Sushi is one of my indulgences, and something that I crave and eat every week. Because I try and take a different friend every time I go out for sushi, I come across situations where said friends don’t know how to eat sushi.
They quickly learn how to use the chopsticks and how to eat sushi as its not very difficult, but its the customs that take a while to get used to. North American and Japanese customs vary greatly, but its always a good idea to learn the local custom when heading to a different country.
How to Eat Sushi (In pictures)
Sushi Order
- Sashimi first
- Fresh fish such as Maki
- Stronger flavoured exotic fish
- Spicy anything like hand rolls
- Edamame may be munched on 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.
- Soups are the end of the email and slurped without a spoon.
- California rolls are for wimps who can’t handle real sushi/raw fish.
A few tips.
I’ve eaten sushi at countless different places; some were very good, others not so much. Try eating sushi at least once or twice before you give up on it. You won’t learn how to eat sushi the first time, but going with friends who are patient and know a bit more really helps with the experience.
In all my ears, I’ve only found 1 great All-you- can eat sushi place. AYCE sushi restaurants aren’t set-up to be the best options out there, but they do provide you with the options of trying a wide assortments of different things at once.