How I did it: Learning to eat and appreciate sushi properly is probably not something you can do in just one visit.  If you are interested in really getting to know sushi as a culinary experience, go to a sushi bar with a good reputation, and sit at the bar.  Even if you are not comfortable conversing with or ordering from the chef, watching him or her work with the food is very interesting, and you can learn a lot just through observation.

Lessons & tips: My quick and dirty guide: First of all: don't rub your chopsticks together!  Nothing will make you look more amateur and out of place than tearing apart your bamboo sticks and rubbing them together like you're going to make a little bonfire on the table. This is a silly habit that I think some clever Japanese restauranteur started to make white people look stupid when they go to sushi restaurants. 

After you've broken apart your chopsticks and have been served your sushi, don't go straight for the rolls and try to pick them up with your sticks.   It's hard, isn't it? That's because sushi isn't meant to be eaten with chops.  It's clumsy and awkward and you look stupid doing it because it's just not meant to be done--save yourself the trouble and eat the sushi with your hands.  It's easier and neater and makes sushi more enjoyable to eat!  Sashimi is the only exception to this rule. 

Don't drown your sushi in soy sauce.  Soy sauce should never go on the sushi rice--believe it or not, someone worked really hard to make that rice into the perfect acidity and consistency for sushi.  Soaking it in soy sauce destroys the flavor and texture of the rice.  If you need soy sauce, flip the sushi over and touch the fish or vegetables to it.

Mixing your wasabi into the soy sauce is not necessary and again is a weird habit that someone once made up to identify novice sushi-eaters.  If you want wasabi on your sushi, put it directly on the rice, don't swirl it around in a dish of soy sauce. 

Lastly, the ginger is there to cleanse your palate between rolls.  This separates the flavors and allows you to experience the different sushis as individual pieces, not one giant slop of flavors and textures.  

None of these rules are concrete of course and sushi should be an enjoyable experience, just like anything else.  Have fun!

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May 14, 12:58PM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer