How to Eat Sushi

There are no special rules of how to eat sushi. They are plain dinner table rules that can relate to any cuisine.

Sushi is generally eaten with the hands. Steamed towels (oshibori) will be brought after you are seated. Clean your hands and neatly roll, or fold the towel and keep it aside for later use. Lighter tasting ingredients should be consumed early to enjoy their delicate flavors. When seasoning the sushi with soy sauce, try to season the fish(or the main ingredient), rather than the rice. Tilt the sushi while holding it securely with your fingers. Although rarely done, sushi should be consumed upside down, with the main ingredient facing down. Soy sauce should not drip, since only a small amount should be used in the first place.

The sushi is supposed to be consumed in one bite. A good sushi chef should be able to estimate the size of the sushi by looking at the customer. So if the sushi is too big and you have to bite it in half, it is not your fault.

After eating the sushi, wipe your fingers that were used to hold the sushi. Simply rub it against the towel without picking it up. Some good sushi restaurants prepare special dampened cloths that are folded, and placed near you just for this reason. Before you move on, eat a piece of pickled ginger (gari) to wash or “reset” your palate. Sipping rice wine (sake) is effective as well. Repeat the cleansing of the fingers and palate after each sushi.