50 Sushi Tips for Beginners (Part 1)
Kudos to Janet Murray for her submission of the 50 Sushi Tips for Beginners. SLU will spotlight 10 tips a week on Thursdays - if you can’t wait check out the complete list by clicking here. What do you think about these tips? Leave a comment. Have a tip of your own? Leave a comment!
50 Sushi Tips for Beginners from Janet Murray: Tips 1 – 10
Japanese food has garnered a considerable amount of attention in recent years due to its amazingly healthy properties and clean, balanced flavors. Though Americans have grown familiar with sushi and other cornerstones of Japanese cuisine, many still find it difficult to break through all the barriers, protocols, and – yes – cases of mistaken identity that continue to surround the dishes to this day. With these quick tips, those interested in learning more about sushi have a solid place to start before moving on to the advanced courses.
- 1. Not all sushi is raw fish! The presence of vinegared rice is what constitutes a sushi dish. No matter what toppings – raw or cooked – are added into the mix, so long as the specially prepared rice is there, whatever is being consumed can be considered sushi.
2. Go light on the wasabi at first.
Wasabi is a fluorescent green condiment that kicks like a bronco. There are multiple ways to apply it to a piece of sushi, but try it in tiny doses at first to gauge tolerance. Many a prankster has taken advantage of a naïve friend and found pleasure in their reactions to this pungent horseradish paste.
3. Use the pickled ginger (gari) as a palate cleanser.
Almost all Japanese dishes come accompanied by both a wad of wasabi and a small pile of lively pink or ecru gari. Eat a slice between sushi pieces to keep the palate feeling fresh and clean. Doing so imbues diners with the ability to taste the full complex flavor of every different roll, wrap, nigiri, or other sushi style.
4. Never eat the purple tuna (toro).
Tuna at its freshest and healthiest should be a vibrant dark red color. If served a slice with a purplish tinge, do not even try to eat it. The coloring indicates compromised freshness and quality and could result in violent illness.
5. Want raw fish with no rice? Order the sashimi instead.
Many people unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine usually think of sashimi when the subject of sushi gets brought up. Anyone curious about the simple taste of raw fish without the vinegared rice that qualifies a dish as sushi should order slices of sashimi. Salmon (sake, pronounced the same as the beverage) and tuna are two of the most popular fish in both the United States and Japan.
6. Take advantage of lunch specials when trying new things.
Most sushi bars and restaurants host lunch specials or happy hour deals with discounted food of the same quality served during dinner time. Novices to Japanese cuisine will want to give it a chance when they spend less money on dishes they may not entirely enjoy.
7. Feel free to ask the chef (itamae) for any recommendations.
Most sushi chefs are more than happy to help diners unfamiliar with Japanese food pick out dishes that sound appealing to their palates. Be sure to ask them about their specialties as well if hoping to sample the best sushi the restaurant or bar has to offer.
8. Order sake with sashimi. Sushi tastes best with beer or tea.
Because sake is made from fermented rice, most sushi connoisseurs consider drinking it with sushi a redundancy. It complements sashimi fine, but those hoping for a beverage best suited to accompany nigiri, maki, or other sushi dishes would do best to drink hot tea or beer instead. Try to avoid rice beers, of course.
9. Never be afraid to ask questions of an itamae or waitron.
Beyond inquiries into food, it is never taboo to ask the staff about etiquette protocol or any taboos when it comes to dining at a sushi bar or restaurant. They are usually perfectly happy to help with anything from pronunciations to how to properly use chopsticks.
10. Chopsticks are optional when it comes to sushi.
Sashimi should be eaten with chopsticks, but it is not considered rude to consume nigiri or maki sushi without any utensils whatsoever. There are several different accepted techniques to hold the pieces and keep them together with the fingers.
