It’s ok to eat sushi with your hands
Today I had sushi with my sister and baby daughter (she’s 2 and already a fan).
Can’t do chopsticks?
My daughter wanted to play with the chopsticks, and wondered why my sister wasn’t using hers like Mommy was. My sister informed us: “I don’t do chopsticks.” Translation – she has never quite mastered the art and science of picking up fish-and-rice combinations dipped in soy sauce with two sticks of wood, never mind actually maneuvering the collection to her mouth without dropping some portion of it on the way.
The cleanly tradition of sushi and the bathhouse
That’s o.k., sis, I told her. You won’t lose your sushi lover card if you don’t use chopsticks to eat sushi. In fact, it’s quite authentic not to use chopsticks. Why? Because back in the “olden days” oftentimes the local sushi restaurant was strategically located near the town’s public bath, or ohuro (pronounced o-furo). People would take their bath and then go eat. As you may know, with the traditional Japanese bath a person extensively cleanses onself OUTSIDE the bath, followed by a soak in a deep tub of nearly scalding water concurrently used by fellow bath-takers. So having thoroughly cleansed oneself during the bath immediately prior, there was no need to use a utensil to eat the sushi.
No worries - eat with your fingers!
Today we don’t generally go straight from a bath to the sushi restaurant, but in any event if you do not like to/are not able to use chopsticks, just thoroughly wash your hands at the restaurant’s bathroom prior to eating, and then explain to your fellow diners that you are eating sushi the old fashioned way. Your guests will be impressed with your knowledge of sushi history, and you can eat “old school” without having to reveal your lack of chopstick dexterity.
A tip for eating sushi with your fingers
A tip for eating sushi with your fingers: rather than picking up the sushi with your thumb and forefinger, use your thumb and middle finger instead, with the forefinger outstretched and lightly placed on top of the sushi to hold it together while you dip it in the soy sauce and bring it to your mouth. This will help avoid accidents.
Eat sushi handrolls
Of course, you can always eat mostly handrolls (temaki) – those are supposed to be eaten with your hands, so you never have to worry about chopsticks!
