the sushi pieces off the model’s body with your chopsticks, not with your fingers. Get consent from the host, other patrons or guests, and the model before snapping any photographs or you run the risk of getting kicked out and have your photo equipment confiscated. The last bullet is very important because most nyotaimori events are at private engagements. Some patrons may not wish to be in the photo and, if you wound up crashing a Yakuza party, the hosts may be rather stern in how they make you turn your camera over to them and how fast they show you to the door, or surprise you with a show-and-tell of what your own pancreas.
The Story of Sushi – By Trevor Corson
This guide explains how to eat sushi. Trevor Corson, a kindred soul in the realm of sushi, explains the process, end-to-end, in his fantastic book The Story of Sushi (originally titled The Zen of Fish). From the biology of fish to the finer points of itamae training, Trevor’s best-selling book takes you on a worldwide journey that presents the science and craft of sushi, from the oceans to your plate. Learn about where the fish comes from, the trials that your itamae had to endure to become a skilled preparer, and even about the ecological impact of sushi from this fantastic book: The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice By Trevor Corson ( ISBN: 978-0-06-088351-5 – Harper Collins ) Japan is mecca for the sushi master. The experience of enjoying sushi there can be either disturbing or fantastic, depending on how you approach it. Have fun with your sushi outings and learn from the experience.
How to Have a Great Time at Sushiya ?
Memorize the names of the sushi before you get there, or bring a copy of this HOWTO in your iPhone or PDA so that you can look them up; it’s unlikely that the itamae or wait staff speak English/Spanish/Russian/French/Whatever unless you are in a tourist trap. Try to learn some Japanese before your trip. Pace yourself and watch the itamae; order when he is not in the middle of doing something else. Order tea, miso soup, only from the wait staff, get your sushi from the itamae. The number one secret to have the best sushi ever: find an establishment at the Tokyo or Osaka fish market, and eat there! The Tokyo fish market is at the Tsukiji shijo metro stop; turn left as you exit the station and make another left at the entrance to the market (about 5 m / 15 ft). Find a busy sushi bar – the more people, the better.
Some establishments are so good that they may have a line out the door 20 to 50 people long. Go to those! The lines move quickly and the sushi will be amazing. Remember that there is no tipping in Japan; your bill’s total includes service charges. Ask for the bill from the itamae, but ensure that you pay the waitress or cashier directly. If you liked your meal, make a big show of thanking the itamae; as you’ll see in the next subsection, foreigners are not always welcome at sushiyas. Be an ambassador of good will and open doors for others to enjoy your experience! The Japanese culture can be hard to grasp and reactions of the sushiya owners can range from welcoming to downright rude and dismissive when you visit. I’ve asked about the reasons for the negative reactions and the explanations ranged from convenience to the establishment (i.e. they aren’t equiped to deal with non-Japanese speaking foreigners) to bigotry. Avoid patronage of sushiya where foreigners are unwelcome, visit the rest when you go exploring by yourself or in a guided tour. Sucks that things are that way, but that’s the way they are.
Signs that You Aren’t Welcome at a Sushiya:
A prominent sign indicates that only Japanese people are welcome. The host or hostess makes a sign by crossing extended fingers in front on your face (reminiscent of samurai crossing swords) and shakes his or her head as you approach or insist in getting service. They escort you to the door without explanation. You manage to sit at the bar and the itame, wait staff, and everyone at the bar ignore you. ( By Eugene Ciurana from www.eugeneciurana.com © Copyright by Eugene Ciurana. All rights reserved. Feel free to reproduce it in whole or in part as long as this copyright notice and a link to it or its URL are provided ).
THE PROPER WAY OF EATING SUSHI
Have you ever wondered whether you’re eating sushi the right way? Los Angeles food journal StomachLife has interviewed Chef Sam Sugimoto of Los Angeles-based Japanese restaurant CHAYA to reveal the basic etiquette of sushi-eating. In the first two episodes of the running series, Sugimoto shows us that we should wipe our hands with the wet towel before eating, and flip over the sushi when dipping it into the soy sauce. He also prepares different sushi for men and women—giving his philosophy behind choosing the specific fish for males and females.