There are many ways to eat sushi but do you know that there's actually a "proper" way to eat sushi?
According to Japanese culture and traditions, this is how you do it.
With Your Hands, Not With Chopsticks.
Using chopsticks could ruin the perfect form of the sushi, causing it to break apart. Don't waste the chef's presentation efforts!
Chopsticks are primarily used to pick up sashimi, ginger and wasabi.
Important: The rice and soy sauce are NOT supposed to touch! Although some like to smear copious amounts of soy sauce on their sushi, doing this will mask the flavour of the fish.
Applying just the right amount instead, will accentuate the freshness of the fish.
Doing this will overpower the sweet flavour of the fish. If you like more wasabi, use your chopsticks and dab a bit on top of the fish.
The chef would already have applied the right amount of wasabi in between the rice and fish for you. So do remember this before you go full-on wasabi!
If your sushi is too big, you can finish it in multiple bites but eating it in one bite is easier and sophisticated.
Start with the white fish first, since it has the lightest flavour. Move on to the silver fish next, followed by red, then onto heavy-flavoured fish like salmon, and finally the fattest fish comes last.
In short, eat your sushi by starting from the lightest to the heaviest flavour. The egg sushi will serve as dessert.
Eat ginger (Gari) in between sushi pieces for palate cleansing. This allows you to enjoy the full, robust flavour of the next sushi.
Did you eat sushi the "right way"? Everyone has a favorite way of eating, so please keep it as a reference.
However, when eating in front of the chef in Tokyo, please be aware of the above.
If you are interested in sushi, check out this guide.