Eat Sushi

If you've never eaten sushi before but want to try it, you might feel intimidated by unfamiliar food, presentation, and traditions. The flavor (and your experience) of sushi is greatly influenced not only by how it's prepared, but also by how you eat it. These guidelines will help you know what to expect and how to thoroughly enjoy your first sushi adventure.

Steps

 * 1) Choose a reputable sushi restaurant. This is especially important for the first-time sushi eater. Poorly prepared fish can ruin the experience and make you never want to eat sushi again, especially if you're not particularly fond of seafood to begin with. You can do more experimenting with where you eat once you've had a few positive experiences with sushi, but when you're starting out, play it safe.
 * 2) *If you're nervous about trying sushi for the first time, try salmon sushi nigiri style, which is more mild than other types of raw sushi.
 * 3) *Just because it's more expensive doesn't mean the quality is better.
 * 4) *If you know any Japanese people, ask them to recommend a place. If you don't have any Japanese acquaintances, find an Asian grocery and ask someone who works there, or find a local food forum and request advice there.
 * 5) *Check the menu for warning signs that the quality might not be good :
 * 6) **"all you can eat" sushi for a fixed price
 * 7) **menu items not listed in Japanese
 * 8) **most of the items are rolled sushi with names like Oriental Delight
 * 9) **more than half of the available ingredients are cooked
 * 10) [[Image:Sushibar_274.jpg|200px|right]]Sit at the sushi bar if you can. This will give you the opportunity to interact with the sushi chef and inspect the quality of the fish (which should be on display, and should not look dry).
 * 11) Place your order. Order the sushi items directly from the chef if possible and order non-sushi items from a server (never from the chef). Ask him what he recommends, and if you can have whatever he thinks is freshest. Since sushi has raw fish, the fresher it is, the better it'll taste. Be careful in how you phrase it, though. Asking "Is it fresh?" might be insulting, because it implies that some of the fish might not be fresh. Just ask for whatever is freshest. If you want to eat something while the sushi is being prepared, ask for edamame (boiled soy beans), suimono (clear broth) or misoshiru (fermented soy bean soup). Choose from green tea, beer, sake, or water to drink; soft drinks will overpower the subtle flavors of sushi. Here is an overview of the kinds of sushi you can try:
 * 12) *[[Image:Fluke 4301.jpg|150px|right]]Sashimi - Slices of raw fish (without rice)
 * 13) *[[Image:A light snack in nearby Japantown prior to the Ghost Hunt. 3379.jpg|150px|right]]Nigiri - A slice of raw fish over an oval of rice
 * 14) *[[Image:Futomaki---Kenzan-1384.jpg|150px|right]]Maki- Typically one or two types of fish or vegetable rolled with rice in a sheet of roasted seaweed and cut into bite-sized portions. A good starting point for people who are squeamish about eating raw fish.
 * 15) *[[Image:DSC00311 4314.jpg|150px|right]]Temaki - Similar to maki, except the ingredients are rolled into a cone shape that you hold and bite into the way you would a taco.
 * 16) [[Image:Washing my hands 4459.jpg|200px|right]]Clean your hands before eating sushi. Many sushi bars will provide a hot moist towel for this purpose prior to serving food. Although many people choose to use chopsticks, it is entirely acceptable to eat sushi with your hands.
 * 17) [[Image:Sushi1_216.PNG|200px|right]]Know your condiments. Typically, a plate of sushi will include wasabi (the green ball of paste) and pickled ginger (thin, pink slices placed right next to the wasabi). In addition, you will be provided a small shallow dish to dip your sushi in soy sauce. Pour soy sauce in the tiny plate, half-full or less.
 * 18) *Be careful when dipping Nigiri into the soy sauce. If you dip the rice into the soy sauce, it will fall apart.Instead, take the whole piece in your hands and dip it in the soy sauce fish end down.
 * 19) *[[Image:Omakase! Round 6! 9547.jpg|150px|right]]If the sushi already has sauce on it, do not dip it in the soy sauce. Try enjoying it as the chef seasoned it.
 * 20) *Alternatively, you can use chopsticks to dip the ginger in the soy sauce, and then use it to brush the sauce onto the fish rather than dip the fish directly. This gives just the "essence" of ginger, and the ginger is then not directly eaten.
 * 21) *[[Image:Sushi2_64.PNG|200px|right]]Don't overdo it on the wasabi. It is very easy to overpower the delicate flavors of sushi with a heavy combination of soy sauce and wasabi. Taste the sushi without extra wasabi first, then add a small amount directly to each piece if you desire. Be aware that sometimes nigiri has wasabi tucked in between the fish and rice; sushi prepared this way rarely needs extra wasabi. Although some people choose to mix the wasabi paste with the soy sauce, this practice makes it hard to control the balance of spicy and salty flavors and may be considered disrespectful to the sushi chef.
 * 22) [[Image:Sushi3_141.PNG|200px|right]]Eat the sushi in one bite. If the piece is too big, eat it in two bites. Pay attention to both the flavors and the textures. You may be surprised with how mild and tender the fish is. Remember that you're not supposed to be overwhelmed with strength of flavor here, but with the balance of flavors and textures. Take the time to enjoy it!
 * 23) [[Image:Sushi4_214.PNG|200px|right]]Refresh your mouth with a slice of ginger, particularly between eating different types of sushi. Do not eat it in the same bite as sushi.
 * 24) Eat everything on your plate. Unless you truly can't eat another bite, try to finish everything that was served to you.

Tips

 * Read about sushi etiquette before dining so that you don't accidentally insult the chef or the culture.
 * Higher quality pickled ginger will be white; the pink color of most is from premade ginger in a jar which has had food coloring added to it. While both are (usually) very good, the paler variety is more subtle and complex.
 * Real wasabi is very expensive; it is actually a root, and at finer establishments, it will look more like shreds. In addition, it will NOT be eye-watering like the green paste. The green paste is actually cheaper horseradish with food coloring added.

Warnings

 * Even though the wasabi is there on your plate, it's sometimes considered bad manners to add some to each piece before you eat it, when the sushi chef has already placed some wasabi on the rice roll. If you add more wasabi, you are essentially telling the chef that he or she did not do a good job.
 * If you have not tried wasabi before, be careful with using it as a condiment. It can be extremely spicy, do not use too much of it.  Try a tiny bit first to see how you handle it.
 * Eating uncooked fish, shellfish and meat may put you at risk for serious food-borne illnesses, including food poisoning, hepatitis, parasites, and liver damage. While this is unlikely at respectable sushi restaurants, think twice before having sushi that's been sitting out for who knows how long at a buffet made by who-knows-who.

Related Tips and Steps

 * How to Practice Sushi Etiquette
 * How to Eat With Chopsticks
 * How to Serve and Drink Sake
 * How to Make Sushi
 * How to Make Nigiri Sushi

Sources and Citations

 * VideoJug - Original source of images, shared with permission